How to check a Florida contractor's license

Florida licenses most home-improvement trades through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation — DBPR. Roofing, electrical, plumbing, air conditioning, pool construction and general contracting are all licensed trades. The state's records are public and the search is free.

The check, step by step

1. Get the exact business name and, if they have it, the license number. Both are on any legitimate quote or contract. A company that will not give you either has answered your question already.

2. Search on myfloridalicense.com. Use the "Verify a License" search. Search by the business name first; if nothing comes up, search by the owner's name — small companies are often licensed under a person, with the business listed as a qualifier.

3. Check three things on the record. The license type must match the work (a roofing license for a roof, an electrical license for a panel). The status must read current and active. And the name on the license must be the name on your contract and on the permit — three names that do not match is a pattern worth walking away from.

4. Look at the address. The license record shows a business address. It does not need to be an office — many good tradespeople run from a warehouse or a home — but it should be a real place in the area they claim to serve.

What a license does not do

A license is a floor, not a ranking. It proves the holder met the state's requirements and keeps their paperwork current. It says nothing about how much work they do or whether it is any good. That is what permit history is for — Radar reports show which licensed companies are actually pulling permits near you, and how often. The two checks together take ten minutes and cost, at most, five dollars. Skipping them can cost a roof.