How to Hire a Licensed Plumbing Contractor in Florida
Florida licenses plumbing contractors through the state. Checking a license takes two minutes and protects you if something goes wrong.
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Plumbing contractors in Florida are licensed by the Construction Industry Licensing Board, part of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. A certified plumbing contractor license number usually starts with CFC.
Check the license
Search the contractor's name or license number on myfloridalicense.com. Make sure the license is current and the name matches the business you're dealing with.
Insurance
Ask for proof of liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage. If someone is hurt on your property or something is damaged, you want the contractor's policy to respond, not yours.
Permits
Water heater replacements, repiping, new fixtures in new places and sewer work usually need a permit from the city or county. A licensed contractor pulls it and arranges the inspection.
Get it in writing
Ask for a written quote with the scope of work, materials, permit, start date and payment terms. Be wary of large cash deposits or anyone offering to skip the permit.
After the job
Keep invoices, permit records and any warranty papers. They help with insurance renewals and when you sell the house. See how this site works.
Questions worth asking
How long have you worked in Polk County? Will you or your own crew do the work, or a subcontractor? Who pulls the permit and books the inspection? What warranty comes with the labour and the parts? How do you handle it if you open a wall or a slab and find something unexpected? Clear answers to these questions tell you as much about a contractor as the price does.
Red flags
Door-to-door offers after a storm, pressure to sign the same day, a quote that is far below everyone else's, no license number on the paperwork, or a request to pay the whole amount before any work starts.
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