# One contractor, three business names: how to verify the match

Work through a fictional business-name investigation and document which records can be connected, which remain ambiguous, and why.

Fictional names and observations, designed to teach an evidence chain. No real business match or credential status is asserted.

## The ambiguous records

A permit lists “Cedar Works.” A proposal names “Cedar Works Construction LLC.” A directory lists “Cedar Construction.” Similar wording suggests candidates, not a confirmed identity. Keep all three records separate at the start.

## Compare stable identifiers



Field	Example observation	Decision
Legal identity	Proposal and agency record share the same legal entity and credential identifier	Candidate match; preserve both sources.
Trade name	Official registry explicitly links Cedar Works to the legal entity	Evidence for a trade-name relationship.
Directory name	Cedar Construction has a different identifier	Keep separate despite name similarity.
Address	Permit and proposal use the same mailing address	Supporting context; shared offices are possible.
Contact	Same phone appears on two websites	Supporting context; not proof of legal identity.

## Build an evidence chain

Start with the exact permit record, identify the participant role, and follow the responsible agency’s business or credential lookup. Check whether a legal record actually establishes the trade name. Record the identifier and the date of the source check. An old address or an expired credential may explain a mismatch, but that explanation needs evidence.

Washington’s business identifier and contractor registration answer different questions. A business identity match does not establish permission to perform every regulated trade, insurance adequacy, employee status, or purchasing authority.

## Save the decision and the unresolved edge

A defensible fictional conclusion is: “Cedar Works and Cedar Works Construction LLC appear to refer to the same entity because the official trade-name record links them and identifiers agree. Cedar Construction remains separate because its identifier differs.”

If the source never establishes the trade name, stop at “possible match.” Ask the business or agency for the relevant identifier. Do not silently merge uncertain records; one mistaken merge can contaminate activity history and contact research.

## Checklist

[ ] Keep the original names and source links.
[ ] Match stable identifiers before normalizing names.
[ ] Verify participant roles separately from identities.
[ ] Record competing candidates and unresolved facts.

Notes:


Washington L&I: verify a contractor or business: https://www.lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/contractors/hiring-a-contractor/verify-contractor-tradesperson-business