How to Check If Your Contractor Has Insurance in Florida

Why Insurance Matters as Much as the License

Most Florida homeowners know to verify a contractor's license — and our contractor search tool makes that simple. But a valid license alone isn't sufficient protection. The next critical step is verifying insurance, and it's one that many homeowners skip, often with devastating financial consequences.

Without proper insurance, a single accident — a worker falling off your roof, a pipe burst damaging your home, a fire started during a renovation — can become your financial catastrophe rather than the contractor's. Florida law creates specific liability scenarios that every homeowner needs to understand before the first nail is driven.

The Two Types of Insurance You Must Verify

1. General Liability Insurance

General liability (GL) insurance covers property damage and bodily injury caused by the contractor's work or operations. If a contractor accidentally damages your home — breaks a window, cracks a wall, floods a room, or causes a fire — their GL policy is what pays for repairs.

What to require:

Minimum $300,000 per occurrence for small projects
$1,000,000 per occurrence for major renovations, roofing, or additions
Your name listed as an "Additional Insured" (ask the contractor to have their insurer add you — it's a standard, free request)

Being listed as an additional insured means you can file a claim directly with the contractor's insurer if something goes wrong, rather than chasing the contractor for payment.

2. Workers' Compensation Insurance

Workers' comp (WC) is perhaps more important than GL for protecting you as a homeowner. Under Florida Statute §440.10, if a worker is injured on your property while performing work for you and the contractor doesn't carry workers' comp, you — the property owner — may be deemed the "statutory employer" and held responsible for that worker's medical bills, lost wages, and disability benefits.

This exposure can reach six figures or more for serious injuries. A worker falling from a ladder while re-roofing your home could generate $200,000+ in medical bills, and without workers' comp, that bill could land on you.

Workers' Comp Exemptions: The Complication

Florida allows small contractors — specifically those with no employees, just the licensed owner — to file a workers' compensation exemption with the Florida Division of Workers' Compensation. This is legitimate and common for solo operators. However, if they hire day laborers or subcontractors on your job without coverage, your protection disappears.

If a contractor claims a workers' comp exemption, verify it yourself at the Florida Division of Workers' Compensation's online exemption search at wc.fldfs.com. Do not simply take their word for it.

The Certificate of Insurance: What to Ask For

Ask every contractor to provide a Certificate of Insurance (COI) before work begins. This is a standard document (ACORD Form 25) that summarizes their insurance coverage. It should show:

Insurer name and policy number
Coverage type and limits
Policy effective and expiration dates
The contractor (insured) name, matching their DBPR license

A certificate is free to request and takes the contractor's broker minutes to generate. Any legitimate contractor will provide one without hesitation. Resistance or delay is a red flag.

How to Verify the Certificate Is Real

Fraudulent insurance certificates are more common than most homeowners realize — it takes minimal effort to create a convincing fake document. Never rely on the paper alone. To actually confirm coverage:

Call the Insurance Company Directly

The certificate lists the insurer and agent. Call the insurer's main customer service line (find the number yourself — don't call a number printed on a certificate from an unknown contractor) and ask:

"Is policy number [X] currently active?"
"Does it cover general liability / workers' compensation?"
"What are the coverage limits?"
"Is [your name / property address] listed as an additional insured?"

This call takes 5 minutes and is the only way to be certain the coverage is real and current.

Request a Certificate Sent Directly to You

For larger projects, ask the contractor to have their insurance agent email the certificate directly to you rather than through the contractor. This eliminates any possibility of a forged document.

Florida-Specific Requirements by License Type

Florida's DBPR requires licensed contractors to maintain minimum insurance coverage as a condition of licensure. However, these minimums — set under Florida Administrative Code — are floors, not recommendations. For significant projects, require higher limits:

Roofing (CRC): At minimum $100,000 GL per occurrence — but $500,000+ is strongly recommended given roof work's inherent risks
Electrical (ES): $300,000 GL minimum; confirm WC coverage for all crew members
Pool construction (CPC): $300,000+ GL; long project timelines mean sustained exposure
General contractors (CGC/CBC): $300,000+ GL per occurrence; ask about umbrella/excess coverage for major projects

What Happens If They Don't Have Insurance

If an uninsured (or underinsured) contractor causes damage to your home or a worker is injured on your property:

You may be personally liable for worker injuries under Florida's §440.10 statutory employer doctrine
Your homeowner's insurance may deny claims for contractor-caused damage if the contractor was unlicensed or uninsured
You'll be pursuing the contractor personally for damages — which often means chasing someone with no assets to collect

None of these are hypothetical. Florida courts see these cases regularly.

The Simple Checklist Before Work Begins

✅ Verify their license on FloridaContractorCheck — must be "Current, Active"
✅ Request a Certificate of Insurance — GL + WC (or confirmed WC exemption)
✅ Call the insurer to confirm the policy is active and the limits are correct
✅ Request to be added as Additional Insured on the GL policy
✅ Get everything in the contract — require the contractor to maintain insurance through project completion

These five steps protect you from the most common and costly contractor disasters Florida homeowners face. Start by verifying any contractor's license and status on FloridaContractorCheck before you go any further.