A plumber opens walls, cuts into slabs and connects things that can flood a house. Florida makes checking who you are letting in surprisingly easy, and almost nobody does it. The state’s license lookup takes about two minutes, and it costs nothing.
The Two-Minute Lookup
- Go to MyFloridaLicense.com, run by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, and choose its “Verify a License” tool.
- Search by the person’s name or by the license number. If a company will not give you either, treat that as an answer.
- Confirm the name on the record matches the name on the estimate, the invoice and the vehicle.
- Check that the license is for plumbing, not a different trade, and that its status is current rather than expired or inactive.
- Read anything the record lists about discipline.
The state’s Customer Contact Center answers questions at (850) 487-1395. Ask any company, including ours, for the license holder’s name and number, then look it up before you book.
Certified Versus Registered
Florida Statutes section 489.105 defines two kinds of contractor. A certified contractor holds a state certificate and may contract in any jurisdiction. A registered contractor has passed local competency and may contract only in the places where he or she is registered. A plumbing contractor’s services are unlimited in the plumbing trade. If the record says registered, confirm it covers where your house sits. That matters in Hillsborough County, where Plant City and Temple Terrace run their own city governments next door to unincorporated Brandon.
Contract Rules That Protect You
| Rule | What it says | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Unlicensed work | An unlicensed contractor cannot enforce his or her contract against you | s. 489.128 |
| Recovery fund notice | Residential repair contracts over $2,500 must carry the Homeowners’ Construction Recovery Fund statement | s. 489.1425 |
| Large deposits | Taking more than 10% down triggers deadlines to apply for permits (30 days) and start work (90 days after permit) | s. 489.126 |
| Signed at home | Many sales made away from the seller’s business over $25 can be cancelled until midnight of the third business day | s. 501.025 |
The last row has exceptions, and we have not confirmed how emergency repairs fit, so ask before you rely on it for an urgent job. For the deposit row, our guide to what an itemized quote should include shows how to put it in writing.
Questions to Ask on the Phone
- What is the license holder’s name and number, and under what business name is the work billed?
- Will you give me a written estimate with the price stated before work starts?
- Does the estimate say who applies for any required permit?
- How much is the deposit, and when is the rest due?
- Can I have a certificate of insurance?
A company with nothing to hide answers each of those in under a minute. A company that dodges them has already told you something.
Red Flags Worth Walking Away From
- No written estimate, or a price that changes after the wall is open
- A license number that belongs to a different business name than the one on the van
- Advice that a water heater swap or repipe needs no permit. The county’s exempt list does not include water heaters, and it lists a plumbing final for replacements and re-pipes
- A demand for cash only, or most of the job up front
License Is Not Insurance
A current license tells you the state recognizes the holder. It does not prove liability insurance, so ask for a certificate. Unlicensed work can be reported through ula.myfloridalicense.com, which is the state’s unlicensed activity site.
Before You Approve the Work
- License looked up, status current, name matches the van and the invoice
- Written, itemized estimate with the price stated and a permit line
- Deposit at or below 10%, or a clear reason for more
- Certificate of insurance in hand
- Guarantee terms written down, not promised out loud
Five checks, none of them hard. If a job is an emergency and you have to move fast, do the license lookup on your phone while the technician is unloading. The record does not change because the situation is urgent, and a licensed company will not mind the wait.
For the bigger-ticket jobs where a license check matters most, see water heater replacement and repiping, and keep our Brandon plumber cost guide open to compare prices. We serve Brandon and Valrico, among other places, and the same lookup works for any contractor in either one.
Want our name to check?
Call and ask for our license details. You can look them up on the state site while we are still on the line.
CALL 813-733-7188License lookup questions
Yes. The state’s Verify a License tool at MyFloridaLicense.com lets you search by name as well as by number. Search for the individual and the company name together, and compare what you find to the estimate and the vehicle.
A certified contractor holds a state certificate and may contract anywhere in Florida. A registered contractor passed local competency and may work only in the jurisdictions where he or she is registered, so you should confirm your address is covered.
Unlicensed activity is reported through the state’s unlicensed activity site, ula.myfloridalicense.com. For general questions about a license lookup or a record you cannot find, the Department’s Customer Contact Center answers at (850) 487-1395, and the contractor’s name and number help.
No. The license record shows state licensure, not liability insurance. Ask for a certificate of insurance before work starts, and check that the name on it matches the business on your estimate and that the policy has not lapsed.