How do you hire a contractor safely after a hurricane in Florida?

The short answer

Hire only a contractor whose Florida license you have checked yourself, get the work and the price in writing, and do not let anyone take over your insurance claim. That is the core of it.

Florida law backs these steps up. Working without a license is a crime, and it is a bigger crime during a state of emergency. Roof contracts signed after a declared emergency come with a short window to cancel. The state also limits what a contractor can do about your claim. The sections below walk through each one in plain words.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Your building department and your insurer can answer questions about your own address and policy.

Check the license before anything else

The state runs a free tool called Verify a License at myfloridalicense.com. The page says you can verify a license by name or by license number. Ask the contractor for the license number, then look it up yourself. Do not rely on a card, a truck door or a business flyer.

Look at three things: the name matches the person or company you are dealing with, the license type fits the work, and the status is current. A Certified General Contractor can do work that is unlimited in type. A Certified Building Contractor and a Certified Residential Contractor have narrower scopes set in Florida Statutes 489.105. A certified license allows work in any city or county in the state.

Why it matters: an unlicensed person who breaks the contracting law commits a first-degree misdemeanor under Florida Statutes 489.127(2)(a). A repeat violation after a guilty finding is a third-degree felony.

Rules that switch on after a declared emergency

When the Governor declares a state of emergency, three rules matter to you.

• Harsher penalties. Under 489.127(2)(c), breaking the contracting law during a state of emergency declared by Governor executive order is a third-degree felony.
• Roof contract cancellation. Under 489.147(6), you can cancel a roof repair or replacement contract without penalty within 10 days if you signed it within 180 days of the events behind a declared state of emergency and your property is in the affected area. A contractor who signs a roof contract during a declared emergency must include a bold cancellation notice in at least 14-point type. Read that notice in your contract.
• Price gouging. Section 501.160 applies only after the Governor declares a state of emergency. It bars an unconscionable price for an essential commodity, including supplies, services and equipment. The test is a gross disparity from the average price in the 30 days before the declaration, or a price that grossly exceeds comparable prices. It does not set a percentage.

The price gouging law is enforced by the state attorney's office or the Department of Legal Affairs. It does not give you a right to sue on your own. If a quote looks far out of line, get a second and third written quote before you sign.

What a contractor can and cannot do about your claim

A contractor is not your insurance claim handler. Florida Statutes 626.854(16) says a licensed contractor, or its subcontractor, may not advertise, solicit, offer to handle, handle or perform public adjuster services unless it also holds a public adjuster license.

The same rule lets a contractor do two things. The contractor may suggest that you contact your insurer about coverage. The contractor may also explain a repair bid, for the usual and customary fee stated in the contract. That is the line. Explaining a bid is fine. Running your claim is not.

Section 489.147(2) also bars contractors from offering rebates, gifts or deductible waivers in connection with roof inspections or claims. Walk away from anyone who offers to cover your deductible. A contractor who breaks this rule can face discipline and a fine of up to $10,000 per violation under 489.147(3) and (4).

Our guides on the assignment of benefits ban and on the Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights cover the claim side in more detail.

Paperwork that protects you from liens

A lien is a claim against your property by someone who was not paid. Florida's construction lien law can let an unpaid worker or supplier go after your home even if you paid your contractor in full.

For direct contracts over $2,500 on residential property of up to four units, Florida Statutes 713.015 requires a lien law warning on the front page of the contract or on a separate page. It must be at least 12-point, capitalized and bold, and you sign and date it. It tells you to get a written lien release from anyone who sends you a Notice to Owner before you pay.

Under 713.06, most suppliers and subcontractors must send you a Notice to Owner before they start or within 45 days after starting. When final payment is due, the contractor must give you a sworn affidavit that says all timely noticed lienors are paid, or lists each unpaid one and the amount owed. Hold the final payment until you have it.

Before work starts, the owner or the owner's agent records a Notice of Commencement with the clerk. We explain it in our Notice of Commencement guide. The lien law guide goes deeper.

Warning signs to watch for

• The contractor cannot give you a license number, or the number does not match the name on the state website.
• You are asked to sign something that lets the contractor deal with your insurer for you.
• You are offered a rebate, a gift or a waived deductible.
• A roof contract has no cancellation notice in large bold type.
• The price is far above other written quotes after a declared emergency.
• You are pushed to sign today with no written scope.
• The contract has no lien law warning, and the contractor will not talk about lien releases.

How Hildebrand handles storm repair work

Hildebrand Construction & Remodeling, LLC is a Florida Certified Building Contractor, license CBC1257253, and you can verify it at myfloridalicense.com. We document the damage and coordinate the construction scope with your insurance adjuster, then rebuild to code. We do not negotiate your claim. That stays between you and your insurer.

Every job is quoted after an on-site visit, with a free in-home consultation and a written estimate and no trip fee. We pull every required permit and meet Florida Building Code inspections. See our home restoration service and how a job runs.

We do not offer emergency or after-hours service. Calls and forms outside our Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM hours get an answer the next business day.

Questions homeowners ask