Licence classes in Florida
| Class | Scope |
|---|---|
| Plumbing Contractor | A contractor whose services are unlimited in the plumbing trade, covering installation, maintenance, repair and design of plumbing systems, water supplies and sewage facilities. |
| Certified contractor (CFC prefix) | Holds a certificate of competency issued by DBPR and may contract anywhere in Florida without separately meeting individual jurisdictions' competency requirements. |
| Registered contractor (RF prefix) | Registered with DBPR having met a specific local jurisdiction's competency requirements, and may only contract within that jurisdiction. |
How to verify a contractor before work starts
- Ask for the licence number and the exact registered name it is held under.
- Check that name against the company on the estimate, the invoice and the vehicle.
- Check the status is current, not expired, suspended or revoked.
- Ask for a certificate of insurance issued to your address, not a policy number read out on a call.
- For gas, sewer, water-heater or repiping work, ask which permit is being pulled and by whom.
Which plumbing code applies
Florida Building Code, Plumbing, 8th Edition (2023), effective December 31, 2023 Florida is the opposite of a local-code state: a single statewide, state-authored Florida Building Code applies everywhere with only limited local amendment, and its plumbing volume is the 8th Edition (2023), effective 31 December 2023. Editions turn over on a multi-year cycle, so the edition in force at the time of a project should be confirmed with the local building department.
Permits
Permits are issued by local building departments, but they enforce the same statewide Florida Building Code, and Miami-Dade and Broward counties sit in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, where additional requirements apply on top of the statewide code.
Complaints
Florida licences are verified through the DBPR licensee search, which also shows whether a contractor is certified and therefore valid statewide or registered and valid only in the jurisdiction that qualified them; complaints go to DBPR, which can be reached through its Customer Contact Center on (850) 487-1395.
PlumberFlorida is not a licensed contractor
PlumberFlorida is an independently operated referral service. PlumberFlorida is not a plumbing contractor, holds no contractor licence, employs no plumbers and performs no plumbing work. Every job arranged through this site is performed by an independent, separately licensed professional who contracts directly with the homeowner.
Consumer protection
Florida operates the Homeowners' Construction Recovery Fund for homeowners harmed by a licensed contractor, and section 489.126 of the Florida Statutes sets rules on deposits and the timing of permit applications.