Roof Replacement in Florida: Licensing, Code and Contracts

Florida licenses roofing contractors at the state level. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) lists "roofing contractor" as its own license category, defined as a contractor whose services are unlimited in the roofing trade (DBPR license types) ¹. That means a Florida roofer's license can be checked by name or number on DBPR's license search before you sign anything ².

Florida also has rules that change what a re-roof involves and what a roofing contract must say. On many single-family homes, replacing a sloped roof brings code requirements for a secondary water barrier and, within a cost cap, stronger roof-to-wall connections ⁷⁸. And several statutes deal with deposits, contract notices and unlicensed work. This page covers each, with links to the law itself.

The roofing license in Florida

Florida Statutes define a roofing contractor's scope to include all kinds of roofing, waterproofing and coating, plus skylights, required roof-deck attachments, and repair or replacement of wood roof sheathing or fascia as needed during a roof repair or replacement (Florida Statutes 489.105) ³. Decking repairs found during a tear-off are therefore within a roofer's scope ³.

DBPR issues two kinds of contractor credentials ¹:

• Statewide. A contractor with a state certificate of competency can work in any jurisdiction in Florida; these licenses carry an occupation code beginning with the letter C ¹.
• Registered (local). A registered contractor has met the competency requirements of a particular local jurisdiction and may contract only there; these carry a code beginning with R ¹.

When you look up a roofer on DBPR's search, check that the license is current, that the name matches the company on your contract, and, for a registered contractor, that the registration covers your city or county ¹².

Florida also makes a contract unenforceable by a contractor who did not hold a license required for the scope of the work when the contract was signed (Florida Statutes 489.128) ⁴. That is one more reason to check before signing.

Re-roofing under the Florida Building Code

Florida law directs the Florida Building Commission to build hurricane mitigation into the code for existing site-built single-family homes, including secondary water barriers for roofs and improved roof-to-wall connections, with the cost of those improvements meant not to exceed approximately 15 percent of the cost of reroofing (Florida Statutes 553.844) ⁷. The statute says roof-to-wall connections are not required unless the work at gable ends or all corners can be completed for 15 percent of the cost of the roof replacement ⁷.

Miami-Dade County's permit office explains how that works in practice ⁸:

• Only site-built single-family homes with sloped hip or gable roofs are included; townhouses, duplexes, apartment buildings, condominiums and commercial buildings are exempt ⁸.
• The county's example: on a $10,000 re-roof, the required roof-to-wall retrofit spending is capped at $1,500, which is 15% ⁸.
• Roof sheathing must be attached in compliance with the Florida Building Code, and the permit holder gives the inspector an affidavit on deck attachment and the secondary water barrier at the first inspection ⁸.
• On those homes, the county lists asphalt shingle, wood shingle or shake, and architectural metal panel roofs as systems that need secondary water barrier protection when the roof is replaced ⁸.

What this means for your quotes: on a qualifying house, a Florida re-roof quote should say how the deck will be refastened, what secondary water barrier will be used, and whether roof-to-wall work is included or ruled out under the cost cap. If two quotes differ on these lines, they are not quoting the same job.

Permits and the High Velocity Hurricane Zone

Florida counties and cities run their own permit offices. In Miami-Dade, the county requires its Uniform Roofing Permit Application for all roofing permits, with separate forms for each roof system (shingle, tile, metal, wood shake and membrane) in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone ⁹. The county also requires a ridge ventilation calculation form for plan review ⁹. Your own city or county will have its own forms; the roofing permit guide explains what to ask and why the roofer should apply.

Contract rules worth knowing

Two Florida statutes set specific rules for residential construction and repair contracts, roofing included.

Deposits. A contractor who receives more than 10% of the contract price as an initial payment must apply for the necessary permits within 30 days and start the work within 90 days after the permits are issued, unless there is just cause or the homeowner agreed in writing to longer periods (Florida Statutes 489.126) ⁵. The statute also sets out a written demand, sent by mail with a return receipt requested, if those deadlines are missed ⁵.

Recovery fund notice. Every residential contract for repair, restoration, improvement or construction must include a written statement about the Florida Homeowners' Construction Recovery Fund, except where the labor and materials total $2,500 or less (Florida Statutes 489.1425) ⁶. A roofing contract above that amount without the notice is worth asking about.

The article on roofing contract red flags covers the general warning signs, such as cash-only payment and pressure to sign.

What a roof costs in Florida

The national surveys do not publish reliable city-level roof prices for Florida, so this page does not quote a local figure. Florida-specific items such as deck refastening, secondary water barriers and system-specific permit forms can add lines that a quote from another state would not have ⁸⁹. The roof replacement cost guide sets the published national ranges side by side, and the line-by-line quote template helps you compare quotes for the same scope. The guide on how to choose a roofing contractor covers the rest of the vetting.

RooferProMatch is a lead-generation service, not a roofer, and is paid by roofing companies when a reader requests quotes. When you are ready, you can compare quotes from roofing companies that serve your part of Florida.

About these figures

• ¹ Official record: DBPR construction license types (roofing contractor definition; statewide codes beginning with C and local registration codes beginning with R), checked November 11, 2026.
• ² Official record: DBPR licensing portal license search, checked November 11, 2026.
• ³ Official record: Florida Statutes 489.105(3)(e) roofing contractor scope (including roof-deck attachments and sheathing repair), checked November 11, 2026.
• ⁴ Official record: Florida Statutes 489.128 on contracts by unlicensed contractors, checked November 11, 2026.
• ⁵ Official record: Florida Statutes 489.126 (initial payment over 10%, permit application within 30 days, start within 90 days, written demand), checked November 11, 2026.
• ⁶ Official record: Florida Statutes 489.1425 recovery fund notice for residential contracts over $2,500, checked November 11, 2026.
• ⁷ Official record: Florida Statutes 553.844 (secondary water barriers, roof-to-wall connections, approximately 15 percent of the cost of reroofing), checked November 11, 2026.
• ⁸ Official record: Miami-Dade hurricane mitigation page (covered and exempt building types, $10,000 re-roof and $1,500 retrofit example at 15%, deck attachment affidavit, roof types needing a secondary water barrier), checked November 11, 2026.
• ⁹ Official record: Miami-Dade roofing permit forms (Uniform Roofing Permit Application, HVHZ system forms, ridge ventilation calculation), checked November 11, 2026.