Contracts & payments
What a Florida roofing contract should include
Updated 2026-09-16. Facts checked against official sources on that date.
Short answer
A Florida roofing contract should show the contractor's license number, the work and the price, plus the notices state law requires: a Recovery Fund notice and a lien law warning on home jobs over $2,500, and an insurance-coverage notice on every home roof contract.
1. The contractor's license number
Florida law requires a contractor's state certification or registration number on its bids, proposals, contracts and ads. Check that number on the state's license search before you sign.[1]
An unlicensed contractor can't enforce a contract it signs with you, and it doesn't have lien rights.[2]
2. The notices Florida law requires
| Notice | When it's required |
|---|---|
| Florida Homeowners' Construction Recovery Fund notice | Home contracts where labor and materials total more than $2,500, using the exact wording set in the statute. |
| Construction Lien Law warning | Home contracts over $2,500 on one- to four-unit homes, in capital bold type of at least 12 points, signed and dated by the owner. |
| Insurance-coverage notice | Every contract to replace or repair a home's roof, in bold type of at least 14 points on the signature page. |
| No-incentives notice | Roofing contracts on homes. It says the contractor may not offer rebates, gifts, cash, deductible waivers or anything of value for an inspection or an insurance claim. |
If a home roofing contract leaves out the no-incentives notice, the owner may void the contract within 10 days after signing it.[5]
The Recovery Fund is a last resort. It covers certain losses caused by a licensed contractor, and only after other legal options have been used up.[7]
3. Deposits and start dates
Florida doesn't cap deposits. But if a contractor takes more than 10% of the price up front on a home job, it must apply for the permits within 30 days. It must also start work within 90 days after the permits are issued, unless there's just cause or you agreed in writing to a longer time.[6]
If those deadlines pass, your first step is a written demand sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the address in the contract. So check that the contract lists the contractor's mailing address.[6]
A contractor who's been paid more than the value of the work done may not stop working for 90 days, or for any other period written into the contract.[6]
4. If insurance is paying
- The contractor must give you a good-faith, itemized estimate before you sign an agreement for repairs under an insurance claim.
- A roofing contractor can't interpret your policy or handle your claim for you unless it also holds a public adjuster license.
- Contractors can't offer or accept referral fees for work paid by insurance.
- Roof-claim ads must say you pay the deductible, and that waiving a deductible or filing a false claim is insurance fraud.
Breaking these rules can bring a fine of up to $10,000 per violation. A paid solicitor's actions count as the contractor's own.[5]
5. Your right to cancel
After a declared state of emergency, some roof contracts can be cancelled without penalty. The home must be inside the declared area, and the contract must be signed within 180 days of the emergency. You then have until 10 days after signing or the official start date, whichever comes first. The contract must say so in bold type right before your signature. The law doesn't spell out exactly when the 180 days start counting.[5]
Florida's home solicitation law can also give a three-business-day right to cancel sales made away from the seller's business. It doesn't cover a sale that comes from your own request for specific goods or services. If a roofer knocked on your door, ask whether it applies.[8][9]
Quick checklist before you sign
- License number on the contract, showing Current, Active on the state's search
- Contractor's business name and mailing address
- What work is included, which roofing materials will be used and the price
- The Recovery Fund notice and the lien law warning (home jobs over $2,500)
- The insurance-coverage notice on the signature page
- The deposit amount, and a payment schedule you understand
- Who pulls the permit, and a plan for the final inspection
- Warranty terms in writing
Law vs good practice
The license number and the four notices come from Florida law. The rest of the checklist is good practice, not a legal requirement. Still, a contract without it leaves more to argue about later.
Every roofer in this directory shows its license
Each listing carries the license number, type and status from the state record, with the date we checked.
Find roofers by countyQuestions
Is it illegal for a roofer to ask for more than 10% down?
No. Florida doesn't cap deposits. But a contractor that takes more than 10% on a home job must apply for permits within 30 days and start within 90 days of permit issue, unless there's just cause or you agreed otherwise in writing (s. 489.126).
Can a roofer waive my insurance deductible?
No. Florida law bars roofing contractors from offering deductible waivers, rebates or gifts for an inspection or claim. Their ads must say the homeowner pays the deductible (s. 489.147, Florida Statutes).
What notices must be in a Florida roofing contract?
Home jobs over $2,500 need the Recovery Fund notice and the Construction Lien Law warning. Every home roof contract needs the insurance-coverage notice and the no-incentives notice (ss. 489.1425, 713.015 and 489.147).
Can I cancel a roofing contract after a hurricane?
Sometimes. After a declared state of emergency, a home roof contract signed within 180 days can be cancelled within 10 days or by the official start date, whichever comes first, if the home is in the declared area (s. 489.147).
Sources
- [1] Florida Statutes s. 489.119: Business organizations; qualifying agents (license number in contracts and ads), checked 2026-09-16
- [2] Florida Statutes s. 489.128: Contracts entered into by unlicensed contractors unenforceable, checked 2026-09-16
- [3] Florida Statutes s. 489.1425: Duty of contractor to notify residential property owner of recovery fund, checked 2026-09-16
- [4] Florida Statutes s. 713.015: Mandatory provisions for direct contracts, checked 2026-09-16
- [5] Florida Statutes s. 489.147: Prohibited property insurance claim practices, checked 2026-09-16
- [6] Florida Statutes s. 489.126: Moneys received by contractors, checked 2026-09-16
- [7] Florida DBPR: Construction Industry Recovery Fund, checked 2026-09-16
- [8] Florida Statutes s. 501.021: Home solicitation sale; definitions, checked 2026-09-16
- [9] Florida Statutes s. 501.025: Home solicitation sale; buyer's right to cancel, checked 2026-09-16
General information, not legal advice. Laws and records change; confirm with the agency before you act.