The short answer (September 2026): Verify each roofer’s Florida license on the DBPR portal, get its insurance certificates and make sure the contractor pulls the permit. Then compare written scopes line by line: underlayment, flashing, deck repair pricing, permit and cleanup, plus product approval numbers and both warranties. Walk away from deductible waivers, pressure to sign and large deposits.
Three quotes for “a new tile roof” can differ by thousands of dollars and all be honest, because they describe different roofs. The only fair comparison is one where you know what each price includes and each company is who it says it is. This checklist is built from Florida law and public records, so you can check every item yourself, including on us. For the short version, see our five checks before you hire a roofing contractor.
1. Verify the license yourself
Roofing contractors in Florida are licensed by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). Search the contractor’s name or license number on the DBPR license search [1] and check that the license is current and active, and that the name matches the company on the proposal.
The license prefix tells you what kind of license it is [2]:
| Prefix | License | Where the contractor may work |
|---|---|---|
| CCC | Certified Roofing Contractor | Anywhere in Florida, without meeting each local jurisdiction’s competency requirements [3] |
| RC | Registered Roofing Contractor | Only in the local jurisdictions where the contractor met the competency requirements [3] |
Both are real licenses. A registered contractor is fine for your job if it is registered for your city or county; a certified contractor can work statewide. A roofing contractor’s legal scope includes the roof covering, required roof-deck attachment, replacing wood sheathing or fascia as needed during the job, and skylights [3].
Ask for the license number in writing and look it up yourself, rather than accepting a photo of a card.
2. Ask for insurance certificates
To get or renew a Florida certificate or registration, a contractor must file an affidavit that it has workers’ compensation insurance as required by law, public liability insurance and property damage insurance [4]. The affidavit is filed with the licensing board, not with you, so ask each roofer for current certificates of liability insurance and workers’ compensation (or proof of an exemption) before work begins.
Why it matters: the state’s owner-builder disclosure warns that “if an unlicensed contractor or employee of an individual or firm is injured while working on your property, you may be held liable for damages” [5].
3. The contractor pulls the permit
Florida law makes it unlawful to alter or repair a building without a permit from the building department, unless another law provides otherwise [6]. For a roof replacement, the permit should be in the roofing contractor’s name.
If a roofer asks you to pull the permit yourself, you become an owner-builder. The disclosure statement you would have to sign says: “I understand that, as an owner-builder, I am the responsible party of record on a permit. I understand that I may protect myself from potential financial risk by hiring a licensed contractor and having the permit filed in his or her name instead of my own name” [5]. The Federal Trade Commission lists “Scammers ask you to get any required building permits” among the signs of a home improvement scam [7].
4. Check the product approval for your system
Roofing is one of the product categories covered by Florida’s product approval law [14], and the proposal should name the actual products. Ask for the approval numbers for the roof covering and the underlayment, then look them up [8][9]:
- Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Monroe: typically a Florida Product Approval, searchable at floridabuilding.org [8].
- Miami-Dade and Broward (the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone): products approved for HVHZ use, typically a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) or a Florida Product Approval with HVHZ approval, searchable in Miami-Dade’s product control search or the state database [8][9].
Approval numbers also help you later: Florida’s wind mitigation form asks for the Florida or Miami-Dade product approval number of the roof covering [10].
5. Compare written scopes, line by line
The FTC advises a written contract that includes the contractor’s name, address, phone number and license number, estimated start and completion dates, and every promise made about scope of work and the cost of labor and materials, with all blank spaces filled in [7]. For a roof, “scope” should cover at least these lines. Put each proposal side by side:
| Line item | What to look for | Proposal A | Proposal B | Proposal C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tear-off | Whether the old roof comes off to the deck, and how many layers | |||
| Deck | Inspection and re-nailing to code; price per sheet or square foot for rotten wood found after tear-off | |||
| Underlayment / secondary water barrier | Named product and approval number | |||
| Roof covering | Named product, profile and color; approval number | |||
| Flashing and edge metal | New, not reused; walls, valleys, penetrations, drip edge | |||
| Ventilation | What is kept, added or replaced | |||
| Permit and inspections | In the contractor’s name; permit fees included | |||
| Cleanup | Debris removal, magnetic nail sweep, protection of landscaping and pool | |||
| Warranties | Manufacturer and workmanship, each in writing | |||
| Payment schedule | Deposit amount and what triggers each payment |
When two quotes differ by thousands, the difference is often in these lines, such as the deck, the underlayment or the flashing, rather than the tile or shingle. Our Roofing 101 explains each layer.
Three things Florida law puts in your contract:
- The 489.147 notice. A contract to repair or replace a roof must include a notice that the contractor may not offer rebates, gifts, deductible waivers or anything of value for an inspection or a claim. Without it, you may void the contract within 10 days after signing [11].
- The Recovery Fund statement. A residential contract over $2,500 must explain your rights under the Florida Homeowners’ Construction Recovery Fund [12].
- An itemized estimate for insurance work. A contractor may not give you an agreement authorizing repairs under a property insurance claim without a good-faith estimate of the itemized and detailed cost of services and materials [11].
6. Understand the two warranties
A roof proposal can mention two kinds of warranty, and they cover different things:
- The manufacturer’s warranty comes from the company that made the products. Ask for the actual warranty document, what it covers (materials only, or labor too), how long, whether it must be registered and by whom, and whether it depends on a particular installation method or installer status.
- The workmanship warranty comes from the roofing contractor and covers the installation. Ask how long it lasts, what it excludes, whether it transfers to a buyer, and what happens if the company is no longer in business.
Compare the written warranties, not the years quoted in a sales conversation.
7. Read reviews across sources
Look at the company’s reviews in more than one place, and read the recent ones and the negative ones, not just the average. The FTC suggests searching online for the company’s name with words like “scam,” “review” or “complaint” [7]. Look for patterns: how the company responds to a complaint, whether the same problem recurs, and whether reviewers mention permits, cleanup and follow-up. Be wary of a rating you cannot trace back to the platform it came from.
8. Red flags
| Red flag | Why |
|---|---|
| Offer to waive or cover your insurance deductible | Florida law prohibits a contractor from offering a deductible waiver, rebate, gift, cash or anything of value in exchange for a roof inspection or an insurance claim [11] |
| Claim-soliciting flyers or door hangers without the deductible and fraud warning | Roof-claim advertising must state that you pay your deductible and that deductible waivers and false claims are insurance fraud [11] |
| A roofer who interprets your policy or offers to handle your claim | Contractors may not advise on coverage or adjust a claim unless also licensed as a public adjuster [11] |
| Door-to-door visits after a storm and pressure to sign today | Both are on the FTC’s list of home improvement scam signs [7]. Not every door-knocker is dishonest, but slow down and run every check above |
| Full payment up front, cash only or a large deposit before a permit exists | The FTC advises never paying the full amount up front [7]. Under Florida law, a contractor who takes more than 10% of the price as an initial payment must apply for the permits within 30 days and start work within 90 days after they are issued, unless there is just cause or you agree otherwise in writing [13] |
| Asked to pull the permit yourself | You become the responsible party of record [5][7] |
| No license number, or a license that does not match the company name | Check it on the DBPR search [1] |
After a declared state of emergency, Florida law also gives you 10 days to cancel certain roof contracts; our after-the-storm checklist explains how.
Checking Perkins the same way
Apply every check above to us too. Perkins Roofing Corp. holds Florida Certified Roofing Contractor license CCC1331944, which you can look up on the DBPR search [1]. The company has worked in South Florida since 1980, from offices in Miami and Jupiter. On Google, the Miami office is rated 4.8 from 175 reviews and the Jupiter office 5.0 from 53, 228 reviews in total as of September 2026; read them on our customer reviews page, which links back to Google. For how roofing differs across the six South Florida counties, and which office covers yours, see our South Florida roofing contractors overview.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check a roofing contractor’s license in Florida? Search the name or license number on the Florida DBPR license search at myfloridalicense.com. Check that the license is current and active and that the name matches the company on your proposal.
What is the difference between a CCC and an RC roofing license? CCC is a Certified Roofing Contractor, who may work anywhere in Florida. RC is a Registered Roofing Contractor, who may work only in the local jurisdictions where the registration applies.
Who should pull the roofing permit? The licensed roofing contractor. If you pull it yourself as an owner-builder, Florida’s disclosure statement says you become the responsible party of record on the permit.
Is it legal for a roofer to waive my insurance deductible in Florida? No. Florida law prohibits a contractor from offering a deductible waiver, rebate, gift, cash or anything of value in exchange for a roof inspection or an insurance claim.
How much deposit should a Florida roofer ask for? A contractor who takes more than 10% of the price as an initial payment must apply for permits within 30 days and start work within 90 days after the permits are issued, unless there is just cause or you agree otherwise in writing. Never pay the full price up front.
What should a roofing estimate include? Tear-off, deck inspection and the price for replacing damaged wood, named underlayment and roof covering with approval numbers, new flashing, ventilation, the permit, cleanup, both warranties in writing and the payment schedule.
What is the difference between a manufacturer warranty and a workmanship warranty? A manufacturer warranty comes from the product maker and covers the materials on its own terms. A workmanship warranty comes from the roofing contractor and covers the installation. Get both in writing and compare what each covers.
Next step
Before you collect quotes, put your address into the roof calculator for a rough estimate, so you know roughly what a reasonable number looks like for your roof. It is not a quote. Then request a written, measured proposal from the Miami or Jupiter office and compare it line by line with the others.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Statutes, license records and product approvals change; the citations below were checked on September 23, 2026.
Sources
- Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, license search. https://www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp
- Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, “Understanding DBPR Codes” (license types 0603 CCC and 0616 RC). https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/about-us/understanding-dbpr-codes/
- Section 489.105, Florida Statutes (2026) — Definitions, subsections (3)(e), (8) and (10). https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/489.105
- Section 489.115, Florida Statutes (2026) — Certification and registration; subsection (5). https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/489.115
- Section 489.103, Florida Statutes (2026) — Exemptions; owner-builder disclosure statement, subsection (7). https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/489.103
- Section 553.79, Florida Statutes (2026) — Permits; applications; issuance; inspections. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/553.79
- Federal Trade Commission, “How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam.” https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-home-improvement-scam
- Florida Building Commission, Product Approval search. https://floridabuilding.org/pr/pr_default.aspx
- Miami-Dade County, Product Control search (Notices of Acceptance). https://www.miamidade.gov/building/pc-search_app.asp
- Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26), question 4. https://floir.gov/docs-sf/property-casualty-libraries/product-review/all-forms/form-oir-1802-adopted-version-(no-watermark).pdf
- Section 489.147, Florida Statutes (2026) — Prohibited property insurance practices; contract requirements. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/489.147
- Section 489.1425, Florida Statutes (2026) — Duty of contractor to notify residential property owner of recovery fund. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/489.1425
- Section 489.126, Florida Statutes (2026) — Moneys received by contractors. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/489.126
- Section 553.842, Florida Statutes (2026) — Product evaluation and approval, subsection (5). https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/553.842
