Questions to ask
1. Is your company a Florida certified (EC) or registered (ER) electrical contractor, and can I verify it?
Why it matters: Florida licenses electrical contractors through the Electrical Contractors’ Licensing Board. A certified contractor (EC) can work statewide, while a registered contractor (ER) may contract only in the cities or counties where the registration was issued and cannot contract for alarm systems. Look the license up on the DBPR Verify a License tool and make sure the name on the quote matches. State law also requires the permitting official to confirm the contractor is certified or registered and locally qualified before issuing a permit.
2. Who will actually do the work, and what Miami-Dade certificate does each person hold?
Why it matters: Miami-Dade’s Contractor Licensing Section and the Construction Trades Qualifying Board certify tradesmen under Chapter 10 of the county code, including journeyman and master electricians. The county’s licensing brochure says a journeyman certificate takes three years of experience and an exam, and a master certificate takes two more years as a journeyman. Ask who will be on-site each day, which certificate they hold, and who the company’s master or qualifier is.
3. Will you pull the electrical permit in your company’s name, and with which building department?
Why it matters: Miami-Dade requires an electrical permit for electrical work, and its permit-exemption page says Florida’s new small-project exemption (HB 803, from July 1, 2026) does not cover electrical work. Unincorporated addresses go through Miami-Dade, where e-permitting is for contractors only. The City of Miami issues some routine residential jobs, such as a service repair or water heater replacement, as Easy Permits through iBuild, available only to qualified contractors in good standing. Other cities, such as Miami Beach or Coral Gables, run their own departments, so ask which one your address uses.
4. Are you asking me to sign as an owner-builder?
Why it matters: Florida’s owner-builder exemption is for owners doing their own electrical work on their own single-family home or duplex, and it does not let you hire an unlicensed person to do it. Miami-Dade validates owner-builders in person or virtually and warns: “If a contractor tells you to get an owner-builder permit, you become legally responsible for all the work done.” The county also says owners carry the liability if an uninsured worker is hurt. If a contractor suggests this, treat it as a sign they cannot or will not pull the permit themselves.
5. Which Florida Building Code and NEC edition will my permit be reviewed under?
Why it matters: The Florida Building Code 8th Edition (2023) references the 2020 National Electrical Code (NFPA 70). The 9th Edition (2026) takes effect December 31, 2026, and adopts the 2023 NEC. On a project that starts around the changeover, ask which edition applies to your permit, since each NEC edition changes some wiring and protection requirements and the inspector will check against the edition on your permit.
6. Does the job touch the meter or service, and will you coordinate with FPL?
Why it matters: FPL owns the service line and the meter, but the homeowner owns the weatherhead, attachment hardware, riser, meter box, and ground wire and rod. FPL’s Electric Service Standards set how that equipment must be built. If FPL finds a hazardous condition, it can disconnect service until a licensed electrician repairs it, and the electrician contacts FPL with their license number or the passed inspection to restore power. Ask who schedules any FPL disconnect and reconnect, and how long you will be without power.
7. After a hurricane or flooding, how will you handle storm damage and reconnection?
Why it matters: FPL’s storm guidance says damaged customer-owned equipment, like a torn-off riser or meter box, must be repaired by a licensed electrician before FPL reconnects, and that you should check local inspection rules first. Its Care To Share program may help eligible customers with storm-related electrical repairs; eligibility rules apply. If water reached your panel or outlets, ask the electrician to explain in writing what they will replace versus test. Check your flood zone on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, since Miami-Dade says homes in flood hazard areas are not eligible for the small-project permit exemption.
8. If I want a generator, what transfer switch and permits are included?
Why it matters: Miami-Dade needs no permit for a portable generator only when appliances plug directly into it, and it says a portable generator must run outdoors at least 10 feet from windows, doors, and other openings. Connecting a generator to your home’s wiring requires an electrical permit for a transfer device. A permanently installed standby generator needs a building permit with plans by a design professional, reviews by several agencies, and plans that show where the exhaust sits relative to the home’s wall openings. FPL’s standards require a listed transfer device that keeps the generator from feeding back into its lines.
9. For solar or batteries, will you get FPL’s interconnection approval before installing?
Why it matters: FPL says every interconnection application must be approved before a system is installed and operated, and that standard grid-tied inverters shut off during an outage unless you add equipment such as a battery. After installation, the local inspection must pass and be uploaded before FPL installs a bidirectional meter and gives permission to operate. Ask the installer to show the FPL approval, explain whether your system needs a visible disconnect next to the meter, and confirm what will run during an outage.
10. For an EV charger, have you done a load calculation, and how does your quote compare with FPL’s program?
Why it matters: A Level 2 charger usually needs a dedicated 240-volt circuit, and the electrician should check whether your panel and service can carry it alongside your A/C. FPL also offers EVolution Home, which covers the charger and installation for a monthly program charge over a 10-year agreement, with FPL obtaining any permits a new 240-volt circuit needs and an FPL-certified electrician doing the installation. Ask for a load calculation and a written quote so you can compare paying once with paying monthly.
11. Will we sign a written contract with Florida’s lien notices, and how will payments and releases work?
Why it matters: Florida requires certain direct contracts to include a lien-law notice, and the permit card warns that failing to record a Notice of Commencement may mean paying twice. Miami-Dade says to record and post the notice before work starts on larger jobs. Suppliers and subcontractors can send you a Notice to Owner, so ask for lien releases as you pay. Also get the scope, materials, timeline, after-hours or emergency rates, and warranty in writing, ask for two local references, and hold the final payment until inspections pass.
Red flags
- Cannot give you a Florida EC or ER license number you can verify on DBPR, or the license name does not match the company on the quote.
- Asks you to pull an owner-builder permit, or offers a lower price to skip the permit or inspection.
- Says electrical work no longer needs a permit under Florida’s new small-project exemption.
- Has a registered (ER) license issued for a different county or city and plans to work in yours anyway.
- Promises FPL will reconnect your storm-damaged service before the riser or meter box has been repaired and, where required, inspected.
- Wires a generator into a dryer outlet or other receptacle with no transfer switch or permit.
- Starts a solar or battery installation before FPL has approved the interconnection application.
- Wants cash, full payment up front, or a large deposit with no written contract, no Florida lien-law notice, and no lien releases.
Next-step checklist
- Verify the company’s EC or ER license on DBPR Verify a License and ask for proof of liability and workers’ compensation insurance.
- Ask who will be on-site and which Miami-Dade journeyman or master certificate each person holds.
- Get at least two written quotes for the same scope, listing circuits, breaker sizes, wire type, panel and device brands, and any service, meter, or FPL work.
- Confirm which building department covers your address, that the contractor pulls the permit in their own name, and who requests and meets each inspection, in person or virtual.
- For storm repairs or service upgrades, get the FPL disconnect, reconnect, and inspection steps in writing.
- For generators, solar, batteries, or EV chargers, ask for a load calculation and confirm permits and FPL approvals before buying equipment.
- Use a written contract with the Florida lien-law notice, record a Notice of Commencement when required, collect lien releases with payments, and hold final payment until inspections pass.
- Keep the permit record, inspection results, warranty paperwork, and final invoice for insurance, resale, and future storms.
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