Hiring a Roofer After Hurricane Isaias: How to Check a Florida License and Spot Storm Scams

Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin on the night of October 9, 2026, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Ten days later, Panhandle homeowners are getting tarps on, filing claims, and lining up roof repairs. That's also when out-of-area operators and outright scammers show up. Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), the State Attorney's Office, and local sheriffs have all warned Escambia and Santa Rosa residents to check contractors before hiring anyone.

This guide covers how to check a Florida roofer's license yourself, the red flags state regulators are warning about, and the rules Florida law puts on deposits, contracts, and insurance-claim roofing. If you're in Manatee or Sarasota, neither county is in the Isaias emergency declaration, but almost everything here applies statewide, after any storm. It's worth keeping for the next one.

This is general information, not legal or insurance advice. The summaries below come from the Florida Statutes and official state and county guidance as of October 2026. The statutes, your contract, and your policy have the final word.

Step 1: Look up the license yourself

Don't take a business card's word for it. Go to MyFloridaLicense.com, choose Verify a Licensee, and search by the contractor's name or license number. The DBPR mobile app does the same thing. When the record comes up, check:

• Status. Florida law treats a contractor working on an inactive or suspended license as unlicensed. You want to see a current, active license.
• Name. The licensed person or business should match the company on your contract.
• Category. Make sure the license type covers roofing. If you're not sure what a category covers, DBPR's Customer Contact Center at (850) 487-1395 can tell you.
• Certified or registered. A certified contractor can work anywhere in Florida. A registered contractor can contract only in the local areas where they're registered, so a registered license from another county may not cover your home.
• Complaints. DBPR's guide suggests reviewing any disciplinary actions or complaints before you hire.

Florida law requires a contractor's license number to appear on every offer of services, bid, contract, and advertisement, and on any vehicle lettered with the company's name. If you can't find a number, ask for it. If they won't give you one, walk away.

Two things that are not a contractor license: a local business tax receipt (sometimes called an occupational license), and registration as an LLC or Inc. with the state. DBPR's hurricane guide spells this out because storm chasers often point to one of them.

Our own licenses are Certified Roofing Contractor CCC1333042 and Certified Residential Contractor CRC1333797. Look us up the same way.

Step 2: Know which storm jobs need a license

According to DBPR's hurricane guide, roof repairs and new or replacement roofs require a state license. So do window installation, plumbing repairs, and electrical work. Some common storm jobs don't need a DBPR license: trimming or removing a fallen tree, removing debris, and placing a tarp on a roof. Local permit or licensing rules can still apply, so check with your building department.

That distinction matters. Someone who tarps your roof isn't necessarily licensed to repair or replace it. Before you let the tarp crew talk you into "the full job," look them up.

Florida treats unlicensed contracting seriously after a storm. Normally it's a first-degree misdemeanor for a first offense. During a state of emergency declared by the Governor's executive order, it's a third-degree felony. Report suspected unlicensed activity to DBPR's hotline at (866) 532-1440 or ULA@MyFloridaLicense.com.

Step 3: Watch for the red flags

DBPR's storm-recovery page and hurricane guide list the warning signs it sees after storms. Be cautious if someone:

• Demands full payment, or a large deposit, before work begins
• Pressures you to act immediately, or shows up uninvited saying they "noticed damage"
• Can't provide a valid Florida DBPR license
• Offers to "handle" your insurance claim for you
• Asks for cash only
• Won't put the scope of work, materials, timeline, and cost in a written contract
• Rushes you to check boxes or sign on a phone or tablet without reading the terms
• Bids far below everyone else

Step 4: Know the rules on insurance-claim roofing

Florida has specific rules for contractors working on roofs tied to insurance claims (section 489.147, Florida Statutes). A contractor may not:

• Offer you a rebate, gift, gift card, cash, coupon, waiver of your deductible, or anything else of value for letting them inspect your roof or for making an insurance claim
• Pay or accept a kickback for referring work that insurance proceeds pay for
• Interpret your policy, advise you on your coverage, or adjust your claim on your behalf, unless they also hold a public adjuster license

The same law requires roof repair and replacement contracts to include a notice that the contractor can't offer those incentives. If that notice is missing, you can void the contract within 10 days of signing. Contracts must also include a bold statement advising you to contact your insurance company to verify coverage before you sign.

Florida also ended assignment of benefits (AOB) for newer policies. For residential property policies issued on or after January 1, 2023, you can't assign your post-loss insurance benefits to a contractor, and an attempt to do so is void (section 627.7152). The claim stays between you and your insurer. DBPR lists AOB-style paperwork that gives a contractor "control over your insurance claim" among the scams to watch for.

Step 5: Deposits, permits, and your right to cancel

Large deposits come with deadlines

Under section 489.126, a contractor who takes an initial payment of more than 10% of the contract price for work on your home must apply for the necessary permits within 30 days of the payment and start work within 90 days after the permits are issued. The exceptions are just cause, or a longer schedule you agreed to in writing. If the deadlines pass, the law spells out a written demand you send by certified mail. Keep copies of your contract, receipts, and canceled checks.

Permits still apply after a storm

Florida law prohibits starting work that requires a building permit without one. A licensed contractor puts their license number on the permit application. In unincorporated Escambia County, a re-roof of more than two squares (200 square feet) needs a permit. Tarping, and replacing fewer than two squares of asphalt shingles when the underlayment and sheathing don't need repair, generally don't. Pensacola Beach work also needs Santa Rosa Island Authority approval. Escambia County has waived permit fees for qualifying Isaias repairs, but its permitting page is clear that a fee waiver isn't a waiver of the permit itself.

Be careful if a contractor asks you to pull an owner-builder permit for work they'll be doing. Escambia County requires the owner to appear in person and sign an Owner/Builder Disclosure Statement, and staff will explain the risks. In the City of Pensacola, Santa Rosa County, or anywhere else, check with your building department. For Manatee and Sarasota, our roof permit guide walks through the process.

A 10-day cancellation right in declared counties

If your home is in a county covered by a Governor's state-of-emergency declaration, and you sign a roof repair or replacement contract within 180 days of the storm, Florida law lets you cancel without penalty within 10 days of signing or by the official start date, whichever comes first. The official start date is when materials for the final roof start going on, a permit is issued, or a code-compliant temporary repair is made. The contract has to include this notice in bold type, and you cancel by certified mail or another mailing method with proof of delivery.

For Isaias, Executive Order 26-202, as amended by Executive Order 26-212, covers 30 counties, including Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Pasco. Manatee and Sarasota aren't on the list.

Look for the recovery fund notice

Residential contracts over $2,500 must include a statement about the Florida Homeowners' Construction Recovery Fund, which may pay a limited amount if you lose money because of specified violations of Florida law by a licensed contractor. That's one more reason to hire licensed.

Don't let the claim clock slip

Under section 627.70132, notice of a new or reopened property insurance claim must be given within 1 year after the date of loss, and a supplemental claim within 18 months. For hurricanes, the date of loss is the date the hurricane made landfall. For Isaias, that's October 9, 2026. Those are outer limits. Your policy may also expect prompt notice, so don't wait on a contractor to report damage. Our roof insurance claim guide and after-the-storm checklist cover the claim side in more detail.

Where to get help in the Panhandle

• DBPR in person: As of October 19, DBPR's storm-recovery page lists in-person help, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the University of West Florida (11000 University Parkway, Parking Lot B, Pensacola) and the Morgan Sports Complex (4200 Indian Bayou Trail, Destin). Staff can help you find a licensed contractor or report unlicensed activity.
• Disaster Contractors Network: DCNOnline.org, a state-created site DBPR helped found, lets you search by county for Florida-licensed contractors who do storm repairs.
• Hire Smart FL: HireSmartFL.com, DBPR's guide to hiring a licensed professional.
• Insurance questions: The Florida Department of Financial Services Insurance Complaint Hotline, (877) 693-5236.
• Escambia County Building Services: (850) 595-3550 or permits@myescambia.com.

Before you sign: a quick checklist

1. Did I look up the license on MyFloridaLicense.com, and is it active, in a roofing category, and in the company's name?
2. Is the license number printed on the bid and the contract?
3. Does the written contract spell out the scope, materials, timeline, and price?
4. Does it include the notice about prohibited incentives, the advice to contact my insurer, the recovery fund statement, and, in a declared county, the 10-day cancellation notice?
5. Who is pulling the permit, and when?
6. If I'm paying more than 10% up front, do I know the permit and start-date deadlines?
7. Have I reported my claim to my insurer myself?

Questions about your roof?

Ask us anything on this list, and look up our license before you call. Every estimate starts with a free comprehensive roof inspection, which includes checking your roof-to-wall clips and identifying their type. In the Panhandle, our Pensacola office is at 545 Brent Ln, Pensacola, FL 32503, (850) 798-4532. In Manatee, Sarasota, and the rest of Florida, call (941) 226-4000, or request a free roof inspection.