Breaking Down the Basics
A residential contractor license in Florida is a license issued by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and is required to legally build a residence so construction can begin. It is intended to cover all aspects of construction related to a residential project. A residential contractor is defined as a contractor whose services are limited to the construction of one Family and two family residences, and any accessory structures. Under the law "one family residence" means a structure for human occupation containing one dwelling unit and "two family residence" means a structure for human occupation containing two dwelling units. A licensed residential contractor may contract directly for work on structure, use industry in compliance with regulatory requirements and provided a level of quality assurance to its customers, which underpins consumer confidence and protection, public safety and welfare . A valid license is a requirement in the bidding and contracting process and is often a prerequisite of acquiring a job. Some of the many benefits of having a contractor’s license include limiting personal liability of the contractors in a civil proceeding as a license will shield personal assets from creditors, a potential cost savings in insurance as a contractor may be able to reduce premiums or qualify for a group discount through membership in a contractor professional association, and an eligibility for bonding and meeting standards set by bonding companies and banks. A contractor may, however lose its license for failing to comply with the requirements established by law.
Qualifications
Eligibility Criteria for Licensing in Florida
Before a Florida contractor can get a license, he or she must be eligible to be licensed. This sounds simple, but it’s not. For example, the requirements are different for a qualifier than an owners license so one of the first things a prospective license applicant should do when you are thinking of becoming licensed in Florida is determine if you should become an owner licensee or a qualifier.
Once you have determined you are going to become a qualifier, or if you were going to be an owner licensee, all of the criteria below will apply to you. If you already have experience, if you need help determining if and when you can become a licensee, give a California contractor license lawyer a call.
One natural question is are there age requirements for a Florida contractor’s license? No. The reason being is that you could theoretically get licensed in Florida as an infant. The one thing you must be, however, is legal competency. The legal age threshold for competency is 18. One interesting point is that a Florida contractor doesn’t have to be 18, but must have an adult present at the test center to sign for him that he is competent.
A natural off shoot of being legally competent is the education requirements. For a Florida contractor’s exam, the test must be taken in a proctored environment allowing time for only a few breaks. To become a qualifier you must pass two tests and the business and finance section contains questions on accounting and contract law.
While the educational requirements are not unusual, they can often be the first piece of the people will get their noses bent out of shape when they attempt to qualify for licensure. If you happen to have a degree in engineering or architecture it is possible to be exempt from the exam requirement.
In addition to being a qualified individual we have experience requirements. There are a number of different ways the Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board will accept experience. You may ask for experience to be evaluated both work experience and education.
In addition to passing the tests, and having the requisite experience some other requirements to be eligible are: a valid social security number; not default on a student loan; fingerprinting by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI (often this can take months to process so it should be done as soon as you have determined that you are going to become a qualifier); and you also need a sponsor or qualifying agent affiliation form for each license you are applying for. Both of these forms can be had from the Construction Industry Licensing Board.
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How to Apply
To kick off the licensing process, you must first submit an application to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). You can apply online through the DBPR website or download a paper application. The application actually has specific instructions: "All applicants must first create an account within the DBPR Online Services by using the Create Account link and log in under My Applications. All new applications must be submitted electronically, not on paper. Instructions for submitting a new application electronically are provided at the Create Account link. In order to promptly move forward with the consideration of your application, you cannot supply a U.S. Postal mailing address, such as a P.O. Box, as your primary mailing address. You must provide an email address as the preferred form of communication will be via email. All fields marked with asterisks are required." Your application will require personal information as well as in-depth information about the nature of your business. You will also have to pay fees associated with the application process. After you fill out the appropriate paperwork and submit your online application and pay the fee, then the next step is to take your required exams. Even if you aren’t ready to take the exams at the time of application, you still need to submit this exam application form to the DBPR within one year of application approval. After you pass all required licensure examinations, you’ll then receive your license from the DBPR.
Taking the Exam
The Florida licensing exam for residential contractors is a 3-part, 4 ½ hour exam divided into one section on business and finance and two on technical knowledge and project management. The subjects tested include the following: While it is not required that you take a course before sitting for the exam, many people find them beneficial as there are many exam preparation classes offered throughout the state. These classes are offered by trade organizations and independent testing services. If you are looking for classes for the exam i.e. , a Business or Trade Prep class, we recommend someone like HCSS or ITI here. Our advice is to take the follow courses: Once you pass the exam, you will receive instructions on how to register your license with the State and begin good standing registration with your local Construction Licensing Board in order to do permit work.
Maintaining Your License
In Florida, your residential contractor license is valid for two years from last renewal. A contractor must submit a renewal application. The contractor must provide proof of financial stability, pass an examination and prove that you are worthy of the grant of the license by the Construction Licensing Board.
Licensees must show evidence of continuing education. Ten continuing education hours must be obtained per renewal period; the final educational hours must be completed by August 31 of the final renewal year. The courses you choose to take must be approved by the Construction Licensing Board: and you must submit all original certificates of completion to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
Common Questions
A: It is important to note that all applicants new to licensure or reactivating from inactive status must attend one of the Biennial Certification and Renewal Seminars regardless of age. This is a requirement of the State Continuing Education to Broward College. If you fail to attend the Seminar, your application will be closed.
A: Yes. All contractors licensed by Broward County are required to complete 14 hours of Continuing Education every two (2) years. Pursuant to County Rule Article 5, Section 121.4, the 14 hours shall include 6 hours of Broward County Code Update, 6 hours of the Building Code and 2 hours on the subject of Workers’ Compensation Laws and the Fair Labor Standards Act.
A: No. It takes at least 8 weeks to process an application after it has been received in our office. If you have taken 14 hours of continuing education, it is recommended that you send it to the Board Office as soon as you have completed the course.
A: No. The cost of the application is $250.00 and the State Fees has been incorporated into the application fee. The State Examination Fee is $135.00, Zoning Fee for Commercial applications is $25.00 , and the Zoning Fee for Residential and Road & Bridge is $15.00. The State Fee is non-refundable. Bond fees are not charged on inactive renewal applications.
A: Refer to the application for specific categories. Bond fees are $350.00 for the first license in any category and $200.00 for each additional license in any other category. Continuing education certificates must be submitted with your renewal application. You must have completed these before you submit the application. You may use a copy of your completed CEU’s. All required documents must be submitted with your renewal application, otherwise, your renewal will not be processed. Failure to renew your contractor’s license by the renewal deadline will result in a $25.00 penalty fee.
A: Once your license has been suspended, you lose the right to renew your license and the next step would be a revocation. Revocation indicates that your license has been revoked; you are no longer a licensed Contractor and you must remove the State and Local licenses from any and all jobs sites. They must also be removed from all advertisements and stationary.
A: All Home Improvement Contractors must register with Broward County and renew that Registration every year while the property is being remodeled. Once completed, the Home Improvement Registration should be canceled. The Property Owner must obtain a Building Permit through Broward County in order to build, remodel, repair or change the property. The Property Owner or His/her appointed Contracting Agent must sign the Application for Permit. The Property Owner can obtain the permit, Hire a Licensed Contractor/Professional, or do the work himself.