You need to be registered or certified to do construction and contractor work in Florida. You can get a "registered" contractor's license at the local level, unless a certified license is required by the county you want to perform the work in.Contractors with a "certified" license are allowed to work anywhere in the state.
Certified licenses are issued by:
To become a licensed certified contractor, an applicant must pass all parts of the exam, meet education/experience requirements, obtain worker's compensation coverage and demonstrate financial responsibility.
The exam is two-day, open book and multiple-choice. Freedom offers a Home Study course that covers all of the relevant state laws and regulations as well as business management topics required to pass the Business and Law Contracting Exam.
To qualify for the examination you must be at least 18 years old. You must also meet one of the following requirements:
Four year construction-related degree from an accredited college (equivalent to three years experience) and one year proven related experience
One year of experience as a foreman and not less than three years of credits for any accredited college-level courses
One year experience as a workman, one year proven experience as a foreman, and two years of credits for any accredited college level courses
Two years experience as a workman, one year experience as a foreman, and one year of credits for any accredited college level courses
Four years experience as a workman or foreman of which at least one year must have been as a foreman
Holding an active certified or registered Florida contractor's license
Applications are submitted directly to the testing vendor. Contact:
Certified Contractor's Licenses
Here's a list of the certified contractor's licenses the Board issues:
Division 1
General
Building
Residential
Division 2
Mechanical
Air conditioning class A
Air conditioning class B
Glass and glazing specialty
Roofing
Solar
Sheet metal
Commercial pool/spa*
Residential pool/spa
Pool/spa Servicing
Plumbing
Solar water heating specialty
Underground utility and excavation
Pollutant storage systems
Gypsum drywall specialty
Structure specialty
Gas line specialty
Tank lining applicator
Precision tank tester
Dry wall specialty
Minimum amounts required for general liability insurance are :
General and building contractors - $300,000 bodily injury, 50,000 property damage.
All other categories - 100,000 bodily injury, 25,000 property damage
If you have a trade license from another state, you may qualify for the trade exam if you can prove you got your license by passing an exam, that your license required experience equal to what the Board requires and documentation regarding scope of work allowed by the licensee. Other than this Florida doesn't have any reciprocity or endorsement agreements other states.
The fee for the examination is $138. If you are applying between June 4th of an even year and August 31st of an odd year, the license will be $409. If you are applying between September 1st of an odd year and June 3rd of an even year, the license will cost $309. If you paid $354 and submitted your examination application before February 11, 2003, your fee will be $209 and $109 respectively.
You must include a credit report with your application package. For a list of acceptable credit report agencies, click here.
