Washington rules for contractor sites, phone lines and texts

The federal TCPA and CAN-SPAM rules apply in Washington as they do everywhere. Our TCPA guide covers texts and autodialed calls, and the call recording guide covers the federal baseline. Here is what Washington layers on top. This is general information as of October 2026 and is not legal advice. Several of these rules are enforced through the state's Consumer Protection Act, so a mistake on a site or a text campaign can carry more than a warning.

Where must your L&I registration number appear?

On every ad that shows your name or address. RCW 18.27.100(3)(a) says all advertising that shows the contractor's name or address must show the contractor's current registration number, and that materials used to directly solicit retail customers who are not businesses must show it as well. An alphabetized directory listing that gives only name, address and phone may omit it, and signs on motor vehicles and on-premises signs are not treated as advertising under this section. The statute carves out only advertising by airwave transmission from the number rule, and a website that shows your name or address is advertising in the ordinary sense, so we treat it as covered. A site header or footer that carries your business name and phone number is the safe place for it.

A few more rules sit in the same section:

• The name in your ads and documents must be the name registered with L&I (subsection 2).
• You may not use a false or expired number, including when you buy ad space that requires one (subsection 3(a)).
• You may not advertise that you are bonded and insured because of the bond and insurance you filed to register (subsection 4). Your site can describe your coverage in other terms, but not by pointing to the L&I filing.
• Soliciting work as a contractor without registration is itself a violation (subsection 6).

The penalty for violating the section can be up to $10,000 after a hearing, and the statute excludes inadvertent errors (subsection 8). RCW 18.27.102 puts responsibility on whoever bought the advertising, so a web agency's missing number is still yours. Registration itself is covered in our Washington licensing guide.

What must you hand a customer before a $1,000 job starts?

RCW 18.27.114 requires a registered contractor to give the customer a disclosure statement before work starts on repair, alteration or construction of four or fewer residential units or accessory structures with a price of $1,000 or more. Commercial buildings are covered from $1,000 up to under $60,000. The statement follows a set model form and shows your registration number and the bond or deposit behind it, warns that the bond may not cover a claim, explains retainage and the risk of a lien if suppliers go unpaid, and has a customer signature line. You keep a signed copy for at least three years. If you cannot prove you gave it, you cannot bring a lien claim on that contract, and failing to comply is an infraction.

For an online quote flow this means the booking page should send the statement before the job begins and capture a signature, not rely on a line in a confirmation email. A contractor who takes a deposit through a payment link should still route the signed statement first.

Can you record customer calls in Washington?

Only if everyone on the call consents. RCW 9.73.030 makes it unlawful to record a private conversation transmitted by telephone without first obtaining the consent of all participants. Consent counts as obtained when one party announces to everyone, in any reasonably effective manner, that the conversation is about to be recorded, and the announcement itself must be recorded (subsection 3). A violation is a gross misdemeanor under RCW 9.73.080. In practice, your voicemail, answering line and AI receptionist should open with a recorded notice before a caller says anything about their job. Washington's exceptions for emergency, threat and anonymous harassing calls are narrow and not meant for routine service calls.

How do Washington's telemarketing and text laws apply to you?

Two chapters matter. Chapter 19.158 RCW regulates commercial telephone solicitation. RCW 19.158.110 bars calls received before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m. at the recipient's local time, requires the caller to identify themselves, the company and the purpose within 30 seconds, and requires ending the call within 10 seconds when the person asks. Anyone who asks not to be called again must be removed for at least a year. Chapter 19.158 also exempts several callers, and two of the exemptions fit a service business: a person soliciting solely from purchasers who previously bought from the business (RCW 19.158.020(2)(b)(iii)), and a contractor registered under RCW 18.27.060 when the solicited transaction is governed by that law (item vii). Cold-calling people who never bought from you is where the chapter bites.

Texting is different. RCW 19.190.060 says no person conducting business in the state may initiate or assist in the transmission of a commercial electronic text message to a telephone number assigned to a Washington resident for cellular or pager service. A commercial text message is one sent to promote goods or services for sale or lease (RCW 19.190.010). The statute text does not include a consent exception, and it declares a violation an unfair or deceptive act under the Consumer Protection Act, chapter 19.86 RCW. Do not read that as a safe harbor for texts the customer asked for: a reply to a customer's own inquiry is not a promotion. A promotional blast to a list is where the risk sits, so keep written, dated opt-in records and ask a Washington attorney how a text program should be built before you send one. Our TCPA guide covers the federal consent rules you also need.

What about marketing email and sales tax on invoices?

RCW 19.190.020 bars commercial email to a Washington resident that misrepresents the point of origin or transmission path, or that uses a subject line the sender knows contains false or misleading information. Amendments in 2026 (chapter 135) apply to causes of action filed on or after June 11, 2026. Write subject lines that say what the message is, and see our subject line guide.

Sales tax shows up on your invoices. The Department of Revenue lists taxable retail services that include installing, cleaning, decorating and repairing, repairing or improving real property for consumers, construction, and landscaping and lawn maintenance. The state rate is 6.5% plus a local rate set by where the customer receives the service. The online page does not describe how tax must appear on an invoice, so build the quote tool to calculate by service address, not by your office. Many Washington services are taxed that other states leave alone, which matters if you use a quoting template written for a neighbor state. See our sales tax table.

What this means for your setup

Put your registered name and L&I number in the header or footer of your website, on landing pages, and in every ad. Add a recorded notice at the start of your business line greeting. Route job requests over $1,000 through a flow that delivers and stores the signed disclosure statement. Keep promotional texting off until you have a reviewed program, and use email marketing with honest subject lines in the meantime. The Washington startup guide covers formation, the business license and workers' comp. Confirm each rule with L&I or the Attorney General before changing your process.

Frequently asked questions