Selecting A Contractor
GENERAL CONTRACTOR TERMS
The term “contractor” refers to the person or company responsible for the contract to construct, repair, remodel or improve a building or structure. The following descriptions refer to contractors who are certified or registered with the Florida Department of Business Regulation.
A "certified contractor" means any contractor who possesses a certificate of competency issued by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and who shall be allowed to contract in any jurisdiction in the state without being required to fulfill the competency requirements of that jurisdiction. Certified contractors are designated by an occupation code which begins with the letter "C".
A "registered contractor" means any contractor who has registered with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation pursuant to fulfilling the competency requirements in the jurisdiction for which the registration is issued. Registered contractors may contract only in such jurisdictions. Registered contractors are designated by an occupation code which begins with the letter "R".
Certified General Contractor (CG) and Registered General Contractor (RG) - A "general contractor" means a contractor whose services are unlimited as to the type of work which he or she may do.
Certified Building Contractor (CB) and Registered Building Contractor (RB) - A "building contractor" means a contractor whose services are limited to the construction of commercial buildings and single-dwelling or multiple-dwelling residential buildings. These buildings cannot exceed three stories in height. A building contractor may also construct the "accessory use structures" in connection with these buildings. An accessory use structure would be a garage, guest house, garden shed, or other outbuilding. A building contractor is also a contractor whose services are limited to remodeling, repair, or improvement of any size building - if the services do not affect the structural elements of the building.
Certified Residential Contractor (CR) and Registered Residential Contractor (RR) - A "residential contractor" means a contractor whose services are limited to construction, remodeling, repair, or improvement of one-family, two-family, or three-family residences which are not more than two stories and the "accessory use structures" in connection with these buildings. An accessory use structure would be a garage, guest house, garden shed, or other outbuilding.
How do I complain about a contractor?
If your contractor is state licensed, you can call the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) at (850) 487-1395, or you can visit the DBPR website at http://www.state.fl.us/dbpr/.
If you have a local contractor, you will need to contact the building compliance department for your city or county. A complete list of county websites is maintained by the Florida Association of Counties at http://www.fl-counties.com/.
