Before You Hire a Plumber in Florida

Ten checks to run before you sign or pay, each tied to the Florida statute or state agency that backs it. Most take a few minutes and cost nothing.

In Florida, contracting without a state license is a crime.¹ A contract signed by an unlicensed contractor cannot be enforced by that contractor in court.² So the first check protects you twice: it screens out unlicensed work and keeps the contract on solid ground.

The Checklist

• Look up the license. The state regulator, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), says to ask for the state-issued license and verify the number with DBPR.³ Search by name or license number on myfloridalicense.com, or call the DBPR Customer Contact Center at 850-487-1395.³ License types are explained in Florida Contractor Licenses.
• Match the name. A company that contracts as a business must have a licensed person as its qualifying agent.⁴ The business on the estimate should be the one tied to that license. A local occupational license does not qualify anyone to act as a contractor. Neither does registering an Inc. or LLC.³
• Find the license number in writing. Florida law requires the license number on each offer, bid, contract and advertisement.⁴ A missing number is a warning sign on DBPR's own list.³
• Ask for insurance certificates. To get licensed, a contractor attests to workers' compensation, public liability and property damage insurance.⁵ Ask for current certificates and check the dates. Florida workers' compensation law covers construction employers with one or more employees.⁶ An owner may hold a certificate of election to be exempt instead. That certificate is valid for 2 years.⁷
• Ask who pulls the permit. Some small jobs need no permit. In Hillsborough County, examples include stopping leaks and clearing stoppages without replacing valves, pipes or fixtures.⁸ Larger work usually goes through the building department. DBPR warns about contractors who say a permit is not needed, or that it is cheaper if you get it yourself.³ See Reading a Building Permit.
• Get a written estimate. DBPR advises estimates from several licensed contractors. Each should list the work, the materials, the completion date and the total cost.³
• Watch the deposit size. A contractor who takes more than 10% of the price up front on home work has deadlines. Permits must be applied for within 30 days. Work must start within 90 days after permits are issued.⁹ Just cause or your written agreement to a longer period can change this.⁹
• Plan lien releases before you pay. Unpaid workers and suppliers can claim against your property, even after you pay the contractor.¹⁰ The section below covers the papers to collect.
• Get the warranty in writing. Ask what it covers, for how long, and whether parts and labor are treated separately. A written warranty is the record you will need if the repair fails.
• Know whether you can cancel. Florida gives a 3-business-day cancellation right for some sales made at your home.¹⁴ It does not cover every plumbing job. Details are below.

Lien Law Basics

Florida's construction lien law is chapter 713 of the Florida Statutes. Four parts matter most to a homeowner.

• The warning in your contract. A direct contract over $2,500 for work on a home must include a statutory notice.¹⁰ It says people who are not paid can look to your property, even if you paid your contractor in full.¹⁰
• Notice to Owner. A subcontractor or supplier with no direct contract with you serves this notice. The deadline is 45 days after it starts work or delivery.¹¹ Keep every Notice to Owner you receive.
• Release of lien. The statutory notice tells owners to require a written release of lien before each payment. It should come from anyone who sent a Notice to Owner.¹⁰
• Final payment affidavit. Before a contractor can sue to enforce its lien, it must give you an affidavit. The affidavit states whether all lienors were paid, and lists any who were not.¹¹ Ask for it with the final invoice.

Larger jobs add one more paper. When the direct contract is over $5,000, the permit holder must file a copy of the notice of commencement before the first inspection.¹² Terms like these are defined in the Contractor Glossary.

Cancellation Rights for Home Solicitation Sales

Florida's home solicitation sale law covers sales over $25 solicited in person away from the seller's business.¹³ The buyer may cancel until midnight of the third business day after signing.¹⁴ Notice must be written and given in person, by telegram or by mail. Mailed notice counts from the postmark.¹⁴ A business day is any calendar day except Sunday or a federal holiday.¹³

Red Flags

DBPR lists these warning signs that a contractor may not be licensed:³

• No license number in the ad or posting.
• They want all or most of the money up front and accept only cash.
• They ask you to write the check to them personally or to "cash."
• They give a post office box instead of a street address.
• They arrive in unmarked vehicles, often with out-of-state tags, offering to do work.
• They say a permit is not necessary, or that it is cheaper if you obtain it yourself.
• They claim to be the fastest or the cheapest.

Pressure to sign on the spot is another reason to slow down and run the checks above.

The penalties are set in section 489.127. A first offense of unlicensed contracting is a first-degree misdemeanor.¹ A repeat offense is a third-degree felony.¹ So is unlicensed contracting during a state of emergency declared by the Governor.¹ DBPR takes reports of unlicensed activity at 1-866-532-1440 or [email protected].³

For a repair that cannot wait, see What Counts as a Plumbing Emergency. Other public records you can check are listed in Public Business Records.