Construction Specialists

Construction Background Checks Built for Fast Hiring

Hire with confidence. Keep projects moving.

Construction hiring moves fast. Your screening tools should too. Tight timelines, shared job sites, and safety-sensitive work raise the stakes with every hire.

Shield Screening empowers construction employers with fast, flexible background screening solutions that support smarter hiring decisions without slowing down your projects.

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Why Background Screening Matters on the Job Site

Why Background Screening Matters on the Job Site

Fast Hiring Can Lead to Gaps
Project-based hiring ramps up quickly. Without a consistent approach, important employment background checks can be missed for full-time or temporary construction employees.

Multiple Employers Share the Same Space
Job sites often include contractors and subcontractors. Clear, documented screening practices help support internal standards and external expectations.

Safety Risks Are High
Heavy equipment, heights, and hazardous materials increase the impact of a bad hire. Screening helps identify risk before work begins.

Delays Cost You Work
Slow turnaround times can stall onboarding and delay project starts.

Screening Solutions for Construction Hiring

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Criminal Background Checks Layered background checks across county, state, federal, and national records help you review relevant history based on where candidates have lived and worked.

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Drug and Alcohol Testing Pre-employment, random, post-incident, and return-to-duty testing options available through a nationwide network.

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Identity Verification Confirm applicant identity at the point of hire, especially useful for multi-site teams and regulated projects.

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Employment Verification Validate past roles and experience for operators, supervisors, and skilled trades.

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Occupational Health Services Coordinate physicals and medical evaluations for roles with physical demands.

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Sex and Violent Offender Registry Search Additional screening layer for roles with access to public spaces or occupied properties.

Customize your employment screening
Pay for the checks you need, skip the checks you don’t.

ID Verification

vID

Shield partners with Cerebrum to deliver a multi-layered biometric-based identity verification solution that provides a clear, verified foundation for background screenings.

SSN Trace

A social trace reveals the name(s), DOB and addresses associated with a submitted SSN. This product also indicates if the SSN appears on the SSA's death index registry. While the contents of an SSN trace do not appear in a report, we use this information as a pointer file to begin the first layer of a background investigation.

CBSV

This service verifies if the SSN holder’s name, date of birth, and SSN match SSA’s records. CBSV returns a match verification of “yes” or “no.” If records show that the SSN holder is deceased, CBSV returns a death indicator.

Fingerprinting

A fingerprint background check is a method of verifying an individual's identity and researching their criminal history by matching their fingerprints against criminal and civil databases, primarily the FBI's Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS). This process uses fingerprints collected via traditional ink or electronic "live scan" methods to search for a "rap sheet" of arrests, charges, and dispositions, along with other biographic information like name, date of birth, and residence. The check is used for employment, licensing, and other legal or personal reasons.

I-9

Hire with confidence and stay compliant. This essential service verifies both the identity and employment authorization for every new hire in the United States. It's not just a form; it's your assurance that your workforce is legally authorized to work, protecting your business from day one.

Driving & Transportation

Motor Vehicle Report

Query the state DMV repository to ensure the driver's license is current and valid. Get access to the date of issuance, status and restrictions, and available information about infractions and suspensions.

MVR Monitoring

Query the state DMV repository to ensure the driver's license is current and valid. Get access to the date of issuance, status and restrictions, and available information about infractions and suspensions.

Commercial Driver’s License Search (CDLIS)

This service provides known commercial driver's licenses and records. Includes confirmation of commercial status, expiration dates, restrictions and known previous licenses held.

FMCSA Clearinghouse

This service provides the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), State Driver Licensing Agencies (SDLAs), and State law enforcement personnel with real-time* information about drug and alcohol program violations involving commercial driver’s license (CDL) and commercial learner’s permit (CLP) holders.

DOT Employment Verification

This service provides Department of Transportation (DOT) employment verification is a mandatory DOT background check on a driver prior to hiring. Verifies start date, end date, title, salary and re-hire eligibility.

PSP Report

This report provides crash and inspection history from the FMCSA records database. A PSP report includes a driver’s 5-year crash history and 3-year roadside inspection history. This includes all serious safety violations that are cited during an inspection. Conviction information is not included on the PSP report.

References & Verification Services

Employment Verification

Verify that your applicant's previous employment history was reported accurately. Includes the dates of employment, position held, rehire status, and salary (where available).

Professional References

Verification of an applicant's previous professional history. It can be tailored to address and identify key characteristics your organization supports, such as timeliness, creativity, completion of projects, and overall competencies.

Professional License Verification

Obtain validation of your applicant's certifications and credentials. Get access to hundreds of databases and organizations to prove that your applicant is licensed and certified to hold a position with your company.

Employee Credit Report

Get credit information on your candidates and evaluate their financial history to determine their ability to manage fiduciary responsibilities.

Personal Reference Report

Obtain insights into your applicants' integrity, character and essential traits to determine if they are a fit for your organization.

Education Verification

Verify an applicant's level of education, and cross-reference elements like dates of graduation, areas of study, and degree obtained (where available).

Social Media Screening

With just the right mix of software automation and experienced social media analysts, our social media search identifies a candidate's potentially problematic online activity and provides you with an FCRA-compliant report to use in your hiring decision.

Business Credit Report

This search provides business names including DBAs, Key Facts about the organization, Industry classification, corporate registration, corporate linkage, credit summary, banking, insurance, leasing, payment summary, collections summary, judgments, tax liens, bankruptcies, credit rating score, collections detail, inquiries, UCC detail, Corporate financial information & Industry benchmark report.

Credit Report

A name, date of birth and social security number-based retrieval of credit history for an applicant. Includes tax liens, collections, open accounts, accounts under bad debt collection, inquiries and date of birth confirmation. Restricted in many jurisdictions to applicants with specific fiduciary responsibilities.

Criminal Background Checks

National Criminal

Our system scours national, state, and county-level repositories to determine if an applicant has ever been charged with a felony, misdemeanor or major traffic citation. Includes sex offender registry searches and civil records, such as protective orders. Screen once upon hiring or regularly with ongoing monitoring to keep lawbreakers from infecting your company culture.

State Criminal Search

Misdemeanor and felony searches reported by state agencies, police, or the Bureau of Investigation. A name, date of birth and, where available, identity-based criminal record search for a selected state's bureau of investigation records. Includes all available, reportable records, including felonies, misdemeanors and serious traffic violations.

Sex & Violent Offender Search

Check your applicant's name, SSN, and date of birth against all state and nationwide sex offender repositories.

Federal Criminal Search

This search is essential to discovering convictions of federal crimes. These records are not filed at county or state courts. Because federal criminal records have limited identifiers on file, a name search is conducted first, followed by a more in-depth review of court files to obtain additional identifiers.

Continuous Monitoring

Provide real-time or regular, automated updates on an employee’s criminal records, driving violations, or license status post-hire. Unlike one-time pre-hire screenings, this approach reduces liability by alerting employers immediately to new arrests or convictions, enabling proactive risk management.

County Criminal Search

In-depth misdemeanor and felony search/most accurate up-to-the-minute data directly from county courthouse records. A name, date of birth and, where available, identity-based education verification for institutions located outside of the United States. Includes all available records for that institution's system.

Federal Civil

This service provides federal civil records indicating if actions were filed against an individual.

Drug, Alcohol &
Occupational Health Screenings

Drug & Alcohol Testing

Get access to a wide range of drug and alcohol testing services and seamlessly implement them into your recruiting process. Includes both high-level testing and in-office testing for all industries.

Health Screening Services

Occupational Health Services, BAT and Physicals.

Breath Alcohol Testing

A breath-based alcohol test for applicants in post-accident or suspicion-based testing – DOT and Non-DOT testing available.

Immunization & Vaccine Record Tracking

Manage and track employee immunization and vaccination records. This service simplifies compliance for health and safety mandates, providing a clear, centralized view of your workforce's status.

OIG Inspector General Sanction

Protect your organization from serious compliance risks. This search checks the Office of Inspector General's list to identify individuals and entities excluded from participating in federally funded healthcare programs. Hiring a sanctioned person can lead to significant penalties.

FACIS®

A check of over 800 sources from all 50 states for fraud and abuse within the healthcare field. Includes a list of disciplinary actions ranging from exclusions and debarments to letters of reprimand and probation. If an applicant is banned, the FACIS III® report will alert you.

Healthcare Exclusions Monitoring

Compliance is not a one-time check. This service provides continuous monitoring of federal and state exclusion lists to ensure your healthcare employees remain in good standing throughout their employment.

Worker’s Compensation Report

This service provides workers' compensation records for a selected state. Includes all available, reportable information, including filings, settlements, compensation, and representation.

International Searches

Global Watchlist

Database searching across thousands of sources, including terrorist watchlists, OFAC, DEA, ATF, Interpol, sanctions searches, etc.

International Criminal Search

Criminal search options are available in over 200 countries and territories worldwide. Search options include either repository searches or direct searches of law enforcement agencies, government offices, and courts.

International Credit Report

An identity-based credit report for an applicant from a country outside of the United States. Includes all available records for that country's credit system.

International Employment Search

A name, date of birth and, where available, identity-based employment verification for institutions located outside of the United States. Includes all available records for that institution's system.

International Education Verification

A name, date of birth and, where available, identity-based education verification for institutions located outside of the United States. Includes all available records for that institution's system.

OFAC

This service can help confirm if a candidate is a potential threat to national security and if they are allowed to do business in the United States. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) list of designated nationals and blocked persons is commonly referred to as the terrorist watch list. This check includes economic and trade sanctions based on US foreign policy primarily against countries and groups of individuals, such as terrorists, narcotics traffickers, recreating weapons of mass destruction or anyone who could threaten national security.

International MVR

Verify driving qualifications on a global scale. This search checks international motor vehicle records to confirm the status and validity of an applicant's driving license outside the United States. Screen international hires who will be driving for your business, have a clean record and meet your safety standards, no matter where they are from.

Why Construction Companies Choose Shield Screening

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Results That Keep You Moving Most criminal results return in 24 to 48 hours. Drug testing results typically arrive within 1 to 3 business days

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Built for High Volume or Small Crews Screen one hire or fifty. Scale hiring up or down without changing your workflow.

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Works Across Every Worker Type Support full-time hires, project crews, subcontractors, and temporary staff in one system.

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Consistency Across Locations Get the same turnaround, reports, and support no matter where work happens.

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Seamless ATS and HCM Platform Integrations Available

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Support Safer Hiring Across Your Projects

Get background screening solutions that keep pace with your hiring needs.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Construction Employment Background Checks

01

Should I screen subcontractors as well as direct employees?

Requirements vary by contract, insurance, and internal policies. Many employers verify subcontractor screening practices or require checks for site access. Your legal and risk management teams can advise on what is appropriate for your specific situation.

02

What is the most important check for a construction hire?

There is no single correct answer. Most construction employers prioritize criminal background checks and drug testing. Roles involving commercial vehicles, licensed trades, or supervision often warrant additional background checks. Your HR and legal teams should determine what is appropriate based on the role, jurisdiction, and applicable regulations.

03

Can Shield Screening handle DOT drug testing?

Yes. Shield Screening offers DOT and non-DOT drug testing through a nationwide network of collection sites. DOT-regulated testing follows federal procedures for collection, chain of custody, and laboratory analysis.

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