How to Hire a General Contractor in Broward and Miami-Dade: What to Check Before You Sign

Most people hire a contractor the way they pick a restaurant: a recommendation, a few reviews, a good feeling on the first visit. That works until it does not. The problems we get called to fix almost always trace back to something that could have been checked in fifteen minutes before the contract was signed.

This is that fifteen-minute check, written for homeowners in Broward and Miami-Dade. We are a general contractor, so take it as an inside view of what we would look for if we were hiring one.

Step 1: understand the license

Florida licenses contractors at two levels, and the difference matters more than most people realize.

• Certified contractors hold a state certificate and can work in any jurisdiction in Florida.
• Registered contractors qualified under a local government's requirements and can work only in the jurisdictions where they are registered. A contractor registered somewhere else may not be allowed to work on your property.

For a home remodel, a CRC or CBC may be all you need. For a taller building, a large commercial job or something unusual, check that the license class actually covers the work.

Step 2: verify it yourself

1. Look up the license on the Florida DBPR website, myfloridalicense.com. Search by name or license number.
2. Check the status. It should say current and active. Look for any disciplinary history.
3. Match the names. The license holder should be the company on the contract, or the person who qualifies that company. A license that belongs to someone else is a serious warning sign.
4. Check local records too. Broward County runs its own contractor licensing and enforcement program and can tell you about local licenses and complaints, and Miami-Dade has its own local licensing as well. Your city's building department can show you the contractor's permit history.

Step 3: insurance, on paper

Ask for certificates of insurance for general liability and for workers' compensation, with you listed as the certificate holder. Check the policy dates, and if the job is large, call the insurance agent listed on the certificate to confirm the policy is active. If a worker is hurt on your property and the contractor has no workers' compensation coverage, you do not want to find out who pays.

Step 4: who pulls the permit

The licensed contractor doing the work should pull the permit in its own name. Be very careful if a contractor asks you to pull it yourself as an owner-builder. Florida allows owner-builder permits for people doing their own work, but when a contractor suggests it for their work, it usually means they cannot or will not put their license on the job, and it moves the legal responsibility onto you. Our permit guide explains when a permit is needed in the first place.

Step 5: the deposit and payment schedule

Florida does not cap deposits, but if a contractor takes more than 10 percent of the contract price up front on a residential job, Florida Statute 489.126 says they must apply for permits within 30 days and start work within 90 days after the permit is issued, unless there is just cause or you agreed in writing to a longer period. After the deposit, payments should follow progress you can see: inspections passed, materials delivered, phases completed.

The contract itself should include Florida's required notices and a clear scope, price, schedule and change order process. Our remodeling contract checklist goes through it line by line.

Red flags

• No license number on the estimate, the truck or the website, or a number that does not match the company.
• Pressure to sign today, or a price that is only good if you pay cash.
• A request that you pull the permit, or a suggestion that the job does not need one when it clearly does.
• No written contract, or a contract with no lien law notice.
• After a storm: door-to-door offers to waive your insurance deductible or handle your claim. Florida prohibits contractors from doing either, as we explain in our post on storm damage repairs.

Questions worth asking in the first meeting

• Have you done this kind of project in my city, and can I see a recent permit for one?
• Who will be on site every day, and who do I call with a problem?
• Which trades are your own people and which are subcontractors? Are they licensed?
• How do you handle changes and surprises, such as rot or old wiring behind a wall?
• What do you need from me, and when, to keep the schedule?

The bottom line

Verify the license and its class, get the insurance certificates, make sure the contractor pulls the permit, and read the contract before you pay. It takes less time than comparing kitchen tiles and protects far more money. Our own license, CGC1541479, is a state certification, so we can work anywhere in Florida, and you can look it up on the DBPR website. We are based in Hollywood and work across Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach. Tell us about your project.