Choosing a Licensed and Insured Roofing Contractor in Florida

Why this matters

Roofing is one of the most commonly targeted trades for unlicensed and underinsured operators in Florida, especially right after storm events when demand spikes and out-of-state crews follow the damage. Hiring an unlicensed or uninsured contractor isn't just a paperwork risk — if an uninsured worker is injured on your roof, Florida law can expose the homeowner to liability that a properly insured contractor's policy would have covered instead. A few minutes of verification up front is the cheapest insurance you'll buy on this entire project.

How to verify a Florida contractor's license

Florida roofing contractors need to hold either a Certified Roofing Contractor (CCC) license, which allows them to work statewide, or a locally Registered Roofing Contractor (RCC) license, which is limited to the jurisdiction that issued it. Both are issued and tracked by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR).

1. Go to the DBPR's public license search (myfloridalicense.com) and search by the business name or the individual contractor's name.
2. Confirm the license status reads "Current, Active" — not "Delinquent," "Inactive," or "Suspended."
3. Check the license type (Certified vs. Registered) against where the work is being done — a Registered license issued in one county generally doesn't authorize work in another.
4. Note the license number and qualifying individual's name, and match them against what's on the contractor's proposal or business card. A license number that doesn't match the company doing your work is a serious red flag.

Any legitimate contractor will give you their license number without hesitation, since it's public information anyway. Crownline's license information is available on request. [license # pending]

What insurance certificates to ask for

A license alone doesn't protect you — insurance does. Ask for a Certificate of Insurance (COI) showing, at minimum, general liability insurance (covering property damage during the work) and either workers' compensation coverage or a valid workers' comp exemption for the crew performing the work. Don't just take a verbal "yes, we're insured" — request the actual certificate, and consider calling the insurance agent listed on it to confirm the policy is current and actually covers roofing work (some general liability policies specifically exclude roofing due to the elevated risk).

• General liability certificate — confirm the policy is active and the coverage amount is reasonable for a project the size of your roof.
• Workers' compensation certificate, or a documented exemption if the crew is structured as exempt owners/officers under Florida law.
• Confirm your own name or address isn't required to be added as "additional insured" in a way that shifts liability back onto you — a legitimate contractor's policy covers their own work.

Red flags of unlicensed or uninsured contractors

Storm season in particular draws contractors who set up temporarily and disappear once the work dries up. Watch for these signs:

• No permanent local address, or an address that's a UPS box or residential home with no business presence.
• Reluctance or refusal to provide a license number or insurance certificate before starting work.
• Door-to-door solicitation immediately after a storm, especially with pressure to sign a contract or an Assignment of Benefits (AOB) form on the spot.
• Requests for full payment up front, before any material delivery or work performed.
• A verbal-only agreement with no written, itemized scope of work.
• A license number that, when checked on the DBPR site, doesn't match the business name or shows an inactive/delinquent status.

Recommended next step

Before signing anything, run the license check yourself and ask directly for a current COI — a contractor with nothing to hide will have both ready in minutes. If a company hesitates on either request, treat that as your answer.