In the hours and days after a major Florida storm, contractors appear from everywhere. Some drive in from out of state. Some knock on doors in storm-affected neighborhoods before the debris has been cleared. Some carry slick marketing materials and make promises about dealing with your insurance company directly. The post-storm contractor market in Florida is one of the most fertile environments for fraud in the construction industry, and property managers who don't have a vetting process in place before a storm arrive will be making consequential decisions under pressure.

This guide gives you a practical, actionable checklist for evaluating storm damage contractors — before you sign anything.

Why Florida Post-Storm Contractor Fraud Is So Common

The combination of factors that creates post-storm contractor fraud in Florida is almost uniquely concentrated here:

  • Large volumes of insurance-funded repair work create a high-revenue opportunity for contractors willing to inflate scopes or cut corners
  • Homeowners and property managers are under emotional stress, facing habitability concerns, and often unfamiliar with the repair process
  • The insurance claim process creates a perception that "the insurance company is paying" — which reduces scrutiny of pricing
  • Florida's construction licensing system, while real, has historically been exploited with fraudulent licenses or unlicensed sub-work
  • Out-of-state contractors who mobilize after storms operate outside their home licensing jurisdiction and may have no Florida license at all

Step 1: License Verification

Every contractor performing storm damage repairs in Florida must hold a valid Florida license. Use the Florida DBPR license lookup at myfloridalicense.com before any work begins:

  • Search by the contractor's name or company name — not just the license number they hand you
  • Confirm the license type matches the work: roofing work requires a Florida Roofing Contractor license (CCC prefix); a general contractor (CGC) license is not sufficient for roofing
  • Confirm the license status is active — not expired, suspended, or revoked
  • Confirm the licensee name matches the individual or company you're dealing with
  • Check the local county building department for any disciplinary actions or complaints not reflected in DBPR
FLORIDA CONTRACTOR LICENSE PREFIXES
CCCRoofing Contractor
CGCGeneral Contractor
CBCBuilding Contractor
CFCPlumbing Contractor
ECElectrical Contractor
CACAir Conditioning Contractor

Step 2: Insurance Verification

A licensed contractor who is uninsured creates liability exposure for you as the property owner. Require a current Certificate of Insurance before any work begins:

  • Request the COI directly from the contractor's insurance agent or carrier — not from the contractor, who could present a modified document
  • Verify the COI shows current General Liability coverage (minimum $1M per occurrence) and Workers' Compensation covering all workers on site
  • Confirm the effective dates — a COI that expired last month is worthless
  • For larger projects, ask to be named as an Additional Insured on the GL policy

Red Flags: Walk Away

These behaviors are common in fraudulent or unreliable contractors. Any one of them should cause you to stop and reconsider:

  • Door-knocking immediately after a storm — legitimate local contractors don't need to canvas neighborhoods; this is how storm chasers operate
  • Cash-only or upfront payment demands — legitimate contractors may require a deposit, but large upfront payments with no contract terms is a fraud pattern
  • Pressure to sign immediately — any contractor who says the price or offer is only good today is using pressure tactics; legitimate contractors will give you time to verify credentials
  • Requests to sign an AOB or any document assigning your claim rights — post-2022, formal AOB is eliminated, but contractors may use documents with similar legal effect under different names
  • No written estimate or vague scope — "we'll fix everything the insurance pays for" is not a contract; you need a detailed written scope before signing anything
  • No physical address or only a P.O. box — storm chasers often have no local business presence
  • Unlicensed subcontractors — ask whether the licensed contractor will perform the work themselves or subcontract; if subcontracting, verify the sub's license too
NEVER LET A CONTRACTOR PULL YOUR PERMIT FOR A REASON OTHER THAN CONVENIENCE

When a contractor pulls a building permit in their name as the contractor of record, they take on legal responsibility for code compliance — which is appropriate. But some contractors pull permits specifically to limit your recourse against them if work fails inspection. Always verify that permits are pulled and that inspections pass before final payment. Work done without permits is your liability as the property owner, not just the contractor's.

Green Flags: Signs of a Legitimate Contractor

  • Local references from similar projects — ask for references from property managers or commercial property owners in your area; call them
  • Verifiable permit history — check the county building department for the contractor's permit history; a contractor who regularly pulls permits is working within the system
  • Manufacturer certification — for roofing, manufacturer certifications (GAF Master Elite, Owens Corning Platinum Preferred, etc.) indicate training and accountability; these programs have standards and can revoke certification
  • Willingness to provide COI directly from their insurer — no hesitation, no delay
  • Detailed written estimate before any commitment — scope, materials, labor, timeline, payment terms, all in writing
  • Respects your right to deal with your own insurer — never pressures you to let them handle your claim

What a Proper Repair Contract Should Include

Before authorizing any significant storm damage repair, get a written contract that includes:

  1. Contractor's full legal name, license number, and contact information
  2. Detailed scope of work — exactly what is being repaired, replaced, or restored
  3. Materials to be used — manufacturer, product line, grade, and color
  4. Total contract price or a clear, specific formula
  5. Payment schedule tied to project milestones, not arbitrary dates
  6. Permit requirements and who is responsible for obtaining them
  7. Estimated start and completion dates with a change order process
  8. Warranty terms — both manufacturer warranty and contractor workmanship warranty
  9. A statement that you retain all rights to your insurance claim
TIP: BUILD YOUR CONTRACTOR LIST BEFORE HURRICANE SEASON

The worst time to find a contractor is after a storm. Build a pre-vetted contractor list for each trade — roofing, water extraction, board-up, general contracting, electrical — before hurricane season. Verify licenses and get COIs on file annually. When a storm hits, you call your vetted list, not whoever knocked on your door.

Store your vetted contractor list in LossHQ

LossHQ lets you log contractor contacts, license numbers, and insurance verification status for each property — so your vetted list is accessible when you need it most, not buried in a spreadsheet.

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The Bottom Line

Contractor vetting in Florida is not optional — it's part of responsible property management. The license lookup takes five minutes. The COI request takes one email. The written contract review takes thirty minutes. The cost of skipping these steps can be tens of thousands of dollars in disputed repairs, failed inspections, or liability exposure. Build the vetting process into your post-storm response plan before the season starts, and you'll never be making these decisions under pressure. For more on managing the complete post-storm repair process, see the Florida property damage repair timeline guide.