Guide
Before you hire agarage door contractorin Kansas
Ask for the contractor's Johnson County license number, then call the county to confirm it. This page covers that call and what else to ask.
Checking a license
To check a license, use the public search at Johnson County Contractor Licensing, or call the office at (913) 715-2233. It's at 111 S. Cherry St., Suite 1000, Olathe. Licenses last one year, so check that it's current.
The county's license types don't mention garage doors by name. Class C covers repairs and remodeling on homes, and Class DW, wood framing, lists doors. So ask which license the contractor holds and what it covers. If the answer doesn't fit the job, ask the county office.
What your city says
Cities handle this in different ways. None of these pages says whether a garage door contractor needs a particular license.
- Gardner: its building and inspections page says any contractor you hire must hold a Johnson County license. Fence and irrigation contractors are the only exceptions it lists.
- Spring Hill, Kansas: its project permits page requires contractors asking for building, plumbing, electric or mechanical permits to be licensed with Johnson County or Miami County.
- Lenexa: its residential construction page asks for county licenses and a Lenexa business license with new construction permits.
- Overland Park: its list of residential permit exceptions says garage door openers need no permit. Door replacement isn't listed.
- Olathe and Shawnee: door replacement isn't on Olathe's residential permit list or Shawnee's building permits page, so ask whether a permit is needed.
Questions for the phone call
Which Johnson County license do you hold?
Get the number, then call the county to confirm it.
Are you insured?
Ask for a certificate of insurance. Checking this is your responsibility, as the notice at the bottom of this page says.
What's in the price?
Door or parts, labor, any permit, removal of old parts and anything left out. Ask for it in writing.
Who takes out the permit, if one is needed?
A contractor doing it has to be licensed the way that city requires.
What warranty comes with the work?
Ask for it in writing: what it covers, who stands behind it and for how long. This site doesn't stand behind any work.
If someone comes to your door
Kansas law at K.S.A. 50-640 lets you cancel a door-to-door sale until midnight of the third business day after you sign. Read the cancellation notice before you sign. After a storm, be careful with anyone who offers repairs on the spot and wants payment first.
Read reviews yourself
Look up the contractor's name in more than one place, and read the low ratings as well as the high ones. This site doesn't publish reviews or vouch for any contractor.
Ready to talk to a contractor?
Your call goes to an independent contractor who works in this area. Say what the door is doing, ask what the price covers, and ask for license details before you agree to anything.