Florida General Contractor License

A Florida General Contractor’s License allows a contractor to build, repair, or remodel any type of building, regardless of use or number of stories. General Contractors in Florida can directly engage in the construction of every component of the building structure (i.e. Concrete, Structural Steel, Framing, Painting, Tile, etc.) except the major specialty trades like Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, and Roofing. A General Contractor must subcontract this type of work to licensed contractors in those trades. A General Contractor can remodel or build any structure in Florida, whether it is used for residential or commercial purposes. When a General Contractor submits a permit application for the construction of a new building, he/she must include the license information of the Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical (A/C), and other specialty contractors who will be involved in the project as Sub-Contractors. These specialty contractors are typically paid by and report to the General Contractor (Prime Contractor).

Although the construction of residential properties in Florida only requires the use of a Residential Contractor’s License, home builders in Florida often obtain the General Contractor’s license to keep their options open if any commercial construction opportunities arise.

A General Contractor’s License is not a good alternative for those contractors engaging in a single construction trade or activity like painting or tile. To use the painting trade as an example, if a Painting Contractor in Florida does exclusively painting work and does not have a need to be licensed in multiple trades, it does not make sense for him/her to obtain a General Contractor’s License and should look for a better licensing alternative. On the other hand, if a contractor is experienced enough in construction and does wish to work across multiple construction trades, the General Contractor License is the answer.