Certified building, general and residential contractor in Florida: what each license covers

The short answer

CBC, CGC and CRC are three contractor license types in Florida Statutes section 489.105(3). The letters stand for Certified Building Contractor, Certified General Contractor and Certified Residential Contractor. The statute is the best source, because third-party guides disagree on what a Certified Building Contractor can do. Read the section at the Florida Legislature website.

What each license covers

The three license types in section 489.105(3), in plain words

License	Statute	Scope as the statute describes it
Certified General Contractor (CGC)	489.105(3)(a)	Services unlimited as to the type of work the contractor may perform.
Certified Building Contractor (CBC)	489.105(3)(b)	Services limited to construction of commercial buildings and single-dwelling or multiple-dwelling residential buildings, generally not more than three stories, plus accessory structures and certain remodeling or repair work.
Certified Residential Contractor (CRC)	489.105(3)(c)	Services limited to construction, remodeling, repair or improvement of one-family, two-family or three-family residences, with height limits and accessory structures.

The table is a short summary of the statute, which has more detail, including height limits and conditions on remodeling work. We read the statute through a summary tool, so check the exact text before you rely on a fine point. DBPR's own pages that we found did not spell out the CBC or CRC descriptions.

What "certified" means

Under 489.105(8), a certified contractor holds a certificate of competency. That allows the contractor to work in any jurisdiction in the state. A county or city may also have its own local rules, such as a business tax receipt. Those are separate from the state license.

How you earn the certificate

DBPR's construction FAQ says the Certified General Contractor needs 4 years of experience working under a licensed contractor. Education or military service can substitute for up to three years of that. We did not find the same detail for the other two license types, so look at DBPR for those.

Which license matters for a home remodel

For a house, the statute lists residential work in two places: the building contractor description and the residential contractor description. The general contractor description is not limited by type of work. So a homeowner will see all three on residential jobs. The practical test is simple. Check the license on the DBPR search, see the type, and ask the contractor to explain how it fits your project. See how to check a contractor license.

If you plan an addition, a second story or an ADU, ask the contractor and the permit office whether the license and the plans line up. The permit office has the final say on what it will accept.

Common mix-ups

• "General contractor" in everyday talk is not the same as the CGC license. People call anyone who runs a remodel a general contractor. The license types are the specific ones in the statute. See what a general contractor does for the job itself.
• A broader license is not automatically a better contractor. The statute describes scope, meaning what work the license covers. It says nothing about quality, price or service.
• The letters on a business card are not proof. Search the license number at DBPR and check that the record matches.
• Licensed does not mean permitted. The contractor still has to pull permits and pass inspections for the work.

How to read the statute yourself

Open the Florida Legislature page for section 489.105 and find subsection (3), which defines the contractor types. Subsection (8) defines a certified contractor. Read the full text of the type that matches your contractor, because the details, including height limits and conditions, sit in the sentences we summarized.

If the wording leaves a question about your project, call the permit office or DBPR rather than rely on a blog post, including this one. A short call can save a long delay.

For a standard house remodel, the better question is usually not which letters the contractor holds. It is whether the license is active, matches the name on your contract and fits what you want built. Our license check guide walks through that.

How Hildebrand's license fits

Josh Hildebrand holds Florida Certified Building Contractor license CBC1257253 and Hildebrand Construction & Remodeling has been licensed since 2009. Josh has 22 years in construction. You can verify the license at myfloridalicense.com.

We do residential work: home additions, kitchen remodels, bathroom remodels and whole-home renovations in Manatee, Sarasota and south Hillsborough. We are not a commercial contractor. One licensed contractor runs the whole job, with plumbing and electrical done by licensed trade partners that we manage and coordinate.

Questions to ask any contractor

• What is your license number and type?
• How does it fit my project?
• Who holds the permit?
• Who is licensed for plumbing and electrical, and who manages them?

More questions are on our questions to ask a remodeling contractor page.

Questions homeowners ask