Contractor Background Check

Criminal records are of immense use in almost any conceivable industry, from manufacturing to fast food and everything in between.  However, they are also eminently valuable to homeowners.  How can homeowners make use of criminal records?  What value do these records have in the home setting?  Actually, you will find that they can be of immense assistance.  Here are just a few ways that criminal record searches and background checks can have an impact on your everyday life.

Contractors – With the current state of the economy, most people are finding it more than difficult to purchase a new home.  However, this hasn't stopped homeowners from running out of space due to outgrowing their current location.  To combat this, more and more homeowners are remodeling and adding onto their homes.  This means that business is booming for contractors around the nation.  However, homeowners should exercise caution when choosing a home contractor for their needs.

Contractors are just as likely as anyone else to have a criminal record.  Not only does this affect the safety of your family and your belongings, but it can also affect your bank account.  Conducting criminal records searches on any potential contractor will help you ensure that you are able to avoid costly problems.  What problems might arise?  How can criminal records help ensure that you are not victimized by a contractor?

Contractors are just as likely as anyone else is to commit fraud.  In fact, the very nature of their business makes it easy for this to occur.  By consulting background information and conducting criminal records searches, homeowners can ensure that the contractor they choose has never been convicted or even charged with fraud.  Of course, any incidence of theft will be listed in these criminal records as well, helping homeowners to attain better peace of mind where their addition is concerned.

Home Services – Every homeowner has experienced the need for professional services from time to time.  Perhaps a storm blew siding off the home that must be replaced.  Perhaps the home has gardens that must be tended or the homeowner has found themselves in need of a landscaping service.  Appliances can break down and need professional repairs.  Each of these situations opens your home up to the potential for threat and damage. Of course, these services are necessary, but homeowners are advised to make use of criminal records searches and other background checks to ensure they do not expose themselves or their families unduly.

What threats can be posed by these services?  What can criminal records help you avoid?  Let's take the home cleaning industry as an example.  Most of these are single person enterprises, with only a few employees.  These employees are usually not supervised, due to the nature of the business.  However, studies have proven that these individuals are far more likely to steal from the homes they clean than not.  In fact, most home thefts involve some sort of professional service, rather than being the result of a direct break-in. As such, homeowners are advised to vet any service or individual they might hire to work within or around the home.  Even landscapers and other outdoor service professionals can pose a risk to your home and your belongings, even your safety.

Obviously, vetting these individuals is important, but that importance extends to other services and industries, as well.  Criminal records can be of immense use in ensuring that you do not expose your family to this pervasive threat.

Babysitting Services – Most parents find the need to engage a babysitter or babysitting service at some point.  Whether this is due to work hours spent outside the home or due to simply wanting an evening out, the fact remains that parents regularly entrust their children's welfare to these service providers.  In most cases, this is an innocent situation.  However, in a surprisingly large number of cases, this situation can lead to serious harm to the children, including neglect, abuse, molestation, exposure to drugs and alcohol and more.  How are you to avoid this situation and ensure that your children remain safe?

Criminal records can be accessed to investigate anyone's past, and this includes babysitters and babysitting services.  Obviously, this is of enormous benefit.  Criminal records routinely prove that those offering these services frequently have criminal records that include convictions for child abuse, child molestation, violent assault, drug trafficking, DUI and many other heinous charges, even manslaughter!  It only makes sense that you should use criminal records to help you avoid exposing your children to these individuals.
Where can you access criminal records?  What options do you have to gain access to this incredibly important information?  The modern age has made assessing an individual's character a much simpler business than it was previously.  Here are just a few options that you have at your disposal.

Local Record Aggregates – You can most certainly spend the time and money required to research criminal records through your local courthouse.  However, in addition to taking an enormous amount of time, this method yields less than stellar results.  For instance, local courthouses will only have a record of crimes committed by the individual within that specific county.  What happens if the crime was committed in another county? In addition, it can be quite expensive to access criminal records through your local courthouse, due to clerks' fees, access fees and fees for copying.

State Courthouses – Certainly, state courthouses offer you benefits greater than do local courthouses.  For instance, a state courthouse will house records involving any charges placed within the state, rather than limiting your access to county records only.  However, not only are these records difficult to access, but they do not include any crimes committed in other states.

Online Sources – By far, the best choice for homeowners and parents seeking to ensure they are able to access comprehensive criminal records is the Internet.  Online criminal records specialists can provide instant access to national criminal records and background information, saving time and money.  However, choose wisely, as not all of these websites are created equal.