Hiring the wrong contractor is the most expensive mistake a homeowner can make. In Florida, it comes with very specific consequences: stop-work orders, fines, insurance claim denials, and in some cases the requirement to tear out finished work and redo it.
The good news is that Florida makes contractor license verification free, fast, and available to anyone with internet access. There's no reason to hire a contractor without checking first.
Here's exactly how to do it.
After Hurricanes Helene and Milton hit the Tampa Bay area in 2024, unlicensed contractors flooded the region. Some did shoddy work. Some collected deposits and disappeared. Homeowners desperate for repairs were the targets.
This happens after every major storm. In 2026, with recovery work still ongoing across Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, the risk hasn't gone away. Doing a 30-second license check before you let anyone on your property is worth it.
[Image placeholder: Florida DBPR license verification screen showing active contractor license]
Before you spend any time getting a bid, ask the contractor for their Florida license number. A legitimate contractor will give it to you immediately. The formats you'll see for general construction work in Tampa Bay are:
Go to myfloridalicense.com and search by the license number, contractor name, or business name. Here's what to look for:
License Status. It needs to say "Current, Active." If it says expired, suspended, revoked, or anything else, don't hire them regardless of what explanation they give you.
License Type. Make sure it matches the kind of work you need. A CGC or CBC is appropriate for most home remodels, additions, and custom builds. A CRC covers residential work but not commercial projects.
Business Name. Confirm the license is registered to the actual company you're dealing with. Some contractors try to operate under someone else's license, which is illegal in Florida.
Disciplinary History. The DBPR record shows any complaints, fines, or actions against the license. One resolved complaint from years ago is very different from a pattern of recent violations.
LicensedCheck.com is a cleaner interface if you find the DBPR portal hard to navigate.
Go to Sunbiz.org and look up the contractor's business name. You want to confirm the business is an active, registered Florida entity and that the person you're dealing with is listed as an officer or authorized representative. A company registered very recently deserves a closer look before you hand them a significant project.
Ask for two things in writing before any work starts:
If someone gets hurt on your property and the contractor doesn't have workers' comp, that liability can land on you. If they can't or won't provide certificates, walk away.
In July 2025, HB 735 eliminated most county and city-level specialty contractor licenses that weren't backed by a state certification. Before this, many Tampa Bay contractors held local Pinellas County licenses through the PCCLB instead of state licenses. Those local-only licenses are now invalid for most regulated work.
What this means for you: always verify at the state DBPR level. A county license alone is no longer sufficient.
[Image placeholder: Florida DBPR license search results page]
They won't give you a license number. Or they give you one that doesn't match their name in the DBPR system.
The license is expired. No grace period. An expired license means they can't pull permits.
They ask you to pull the permit as an "owner-builder." This is a common workaround for unlicensed contractors. As an owner-builder, you take on full legal responsibility for code compliance. If a contractor is doing the work, they should be pulling the permit themselves.
They want a large deposit before starting. Florida law limits upfront deposits for residential projects over $2,500 to 10% of the contract or the first scheduled payment, whichever is greater. A demand for 50% upfront before a single day of work is a warning sign.
They pressure you to sign immediately. A contractor who won't give you time to verify their license and think things over isn't competing on merit. That urgency exists to prevent you from doing your homework.
They don't have a physical business address. A contractor operating out of a PO box and a pickup truck deserves more scrutiny than one with an established local presence.
Florida temporarily allows out-of-state contractors to work after a declared state of emergency, but those authorizations are time-limited. For most post-Helene/Milton authorizations, the window has closed. Any contractor still claiming emergency out-of-state status for non-emergency work in 2026 should be verified carefully.
The bottom line: no current, active Florida DBPR license means no legal permit in Tampa Bay. No permit means no legal protection for you.
Bettencourt Construction holds a current, active Certified General Contractor license with the Florida DBPR. We've been pulling permits across Pinellas, Hillsborough, Sarasota, and Pasco counties since the late 1980s. We carry full general liability and workers' compensation insurance and can provide certificates at any time.
You can verify our license directly at myfloridalicense.com.
Contact Bettencourt Construction about your project
Related reading:
Do I need a permit for a home addition in Tampa?
How long does a kitchen remodel take in St. Pete?
What building code requirements apply to custom homes in Tampa?
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