City registrationOnline only, through LauderBuild - not by email or post: a registration form, a state licence or county certificate of competency, liability insurance, and workers' comp or an exemption letter, with the City of Fort Lauderdale, as certificate holder - Contractors & Licensed Professionals page
Permits only to licensed contractorsApplications for building permits are accepted only from contractors holding a current certificate of competence and license in their respective fields, apart from the exceptions in Secs. 9-28 and 9-29 - Code Sec. 9-27
Business taxBefore working, engaging in business or contracting in any listed classification, a contractor must pay any required local business tax and show the receipt on demand - Code Sec. 9-73
Check them yourselfIn LauderBuild (aca-prod.accela.com/FTL) run a Licensed Professional Search, or Reports > LP License Status to see when their documents expire. Expired licences are not searchable at all
Minor work onlyThe city lets non-licensed contractors register only for certain project types and minor construction work
County licenceBroward's Building Code Division handles contractor licensing and enforcement under County Code Ch. 9 through the Central Examining Board of Construction Trades. County-licensed contractors, suspensions and revocations are checked by phone on 954-765-4400; complaints go to CLE-Complaint@broward.org
Marine cards are voluntaryBroward lists its marine specialty, marine seawall, bulkhead, dock and pile-driving certificates under Division I (Voluntary), so a county card is not mandatory for marine work - Broward Contractor packet
State licenceSearch the company and the qualifier on DBPR's Verify a Licensee (myfloridalicense.com). A licence number starting with C is a state certification valid anywhere in Florida; one starting with R is a registration, good only where the holder met local competency rules - F.S. 489.105(8),(10) and the DBPR licensing page
Who may build a seawall or dockA certified general contractor's scope is unlimited (489.105(3)(a)). The state also certifies five marine specialties: marine specialty, marine seawall work, marine bulkhead work, marine dock work and marine pile driving - Rule 61G4-15.100(1)(b)-(f)
Workers' compIn construction a single employee makes coverage mandatory (440.02(20)(b)2). Up to three officers or LLC members owning at least 10% may file exemptions (440.02(18)(b)2), and the exemption certificate itself says it is not a DBPR licence (440.05(4)). Check it on the DWC data portal's Coverage and Exemptions search (dwcdataportal.fldfs.com)
Recovery fundFor contracts signed on or after 1 July 2024 the Homeowners' Construction Recovery Fund pays at most $100,000 per claim against a Division I contractor (general, building, residential) and $30,000 against a Division II contractor, which includes the marine specialties; the lifetime caps are $2 million and $600,000 per licensee - 489.143(3),(6). Nothing is paid if the contractor was unlicensed when you signed - 489.141(2)(d) - and residential contracts over $2,500 must print the fund notice - 489.1425
DepositsA contractor who takes more than 10% up front on residential work must apply for permits within 30 days and start within 90 days of the permits issuing, unless you agreed to longer in writing - 489.126(2)(a)
Three-day cancelIf the deal was a home solicitation sale over $25 - signed away from the seller's place of business and not the result of your own request for specific goods or services - you can cancel in writing until midnight of the third business day; Sundays and federal holidays don't count - 501.021, 501.025
Business tax is not a licenceA contractor pays business tax where its permanent office is, and no other city or county may levy a business tax or an equivalent registration fee for temporary work there - 205.065