What to Look for When Hiring a Contractor in Florida

Most homeowners start by asking two questions: “How much?” and “How soon?” Those matter, but they do not tell you how the project will actually be run.

The better questions are about responsibility. Who is contracting for the work? Who will be on site? Who is responsible for licensed trades and permits? Does the estimate describe the same project you think you are buying? What happens after the deposit is paid?

I have worked in construction and remodeling for more than 12 years. The problems homeowners describe most often are not mysterious. The salesperson disappears, the crew jumps between jobs, the scope was never clear, or nobody identified who was responsible for regulated work. You can screen out much of that risk before work begins.

Verify the exact person, business, and license

Do not stop at a logo, a truck, or a license number printed in an advertisement. Search the contractor through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, then compare the result with the person and business named in your project documents.

Check:

• ✓whether the license is current and active;
• ✓the license type and the work it covers;
• ✓the individual or business organization attached to it;
• ✓whether the name on your estimate or agreement matches the responsible business; and
• ✓whether your city or county has additional registration or permit requirements.

A license held by one person does not automatically qualify every separate company associated with that person. Florida law specifically addresses qualifying agents for business organizations. If the project requires regulated work, the responsible contractor, licensed trade, and permit holder should be identified before that work begins.

Ask who will actually stay with the job

The person selling the project and the person running it are often different people. Ask that question directly.

Useful questions include:

• ✓Who will be my day-to-day contact?
• ✓Who will be on site during the work?
• ✓How many active projects will this crew be moving between?
• ✓Which parts are performed by the main crew and which use licensed trades or specialty partners?
• ✓What would cause the crew to leave before this project is complete?

Eminence is built around a simple answer: the person who sold you the job stays with you. The crew starts your job, stays with it, completes it, and then moves on. That is not a contract clause. It is how we believe construction work should be run.

Compare scopes, not just totals

Two estimates with different totals may describe two different projects. One may include demolition, disposal, waterproofing, trim, paint, protection, and cleanup while another leaves several of those items unstated.

Before comparing price, compare:

• ✓the work being removed and installed;
• ✓who supplies fixtures and finish materials;
• ✓surface preparation and waterproofing;
• ✓protection, cleanup, and debris removal;
• ✓trade work and permit responsibility;
• ✓assumptions about hidden conditions;
• ✓material allowances or selections; and
• ✓the expected sequence and schedule.

An estimate should give you enough information to understand what number you are accepting. At Eminence, we stand by our estimate. If you want an on-site estimate because that is the clearest way to review the work, we can do that.

Understand the deposit and payment schedule

Florida does not impose the simple “10 percent or $1,000 maximum deposit” rule that is often repeated online. Florida Statute 489.126 instead creates specific permit-application and work-start obligations when a contractor receives more than 10 percent of the contract price as the initial payment for covered residential work, subject to the statute's details and exceptions.

For a homeowner, the practical questions are:

• ✓What is the deposit paying for?
• ✓Are later payments tied to understandable milestones?
• ✓Are long-lead materials being ordered specifically for your project?
• ✓When should permit applications and work begin?
• ✓What happens if the start is delayed?

Do not rely on a social-media rule of thumb as legal advice. Read the current statute and ask a Florida construction attorney about a high-value or disputed agreement.

Confirm permits and regulated trades before work begins

Permit and licensing requirements depend on the scope and jurisdiction. Cosmetic finish work, structural changes, plumbing, electrical work, and mechanical work do not all follow the same rules.

Ask the local building department and the project team:

• ✓Does this exact scope require a permit?
• ✓Who is applying for it?
• ✓Which contractor will be named on it?
• ✓Which licensed trades are responsible for plumbing, electrical, or mechanical work?
• ✓Who schedules inspections and closes the permit?

Be cautious if someone asks you to obtain an owner-builder permit while they are actually acting as the contractor. Florida's owner-builder exemption carries direct supervision and responsibility requirements; it is not a shortcut for an unlicensed person to run the project.

There is no universal “handyman dollar limit”

You will see websites claim that a Florida handyman may perform any project under a particular dollar amount. That is not a safe way to determine whether work requires a license.

The answer depends on the nature of the work, state law, local rules, and whether a permit or licensed trade is required. The Florida contracting exemptions statute contains specific exemptions, but it does not create a blanket statewide permission for every small project below one simple price.

For repair work, describe the exact task to DBPR or the local building department instead of asking only whether the price is “under the handyman limit.”

Watch for responsibility gaps

The strongest warning signs are usually gaps between what is being sold and who is responsible for delivering it:

• ✓the business name on the paperwork does not match the license record;
• ✓nobody can explain which regulated trades or permits apply;
• ✓the scope is vague but the deposit is urgent;
• ✓the salesperson will not say who runs the job;
• ✓the company starts many projects but cannot explain how crews are scheduled;
• ✓material, cleanup, or exclusions are unclear; or
• ✓you are pressured to pull an owner-builder permit for someone else to control.

Good communication before the project is evidence of how communication will work after the project starts. If answers are evasive during the sale, they rarely become clearer during demolition.

Questions to ask before choosing anyone

1. What exact person and business will contract for this work? 2. What license, if any, does this scope require, and where can I verify it? 3. Who is responsible for each licensed trade and permit? 4. Who will be on site and who is my direct contact? 5. How many jobs will this crew work on at the same time? 6. What is included, excluded, owner-supplied, or still an allowance? 7. What does the deposit purchase, and what triggers later payments? 8. What existing conditions could change the plan? 9. How will decisions and changes be documented? 10. What labor and manufacturer warranties apply?

The goal is not to find the company with the longest sales presentation. It is to find the project structure with the fewest unanswered responsibility questions.

Florida contractor hiring FAQ

Where can I verify a Florida contractor license?

Use the Florida DBPR license search and compare the license holder, business organization, license type, and status with the person or company contracting for your work.

Is 10 percent the maximum contractor deposit in Florida?

No blanket 10-percent maximum is stated in Florida Statute 489.126. The statute creates particular obligations when an initial payment exceeds 10 percent for covered residential work. Read the current law and obtain legal advice for a specific contract or dispute.

Can a Florida handyman do any job below a certain dollar amount?

There is no safe universal dollar rule for every task. The type of work, permit requirements, state exemptions, and local rules determine what may be performed without a particular contractor license.

What matters more than getting the lowest estimate?

Make sure the estimates describe the same scope, materials, responsibilities, and conditions. A lower total is not a savings if necessary work was omitted.

What should I ask about the crew?

Ask who sold the job, who runs it, who will be on site, and how many active projects the crew moves between. Those answers tell you whether your project will receive continuous attention.