Roofing

Need a licensed roofer to qualify your roofing company in Florida?

You have the crews, the trucks and the calls coming in. What you don't have is a Florida roofing license, and without one you cannot pull a roofing permit or sign a roofing contract. A licensed roofing contractor can qualify your company and take real responsibility for the work. Here is how that works, what it costs, and what to watch for.

General information about Florida law, not legal advice. Speak to a Florida construction attorney before entering any qualifying arrangement.

The short answer

Yes. A Florida roofing company can operate legally under a licensed roofing contractor who serves as its qualifying agent. The roofer is filed with the state as your qualifier, really supervises the work, and puts their own license behind your company. Renting a license number is illegal. Appointing a real qualifier is not.

Why a general contractor's license doesn't cover roofing

Florida treats roofing as its own trade. Under Statute 489.113, a general, building or residential contractor has to hand roofing work to a licensed roofer unless they hold a roofing license themselves, and cannot advertise as a roofing contractor without one. The one exception: a contractor can install shingle roofs on a new building they built themselves.

A certified roofing license, the kind that starts with CCC, covers the whole state.
A registered roofing license, the kind that starts with RC, only covers the cities or counties that issued it.
Either one can qualify a roofing company, inside the area the license covers.

What a roofing qualifier actually does

The qualifier is not a name on a form. Florida holds them responsible for supervising your roofing work, and the state looks at whether that supervision is real.

They are filed with the state licensing department as your company's qualifying agent.
They oversee your jobs, permits and inspections. Not on every job every day, but genuinely involved.
They are tied to your company through W-2 employment, ownership, or a written agreement.

W-2, ownership, or an agreement

If your company works insurance claims

Florida has a law aimed squarely at roof claims, Statute 489.147. Your qualifier's license is on the line for it, so a good qualifier will ask how you get your jobs.

No gifts, rebates, cash or waived deductibles in exchange for a roof inspection or a claim.
No acting as the homeowner's adjuster or telling them what their policy covers.
Flyers, door hangers and emails about roof claims need specific notices on them.
Fines run up to $10,000 per violation, and a homeowner can cancel a roof contract within 10 days if the required notice is missing.

What it costs

Three costs, kept apart.

Paid to the qualifier

Their pay

Agreed between you and the roofer. It depends on how many jobs you run, how organized your company is, and how much supervision you need. We don't publish a range, because the number only means something once both sides know the work.

Paid to the state

Filing fees

The state's own filing fees, paid to the state licensing department directly.

Paid to QualiFind

Only after a yes

Nothing to apply or to be on the platform. You only pay once we've found you a qualifier who has said yes, and if the introduction doesn't happen, you can have it back.

What happens to jobs signed without a qualifier

This is the risk most companies don't hear about until it costs them. If a company signs a job without a qualifier licensed for that kind of work, Florida says the company cannot enforce that contract (Statute 489.128).

It can't take the customer to court to get paid.
It has no lien rights on the property and no claim against a payment bond.
Unlicensed contracting is a first-degree misdemeanor, and a third-degree felony for a repeat offense or during a declared state of emergency, such as after a hurricane (Statute 489.127).

If your qualifier leaves

Under Statute 489.119, the company has 60 days from the day the qualifier leaves to bring on a new one, and it cannot take on new contracts until it does.

The state can give an officer of the company a temporary certificate, but it only covers jobs that were already signed.
The qualifier who left stays responsible for the work they supervised while they were there.
Start looking the day you know. Sixty days goes faster than it sounds.

Warning signs

A roofer who offers to "rent" you their license number for a monthly check, with no involvement in your jobs. That is illegal for both of you under Statute 489.127.
Anyone who says yes before asking about your crews, your insurance or the jobs you run.
No written agreement. If the duties aren't written down, neither side is protected.

Get started

Tell us about your company.

Licensed roofing contractors have already applied to QualiFind as qualifiers. Every qualifier's license is checked against the state's records, and you're matched by trade, area and the way you work.

Start your application

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

Can a general contractor qualify my roofing company?+

Not for roofing work, unless they also hold a roofing license. Florida requires roofing to be done under a licensed roofing contractor.

Can a roofer from another part of Florida qualify my company?+

A certified license covers the whole state, so yes, as long as real supervision is realistic at that distance. A registered license only covers the area that issued it.

How long does it take?+

Plan in weeks, not days. You need to find the right person, both sides need to do real checking, the terms have to be agreed, and the qualifier has to be filed with the state.

What if my roofing qualifier leaves?+

The company has 60 days to bring on a new one and can't take new contracts in the meantime. A temporary certificate can cover jobs already signed.

Can I get my own roofing license later?+

Yes. A real qualifying arrangement is the legal bridge. You run and build the company now, under a real qualifier, and work toward your own license on a realistic timeline.

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