How to choose a remodeling contractor in Florida

Florida law says a person must be certified or registered to engage in the business of contracting. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation keeps a public search where you can look up a contractor by name or license number and see whether the license is current and active.

The search also shows the type of license. A certified contractor holds a state certificate and may contract in any jurisdiction in Florida. A registered contractor has met the requirements of a particular local jurisdiction and may contract only there. Our license number is at the bottom of every page of this website, and you can look it up the same way.

Then ask about insurance. A contractor can have their insurance agent send you a certificate showing general liability coverage, and can tell you how their workers are covered. It is a routine request.

Most kitchen and bathroom remodels need a permit, and the contractor normally applies for it. Florida has an owner-builder exemption that lets an owner act as their own contractor, and the statement an owner signs to use it says that state law requires construction to be done by a licensed contractor.

If a contractor asks you to pull the permit in your own name, ask why. It puts the responsibility for the job on you.

Florida’s construction lien law gives those who work on your property or supply materials, and are not paid in full, a right to enforce their claim against your property. That can include a subcontractor or supplier you never met, even if you paid your contractor.

Contracts over $2,500 for work on a home must contain a notice explaining this. The protection is simple: ask for lien releases as you make payments. When the contract is greater than $5,000, a notice of commencement is also recorded and filed with the building department before the first inspection.

Payments themselves should follow progress. A schedule tied to stages of the work, not to dates on a calendar, keeps what you have paid in step with what has been done.

Ask who your point of contact will be, how often you will hear from them, and how you reach them when something comes up. How a contractor communicates before you sign is the best preview of how they will communicate once the kitchen is in pieces.

It is also fair to ask to see completed work and to speak with past clients.

At Collaborative Construction, we review a detailed proposal with you, agree on the scope and schedule together, and keep you informed through construction. It starts with a free on-site estimate.