Verify any contractor in 5 minutes.

Pro.Miami is a directory, not a vetting service. The work to verify a contractor falls on the homeowner, but it takes 5 minutes and almost always pays for itself.

Step 1, look up the Florida license

Use the free Pro.Miami license lookup. Search by license number (e.g. CGC1505417) or by the qualifier's name. Results show inline with license type, status, expiration, and address — no signups, no detours. The data comes straight from the Florida DBPR public registry, refreshed weekly.

The license letter codes

• CGC Certified General Contractor (any structure, any height).
• CBC Certified Building Contractor (up to 3 stories, residential and commercial).
• CRC Certified Residential Contractor (up to 3 stories, residential only).
• CCC Certified Roofing Contractor.
• CFC Certified Plumbing Contractor.
• EC Certified Electrical Contractor.
• CAC Certified Air Conditioning Contractor (Class A, full HVAC).
• CMC Certified Mechanical Contractor.
• CPC Certified Pool/Spa Contractor.
• CUC Certified Underground Utility Contractor (sewer, water main).
• RG / RB / RC / RR / RA Registered (county-only) versions of the same trades.

Certified beats Registered. Certified means the contractor passed the state board exam and can pull permits in any Florida county. Registered means they are only authorized in their local jurisdiction.

What to look for on the license page

• Status: Current, Active. Anything else (Delinquent, Null and Void, Suspended) is a hard pass.
• Expiration date after the date you would sign the contract.
• Workers comp on file (or a valid exemption). Florida requires WC for any contractor with employees.
• No recent complaints / cases in the Disciplinary section.
• The qualifier name. The license is owned by an individual (the qualifier) and tied to a business. If the qualifier changed recently, ask why.

Step 2, request a Certificate of Insurance (COI)

Ask the contractor's insurance agent (not just the contractor) to email you the COI. Two coverages matter:

• General Liability: $1M per occurrence is normal for residential. $2M aggregate or higher on bigger jobs.
• Workers Comp: required if they have employees. If they claim "exemption," ask for the exemption number and verify it via Florida DBPR — our /verify tool will surface it for licensed contractors.
• Certificate Holder: ask the agent to put your address as certificate holder for your job. This is free and gets you on the carrier's notification list if the policy lapses.

Step 3, get scope and price in writing, then permit

No work begins until you have a signed proposal with scope, materials, schedule, and payment milestones. For permitted work (most major trades), no work begins on site until the permit is pulled and posted. Florida law caps deposits at 10% of the contract price for licensed jobs (FS 489), with limited exceptions for special-order materials.

Common red flags

• Asking for cash, no contract, full prepayment, or "off-permit" pricing.
• Refusing to put the qualifier name in writing.
• License status not Current Active, or COI from an out-of-state carrier.
• Pressuring you to "sign today" or "this price expires tonight." Reputable contractors understand quotes get compared.
• Showing up with no permit and starting demolition.
• Sourcing roof or window product without an NOA in HVHZ.

Trades that require a Florida license

• HVAC (CAC), Roofing (CCC), Electrical (EC), Plumbing (CFC), General/Building/Residential (CGC/CBC/CRC), Pool (CPC), Mechanical (CMC), Sheet Metal, Solar, Underground Utility.
• Some trades only require county-level registration (no state license): handyman work under $500, painting (interior, no structural), general landscaping (no irrigation system), fence (depends on type).
• Hurricane shutters and impact windows: structural work, requires CGC/CBC/CRC or specialty license, plus NOA-approved product.

If you want a deeper dive on any trade, check the trade pages: HVAC, roofing, electrical, plumbing, impact windows, pool.