Licensing is not optional, and there are narrow exceptions
Florida Statute Chapter 489 requires licensed contractors to obtain permits and perform the permitted work, with limited exceptions for single-family and duplex owner-occupied structures. Clearwater states this on its own permitting page.
In Pinellas County, contractor licensing is verifiable through the Pinellas County Licensing Board. St. Petersburg points applicants there directly.
One change worth knowing: effective June 24, 2024, the Pinellas County Construction Licensing Board no longer monitors state-certified contractors’ insurance. Clearwater now asks contractors to send current certificates of insurance naming the city as certificate holder. The practical effect is that insurance verification has moved closer to you.
What to ask before you sign
Which office will issue the permit for this address. If the answer is vague, that is informative. Riverview and Brandon go to Hillsborough County. Clearwater, Largo, St. Petersburg, and Plant City each issue their own.
Whether the product approval paperwork will list the exact covering being installed. Largo asks for each product to the decimal point. A contractor who has not thought about this yet has not priced it yet.
Who files the Notice of Commencement and when. Clearwater requires it recorded before permit issuance above $5,000. Plant City requires it before the first inspection.
What happens if an inspection is red-tagged. In Plant City reinspection is $40 for the first tag and doubles thereafter. Ask whose cost that is in writing.
What we do and do not do
We are a referral service. We take what you tell us about the roof and pass it to a licensed Florida roofing contractor covering your city. We do not perform roofing work, we do not mark up the contractor’s price, and we are not a party to your contract.
That also means we are not the right place to resolve a dispute with a contractor. For that, the licensing board that issued the licence is.