If you are a registered Iowa contractor, you are very likely already listed on Iowa's Best Contractors, and claiming your profile is free. Claiming verifies you as the real owner, earns your listing a green check, and unlocks the tools that turn a plain listing into a lead source: photos, services, service area, hours, and an email for each homeowner project posted in your trades and counties. Here is exactly how to claim and optimize your profile so it works for you.
Why claim your profile at all
Our directory is built directly from Iowa's official contractor registration record under chapter 91C, so your business appears whether or not you have touched it. An unclaimed listing shows the basics, but it is passive. Claiming turns it into a marketing asset you control.
Three things make claiming worth the few minutes it takes:
- Trust. A claimed profile shows a green check: the owner confirmed it through the State's record. Premiere members show a gold check. Neither check is a rating of your work.
- Control. You decide what homeowners see: your logo, photos, services, coverage area, and hours.
- Leads. We email you each homeowner project posted in your trades and counties, and you read it in your portal. Premiere members send the quote.
There is no cost to get listed, ever. We do not rate or rank anyone by quality. Premiere is optional: Premiere members appear first, marked with the gold check.
How does profile verification work?
Ownership is confirmed through the contact information the State already has on file for your registration, the email or phone number tied to your chapter 91C record. That means only the legitimate business owner can claim and manage a profile, which protects you from anyone else representing your company.
To claim:
- Start at the claim your free profile page and type your business name, or open your listing in the directory.
- Pick your registered business. You will see the email and phone the State has on file, partly hidden.
- Choose Email my claim link or Text my claim link. The link goes only to the email or phone the State has on file, and it expires in 15 minutes.
- Open the link and press the confirmation button on your listing. Opening it alone claims nothing.
- Once you confirm, your portal opens, and your listing shows the green check after the next site update.
If your registered contact details are out of date with the State, update them with the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) so your claim link can reach you.
Optimize every part of your profile
A verified but empty profile is a missed opportunity. Homeowners choose contractors from the details, so complete all of them:
- Logo and photos. Add your logo and a strong set of real project photos. Before-and-after shots, finished work, and your crew on the job build far more trust than stock images. This is the single biggest driver of homeowner interest.
- Services. List the specific work you do, not just your trade category. A roofer might list tear-offs, storm and hail repair, gutters, and metal roofing so you match more searches.
- Service area. Define the cities and counties you actually cover. Homeowners filter by location, so accurate coverage puts you in front of the right people. If you serve the Des Moines metro, make sure Polk County and nearby cities are included so you appear on pages like Des Moines siding contractors.
- Hours. List real business hours, including whether you handle emergency or storm calls. In Iowa, fast response after hail and derecho season wins jobs.
The more complete your profile, the more often you match a homeowner's search and the more confident they feel reaching out.
How should I respond to homeowner bid requests?
Accurate trades and counties decide which homeowner projects reach you by email, and you read each one in your portal. Premiere members send their quote there, and how you handle each request decides how many turn into jobs.
- Respond fast. Homeowners often contact several contractors at once. The first solid reply frequently wins the conversation.
- Homeowner contact details stay private. You get an email when a matching project is posted, and Premiere members send their quote in the portal; the homeowner calls or emails the contractor they choose, using the details on that contractor's profile. Keep your phone and email current.
- Be specific. A short, professional response that references their project and offers a clear next step beats a generic "call me."
As of November 2026, 18,297 contractors are registered with the State of Iowa and every one of them has a profile on this directory built from the public record. Claiming yours is free, takes a few minutes and is confirmed through the contact details the State has on file, so nobody else can claim it. Once claimed, add the work you actually do, your service area and photos: an empty profile with a badge converts far worse than a complete one. Then treat every bid request like a real customer standing in your showroom. Speed and a specific, professional reply are what separate the contractors who book work from the ones who get ignored.
Keeping your services, service area, and hours current means the requests you receive are a better fit, so less of your time is wasted on jobs outside your range.
Understand what Premiere does and does not do
Some contractors choose Premiere, an optional membership marked with the gold check. Here is what it does: Premiere members appear first, marked with the gold check. Members are ordered alphabetically among themselves. Premiere also adds a one-tap Call button and lets you send quotes on homeowner projects. Here is what it does not do: it is not a rating, nobody is ranked by quality, and it does not promise views, jobs or Google rankings. Your free claimed listing keeps your photos, services and details, and what you put on your profile is what helps homeowners choose you.
That distinction is part of why homeowners trust the directory. Every listing appears on Iowa's chapter 91C registration record, and registration itself is not a license or an endorsement, just confirmation that you are properly registered to work in Iowa.
Frequently asked questions
Is claiming my profile really free?
Yes. Listing and claiming are free. Premiere is an optional membership: Premiere members appear first, marked with the gold check. It is not a rating of your work.
What if I cannot verify because my contact info is outdated?
Your claim link goes to the email or phone on file with the State for your registration. If those are outdated, update them with DIAL, then request a new link once the current details are on record.
Will homeowners see my phone number and email?
Your business contact details are on your public profile as you choose. A homeowner's contact details are never shared: the homeowner contacts the contractor whose quote they choose, which protects everyone from spam.
How do I get more bid requests?
Complete your profile fully, add real photos, list all your services, set an accurate service area and hours, and respond quickly. Verified, complete profiles match more searches and earn more homeowner trust.
Claim your profile today
If you are registered in Iowa, your listing is likely already waiting. Spend a few minutes to claim your free profile, verify through the state's record, earn your green check, and fill in your photos, services, service area, and hours. A complete, verified profile gives homeowners what they need to choose you, at no cost.