Home Depot is the largest home improvement store chain in the country, and as well as catering to the Do-It-Yourself enthusiast, it sells to homeowners who want to buy a complete service, including installation. This is an opportunity for local installation contractors to work with a reputable supplier, improving their own credibility and providing a regular source of new business, without the expense of additional sales and marketing. The process for acceptance to the list of installers is thorough and is designed to make sure that the Home Depot is only working with reliable, experienced and competent craftsmen.

Start the process of becoming a service provider to Home Depot by logging on to Home Depot's Home Service website, entering your details, agreeing to the terms of application, and registering an account with a username and password. This stage also requires payment of a non-refundable registration fee ($10 in 2010). The next part of the process requires the filling out of a detailed application form, payment of a $50 application fee and the provision of company information, references, examples of work similar to that being applied for and an additional payment of fees for background checks ($69.50 for principals, $49.50 for employees, as of 2010) to be carried out later in the process. The application will be acknowledged by email, and any clarification regarding the information provided will be requested at the same time.

Visit the local store in the meantime, and introduce yourself and your company to the General Manager and the department that you hope to work with. You can present your business credentials and leave your contact details, although the people at the local store will not be the ones who contact you to process your application. That is handled by the Service Provider Team and will be done via email. Once they are satisfied that they have all the information required, the application will be filed pending a requirement for that type of contractor in the geographic area you specified in your application.

Wait--until the Manager of a store where you want to work decides that she needs additional resources because of increased business or to replace an existing contractor. At that time, she will contact the District Services Manager for her area, who will review the applications held on file and complete the checks necessary to qualify the applicants. This process will include checking that all necessary business licenses are in order, and that insurance policies for automobiles, liability and workers compensation are current. Background checks will be carried out on the principals of the business and, if they are satisfactory, then on the employees and subcontractors. Depending on the type of work being applied for, and the demand and availability of existing contractors in that area, it can be anything from one or two months to a year or more before the application is finally reviewed and approved.