Why ProFix publishes this
License status is one of the few contractor trust signals a homeowner can verify without relying on a platform badge, paid listing, or review aggregate. In Ohio, some home-service trades are licensed by state boards, some are credentialed through specialty agencies, and many are regulated through local registration, permits, bonding, or insurance rather than a statewide license. That uneven landscape makes public accountability harder than it should be.
This page narrows the problem. ProFix does not republish named disciplinary records here. Instead, the license-watch surface turns status changes into anonymized pattern notes: the kind of issue, the trade affected, the county context, the reason category, and the action a homeowner should take before signing. The format is built for transparency and answer-engine trust while reducing defamation risk. A homeowner does not need a contractor's name from this page; they need the habit: verify the live credential, ask for the public permit trail, and make payment depend on documented progress.
The accountability value compounds with the ProFix public-records moat. Ohio eLicense, agency rosters, Secretary of State filings, county permits, and consumer-protection records all tell part of the story. License-watch summarizes the failure modes those records reveal: lapsed renewals, unsafe work, complaint clusters, unpaid bond or registration issues, and misrepresentation around scopes or credentials.
Recent license-status changes (anonymized)
Pattern note: each item names the pattern, never the contractor. Examples include renewal gaps, complaint clusters, unsafe inspection outcomes, and entity-switching behavior after homeowner disputes. These are editorial examples for due diligence, not a real-time legal finding.
- May 14, 2026PlumberSuspendedComplaints
Pattern note
Repeat unbonded plumber filed for a new LLC under a different trade name after unresolved permit-closeout complaints.
County context: lucas. Homeowner action: Confirm the plumbing license is active in eLicense, ask for bond/insurance from the broker, and call the permit office before paying a deposit.
- May 9, 2026HVAC TechnicianRevokedFraud / misrepresentation
Pattern note
HVAC installer repeatedly represented Manual J sizing and equipment registration as complete when homeowners later found no matching documentation.
County context: franklin. Homeowner action: Ask for the license number, AHRI certificate, permit number, and commissioning checklist before final payment.
- April 29, 2026ElectricianSuspendedSafety
Pattern note
Electrical contractor was flagged after repeat panel replacements failed inspection for grounding and service-clearance defects.
County context: cuyahoga. Homeowner action: Verify the electrical license, require permit inspection signoff, and do not energize altered panels until the authority having jurisdiction approves.
- April 21, 2026Appliance Repair TechExpired, no renewalNon-renewal
Pattern note
Appliance-repair operator let a local registration lapse while continuing to advertise warranty-authorized service.
County context: hamilton. Homeowner action: Confirm manufacturer authorization directly with the manufacturer and avoid paying diagnostic fees that are presented as warranty-covered without proof.
- April 16, 2026Gas TechnicianSuspendedSafety
Pattern note
Gas-appliance work was paused after repeated combustion-safety paperwork gaps and missing pressure-test documentation.
County context: stark. Homeowner action: Ask for combustion-analyzer readings, pressure-test documentation, and the OCILB-connected credential before any gas appliance is restarted.
- April 4, 2026Concrete ContractorExpired, then renewedNon-payment
Pattern note
Concrete contractor's local registration expired after bond-payment delay, then renewed after the municipality requested updated insurance.
County context: montgomery. Homeowner action: Check local registration and bond dates, then hold final payment until driveway, sidewalk, or apron inspections are closed.
- March 28, 2026RooferRevokedFraud / misrepresentation
Pattern note
Storm-claim roofer was flagged for collecting large deposits, delaying tear-off work, and switching entity names between insurance seasons.
County context: summit. Homeowner action: Verify the entity filing date, require proof of insurance from the carrier, compare permit history, and never sign over the whole insurance check.
- March 19, 2026Tree ServiceExpired, no renewalNon-renewal
Pattern note
Tree-service registration lapsed after insurance and workers' compensation documents were not updated during storm-cleanup season.
County context: lake. Homeowner action: Require a current certificate of insurance sent by the broker and confirm public-right-of-way permits before removal near streets or utilities.
- March 11, 2026Water/Fire/Mold RestorationSuspendedComplaints
Pattern note
Water-damage restoration operator drew repeat complaints for equipment rental charges without drying logs or written moisture targets.
County context: hancock. Homeowner action: Ask for IICRC-aligned drying logs, daily moisture readings, and a written scope that separates emergency mitigation from rebuild work.
- March 5, 2026Lead Abatement ContractorRevokedSafety
Pattern note
Lead-abatement credential was revoked after repeated containment, clearance-testing, and waste-handling failures on pre-1978 homes.
County context: cuyahoga. Homeowner action: Verify the ODH lead credential, require clearance results, and keep children out of the work area until clearance documentation is complete.
- February 24, 2026Fire Protection ContractorSuspendedFraud / misrepresentation
Pattern note
Fire-protection contractor was flagged for inspection tags and deficiency reports that did not match actual sprinkler or extinguisher service dates.
County context: franklin. Homeowner action: Confirm State Fire Marshal credentials, retain deficiency reports, and ask the local fire official which inspections are required for the property type.
- February 18, 2026Water Well ContractorExpired, no renewalNon-renewal
Pattern note
Private-water-system contractor missed renewal and continued quoting pump and pressure-tank work under an expired credential.
County context: holmes. Homeowner action: Verify the ODH private-water-system credential and request a water test plan before authorizing well or pump work.
- February 7, 2026Septic System ContractorSuspendedSafety
Pattern note
Septic installer was suspended after repeated installs relied on incomplete soil documentation and missing county health-department approvals.
County context: delaware. Homeowner action: Call the county Board of Health, ask for soil evaluation records, and require installation approval before excavation starts.
- January 31, 2026Computer & Electronics RepairExpired, then renewedNon-renewal
Pattern note
Smart-home and low-voltage installer renewed a local registration only after an expired-registration notice appeared during a permit review.
County context: wood. Homeowner action: Clarify whether the project crosses into electrical scope, then verify the proper low-voltage or electrical credential before wiring work begins.
- January 23, 2026Pest Control ServiceSuspendedSafety
Pattern note
Pest-control applicator was suspended after pesticide application records, category coverage, and customer safety notices did not match the work sold.
County context: butler. Homeowner action: Verify the ODA pesticide category, ask for the EPA registration number on each chemical, and keep treatment records with the contract.
- January 16, 2026LandscaperExpired, no renewalNon-renewal
Pattern note
Landscape operator's fertilizer or pesticide-related credential lapsed while the company kept selling chemical lawn-treatment packages.
County context: medina. Homeowner action: Separate ordinary mowing from chemical treatment and verify the applicator credential for any fertilizer, weed, or insect-control service.
- January 8, 2026PainterExpired, then renewedNon-renewal
Pattern note
Painter working on older housing renewed lead-safe paperwork after a pre-1978 project raised questions about containment and cleanup.
County context: mahoning. Homeowner action: For pre-1978 homes, ask for lead-safe certification, containment details, and dust-cleanup procedures before sanding or demolition starts.
- December 18, 2025Foundation Repair ContractorRevokedFraud / misrepresentation
Pattern note
Foundation-repair seller was flagged for representing engineer-reviewed pier designs when no independent engineering letter was produced.
County context: licking. Homeowner action: Ask for an independent engineer's letter, permit status, transferable warranty terms, and a second bid before signing structural work.
- December 5, 2025Garage Door CompanySuspendedComplaints
Pattern note
Garage-door company was suspended from a local vendor list after complaints about spring upsells, incomplete safety-reverse testing, and missing invoices.
County context: lorain. Homeowner action: Require a written diagnosis, confirm spring-cycle rating, test photo-eye and pressure reverse before payment, and keep the itemized invoice.
How to verify any current license
Do not rely on this page as the live source of truth. Start with /verify and the public license-evidence feed. Then confirm the status in the official Ohio eLicense Center or the applicable specialty agency for pesticide, lead abatement, water-well, septic, or fire-protection work. Match the contractor name, license holder, business entity, expiration date, county or city registration, and the trade scope on the quote. If a salesperson gives one name, the contract gives another, and the license belongs to a third, stop and reconcile the mismatch before paying.
Reporting a contractor concern
Homeowners can contact ProFix to flag a listing-quality concern or send evidence that a profile should be reviewed. For consumer-protection issues, use the Ohio Attorney General home-improvement consumer guidance and complaint pathways. Keep the contract, invoice, proof of payment, photos, texts, emails, permit numbers, and any inspection notes. The best complaint record is boring and chronological.
Data caveat
Status changes refresh daily in ProFix's pipeline, but this page is an editorial summary, not a real-time disciplinary docket. Some trades have statewide credentials; others have local registrations, specialty credentials, insurance, bonding, or permit-based accountability. For programmatic access to the current anonymized pattern feed, use /api/license-revocations.json. For named current status on any contractor, use the official agency lookup.
License
ProFix Editorial Team publishes this editorial summary under CC-BY-4.0. Underlying license, registration, permit, and consumer-protection records are Ohio public records or agency records with their own legal status. This page deliberately stays anonymized and should not be used to identify, accuse, or rank a specific contractor.
Publisher: ProFix Editorial Team / ProFix Directory.