Hiring the wrong contractor is the most expensive mistake a Miami homeowner can make — and it's almost always avoidable. I'm a licensed Florida general contractor and civil engineer, and most of the horror stories I get called in to fix trace back to a homeowner who skipped two or three basic checks. Here is exactly how I'd vet anyone before signing, in the order I'd do it.
Key takeaways
Verify any Florida contractor yourself in two minutes at myfloridalicense.com — search the name or license number and confirm the status reads "Current, Active."
A Certified General Contractor (CGC) holds the broadest Florida license and can build almost anything, statewide; CBC and CRC are narrower.
Always demand a certificate of insurance for both general liability and workers' compensation — and confirm the contractor, not you, pulls the permits.
The clearest red flag in Miami: a contractor who offers to "skip the permit to save time." That single shortcut can stall your sale, void insurance, and land the liability on you.
How do I verify a general contractor’s license in Miami?
Verify any Florida contractor at myfloridalicense.com, the state DBPR license portal. Use “Verify a License,” search by the contractor’s name, company, or license number, and confirm the license type is a contractor category (like Certified General Contractor) and the status reads “Current, Active.” It takes about two minutes and costs nothing.
Never take a license number on a business card at face value. In Florida, general contractors are licensed by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), and every active license is public. Here is the exact process I tell homeowners to run before they even take a meeting:
Verifying a Florida contractor license on the DBPR portal:
- 1
Open the state portal. Go to myfloridalicense.com and choose “Verify a License” (the public DBPR license search).
- 2
Search the contractor. Search by the individual’s name, the company name, or the license number they gave you. If they won’t give you a number, that is your answer.
- 3
Confirm the license type. Check that the license category is a contractor license — for example “Certified General Contractor (CGC)” — and not an unrelated or expired registration.
- 4
Confirm the status is active. The status must read “Current, Active.” Anything else — null, expired, delinquent, involuntarily inactive — means they cannot legally pull a permit right now.
- 5
Match the name and check history. Make sure the name on the license matches the person or company you’re hiring, then review the expiration date and any disciplinary or complaint history shown.
One thing to watch for in Miami-Dade specifically: a "qualifier" arrangement, where an unlicensed operator borrows a licensed contractor's number to pull permits. If the person running your job and the name on the license are two different people who never actually work together, walk away.
What’s the difference between a CGC, CBC, and CRC license in Florida?
A CGC (Certified General Contractor) is the broadest license — it can build unlimited structures including additions, new homes, and commercial buildings statewide. A CBC (Certified Building Contractor) is limited to buildings up to three stories. A CRC (Certified Residential Contractor) is limited to one- and two-family residences. For a full remodel or new build, you want a CGC.
The letter prefix tells you the scope of work a contractor is legally allowed to take on. Matching the license to your project matters — a residential-only license can’t legally handle a commercial build-out, for example.
| License | What it covers | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| CGC — Certified General Contractor | Broadest scope: unlimited height and size, residential and commercial, including structural work and new construction, statewide. | Full-house remodels, additions, new homes, commercial builds. |
| CBC — Certified Building Contractor | Commercial and residential buildings up to three stories. | Mid-size builds within the height limit. |
| CRC — Certified Residential Contractor | One-, two-, and three-family residences up to two stories. | Straightforward residential-only work. |
Blank Construction holds a Certified General Contractor license (FL CGC #CGC1533917), which is why we can take on everything from a full home remodel to ground-up construction. The word "Certified" also matters: it means the license is valid statewide, versus a "Registered" license that's limited to a specific local jurisdiction.
What insurance should a Miami general contractor carry?
A general contractor should carry general liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage. Ask for a certificate of insurance (COI) for both, and have it sent directly from their insurance agent — not forwarded by the contractor. General liability covers property damage; workers’ comp covers injuries on your site so the liability never lands on you as the homeowner.
This is the check people skip most, and it’s the one that protects your bank account. If an uninsured worker is hurt on your property, or a subcontractor damages your neighbor’s home, an inadequately insured contractor can leave you exposed.
Two coverages to confirm before work starts:
General liability: Covers damage to your property (and neighboring property) caused by the work. Ask what the policy limit is.
Workers’ compensation: Covers on-site injuries to workers. Without it, an injured worker’s medical costs can become the homeowner’s problem. Florida requires it for construction crews.
The clean way to verify: ask the contractor to have their agent email you the certificate of insurance directly, listing you as a certificate holder. A legitimate contractor does this without hesitation — I do it on every job.
Does the general contractor pull the permits, or do I?
Your licensed general contractor should pull the permits — in their name, on their license. If a contractor asks you to pull an “owner-builder” permit for work they’re doing, that’s a red flag: it shifts legal and code liability onto you and often signals they aren’t properly licensed. The permit is the paper trail that protects you.
In Miami-Dade, most real construction — structural changes, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, additions, and many kitchen and bath remodels — legally requires a permit. When a licensed GC pulls it under their own license, they’re the one accountable for passing inspections and meeting code, including the HVHZ (High-Velocity Hurricane Zone) wind requirements unique to South Florida.
When a contractor pushes the permit onto you as an "owner-builder," they’re quietly moving the liability to you — and you become responsible if the work fails inspection or causes harm later. A properly licensed contractor pulls their own permits as a matter of course.
What are the red flags of an unlicensed or unreliable contractor?
The biggest red flags: no license number they’ll let you verify, a request to “skip the permit to save time,” demands for large cash payments up front, no written contract, and a price far below every other bid. Any one of these is reason to pause; two or more, and you should walk away no matter how good the pitch sounds.
After years of getting called in to fix other people’s jobs, these are the warning signs I’ve learned to take seriously:
- 1
Won’t give a verifiable license number: A real contractor is proud of their license and hands you the number without being asked.
- 2
“Let’s skip the permit”: The single clearest sign of trouble. It means unpermitted work you’ll have to legalize later — often at 2–3× the cost — and problems selling or insuring the home.
- 3
Cash only, large deposit up front: Reasonable deposits are normal; a demand for most of the money in cash before work starts is not. It leaves you no recourse.
- 4
No written contract: A handshake and a verbal price is how disputes start. Everything material should be in writing.
- 5
A bid far below everyone else: If one number is dramatically lower, something is being left out — scope, permits, insurance, or quality. See below.
- 6
Borrowed license / mismatched names: The person running the job isn’t the person on the license, and they don’t actually work together.
What should a construction contract include before I sign?
A serious construction contract spells out the full scope of work, a milestone-based payment schedule tied to completed stages (not a big cash lump sum up front), a realistic timeline with start and finish targets, who pulls the permits, how change orders are handled in writing, and warranty terms. If the “contract” is a one-line price on a business card, that’s not a contract.
A real contract protects both sides and prevents the misunderstandings that turn into disputes. Before you sign, make sure it clearly states:
Detailed scope of work: What’s included, what’s excluded, materials and finishes, and allowances where selections aren’t final.
Milestone payment schedule: Payments tied to completed stages — never most of the money up front. This keeps the contractor’s incentives aligned with finishing.
Schedule: Realistic start and substantial-completion targets, with a note that Miami-Dade permitting and material lead times can move dates.
Permits and responsibility: That the contractor pulls the required permits under their license.
Change-order process: How added or changed work gets priced and approved — in writing, before it’s done.
Warranty and cleanup: What’s warranted after completion and who’s responsible for daily site cleanliness and final cleanup.
Why does the cheapest contractor bid often cost the most?
The lowest bid usually wins by leaving something out — permits, adequate insurance, quality materials, or realistic labor. Those gaps surface mid-project as change orders, failed inspections, or work that has to be torn out and redone. Paying twice to fix a bargain job almost always costs more than hiring a properly licensed, insured contractor once.
I’m not going to tell you to always pick the most expensive quote — that’s not honest either. But when one bid is dramatically lower than the rest, treat it as a question, not a gift. Ask what’s different. Usually it’s one of a few things: the permit was left out of the price, the insurance is thin or missing, cheaper materials were substituted, or the labor estimate isn’t realistic and will come back as change orders.
The most expensive projects I’ve ever been part of were the ones a homeowner tried to do cheaply the first time. Getting it built right once — permitted, inspected, and to code — is what actually protects your budget.
If you’re trying to work out whether a bid is even in the right neighborhood, our guide to what a house remodel costs in Miami in 2026 lays out the per-square-foot and per-room ranges we actually quote.
Frequently asked questions
Is it illegal to hire an unlicensed contractor in Florida?
Hiring an unlicensed contractor for work that requires a license exposes you to real risk: unpermitted work, failed inspections, no insurance recourse, and liability if a worker is hurt. In Florida, unlicensed contracting is also a crime for the contractor. For anything requiring a permit, hire a licensed general contractor and verify the license first.
How do I check if a contractor’s license is active in Florida?
Go to myfloridalicense.com, select “Verify a License,” and search by the contractor’s name or license number. Confirm the license category is a contractor type such as Certified General Contractor (CGC) and that the status reads “Current, Active.” The search is free, public, and takes about two minutes.
Should the contractor or the homeowner pull the building permit?
Your licensed general contractor should pull the permit under their own license. If a contractor asks you to pull an owner-builder permit for work they are performing, treat it as a warning sign — it shifts code and legal liability onto you and often means they are not properly licensed for the job.
About the author
Benjamin Blank
Licensed General Contractor & Civil Engineer · FL CGC #1533917 · CGC1533917
Benjamin is the founder of Blank Construction, a licensed Florida general contractor and civil engineer with more than 15 years of construction experience. He builds and remodels homes across Miami-Dade and works to Miami’s High-Velocity Hurricane Zone code every day.
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