Permit & Code Compliance: The Part of Your Roof You Can't See

Florida has some of the strictest roofing codes in the United States, written in the aftermath of hurricanes that turned bad roofs into disasters. Those codes protect you — but only if your contractor actually follows them, and only if the work is permitted and inspected.

Permits are not optional — and not your job

Every reroof in Florida requires a permit and county inspections. Your estimate should explicitly include pulling the permit and passing inspections. Two red flags to watch for:

• Permits excluded or unmentioned. There is no legitimate reason for a roofing contractor to exclude permits. None.
• Any suggestion you pull the permit yourself. When a homeowner pulls an "owner-builder" permit, the homeowner takes on the legal responsibility for the work. Contractors who push this are usually avoiding scrutiny of their license status.

Your county changes the rules

Florida Building Code requirements vary by location — wind speed design requirements differ by county and by distance from the coast, and South Florida's High Velocity Hurricane Zone has its own stricter standards. A proposal that's fine in one county can be non-compliant one county over. Your estimate should reflect the requirements where your house actually stands.

The license check almost nobody runs

Every Florida roofing contractor must hold an active state license — and you can verify it yourself in two minutes on the state's DBPR website. What you're checking: the license is active (not expired or suspended), it's the right type for roofing, and the name on the license connects to the company on your proposal.

Work performed by an unlicensed contractor isn't protected by Florida's homeowner recovery fund. If something goes wrong, you may have no recourse at all. This two-minute check is the cheapest insurance in the entire process — and it's included in every review we do.

One more thing: the final inspection and your final payment

Your contract should tie your final payment to passing the county's final inspection. If the contract says payment is due "upon completion" regardless of inspection results — or says nothing at all — you lose your single biggest piece of leverage for getting problems fixed.

What we do

Every RoofReviewers report verifies your contractor's license directly with the state, checks their standing and history, confirms your estimate reflects your county's actual code requirements, and flags any permit or inspection language that leaves you exposed. You'll know exactly who you're dealing with before you sign.