Questions to ask
1. Are you a state-certified or a registered roofing contractor, what is the license number, and is it in the name of the company on my contract?
Why it matters: Florida requires anyone in the business of contracting to be certified or registered (F.S. 489.113). A certified contractor can work anywhere in the state; a registered roofer can work only in the counties or cities where it has met local licensing rules, and only in the type of work covered (F.S. 489.117). In Miami-Dade, “Roof” is one of the local Certificate of Competency categories that also requires state registration (Miami-Dade CTQB certification categories (PDF)). Florida defines a roofing contractor’s scope to include skylights, required roof-deck attachments, wood roof sheathing and fascia replaced during a roof job, and roof-to-wall connection upgrades done with a roof covering replacement (F.S. 489.105). If the contract is with a company, the license must qualify that business through a named qualifying agent (F.S. 489.119), and it’s illegal to act as or advertise as a contractor without a license (F.S. 489.127). Look up the person and the business yourself in DBPR’s license search and make sure the name, license number, and status match the bid.
2. Which building department covers my address, will you pull the roofing permit in your company’s name, and is any part of this job permit-exempt?
Why it matters: The City of Miami says a building permit is required for all roofing work on residential and commercial properties, tells you to confirm the property is inside city limits (City of Miami folio numbers begin with 01), and takes roofing applications online through iBuild or ePlan (City of Miami: Get a Roofing Permit); its list of work exempt from permit has no roofing item (City of Miami: Work exempt from permit). The state code’s HVHZ chapter requires permits for all roofing application, repair, or maintenance, except as allowed by the code’s general exemptions section (FBC Building 1512.3). Unincorporated Miami-Dade, however, lists a small repair or replacement of roof covering, no more than two roofing squares and under a low value cap, done by a licensed roofing contractor, as exempt, and it describes a state exemption that began July 1, 2026 for small single-family jobs (Miami-Dade: Permit exemptions). That state law excludes structural work and homes in a flood hazard area, requires a written exemption request with the contract, and doesn’t say whether roof covering counts as structural (F.S. 553.79(1)(g)). Those sources don’t line up for small roof repairs, so if a roofer says your job needs no permit, get the building department’s answer in writing first. Starting work that needs a permit without one is a violation of the contractor law (F.S. 489.127). In the City, owner-builder roofing permits are limited to residential shingle roofs and require an exam and interview (City of Miami), and a historically designated property also needs a Certificate of Appropriateness (City of Miami: Repair or renovate a historic property). A roofer who asks you to pull the permit as owner-builder is shifting the responsibility to you.
3. What is the exact roof system, and what is the Miami-Dade NOA or Florida product approval number for each part?
Why it matters: The City of Miami requires every roofing material to have a Miami-Dade County Notice of Acceptance (NOA) or a Florida Product Approval (City of Miami: Get a Roofing Permit). In the HVHZ, every roofing permit application, including re-roofing, repair, and maintenance, must be on the HVHZ Uniform Roofing Permit Application, completed and signed by a licensed contractor, with wind-load calculations where required, and the product approval pages and the signed Owner’s Notification must be attached (FBC Building 1512.3; Miami-Dade Uniform Roofing Permit Application (PDF)). The county’s form uses different required sections for shingle, tile, low-slope, and metal systems, and Miami-Dade requires it for all roofing permits (Miami-Dade: Roofing permits). Ask for the NOA numbers for the underlayment, the roof covering, and any adhesive or foam, then look them up yourself in Miami-Dade’s Product Control search and check that they cover your roof type and slope.
4. Are you tearing off to the deck or recovering, how much of the roof is being redone, and which code edition will the permit fall under?
Why it matters: In the HVHZ, no more than 25 percent of a roof or roof section may be repaired, replaced, or recovered in any 12-month period unless the whole roof or section is brought up to code. The exception is a roof built, repaired, or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, where only the part being worked on must meet the current code (FBC Building 1521.4; FBC Existing Building 706.1.1), and state law bars local governments from amending that exception (F.S. 553.844). The same HVHZ section allows one new roof system over an original one only if the existing roof qualifies, and a recover bonded to or fastened through the old roof needs field uplift or fastener-withdrawal test results with the permit application (FBC Building 1521.9–1521.11). Ask the roofer to say in writing whether your roof was last done under the 2007 code or later, and how they know. The Florida Building Code, 9th edition (2026), takes effect Dec. 31, 2026 for applications submitted on or after that date (Miami-Dade notice (PDF)), and a state course on the changes notes that reroofing provisions were relocated (Florida Building Commission course text (PDF)), so section numbers in this guide may change.
5. Will you renail the deck, install a secondary water barrier, and check roof-to-wall connections, and how will you prove it?
Why it matters: Florida law requires a roof replacement on a site-built single-family home to include a secondary water barrier and stronger roof-deck attachment, and on some higher-value homes in the wind-borne debris region, roof-to-wall connection work (F.S. 553.844). In the HVHZ, a new roof can’t go over sheathing that isn’t fastened to code or is soaked or deteriorated, all deteriorated sheathing must be replaced, and the building official isn’t required to inspect the renailing (FBC Building 1521.5). Because the inspector may never see the nails, the City of Miami publishes a roof-decking affidavit of compliance and roof-to-wall affidavits for these steps (City of Miami: Permitting forms and documents). Ask for photos of the bare deck and fastening before it’s covered, a signed copy of any affidavit filed, and a per-sheet price for rotten decking in the contract so the bill can’t surprise you after tear-off.
6. Will you go over the Owner’s Notification for Roofing Considerations with me before I sign it?
Why it matters: The HVHZ permit package must include a signed Owner’s Notification (FBC Building 1512.3.4), and the roofing contractor must explain each item and get your initials (Miami-Dade Owner’s Notification form (PDF)). The form warns that the code’s workmanship rules don’t cover appearance, so color and look belong in your contract; that the wood deck may need renailing; that neighbors under a shared roof should be told; that nails may poke through exposed-beam ceilings; that ponding water can signal structural problems and may need an engineer; that overflow scuppers may be required; that existing attic ventilation can’t be reduced; and that removing and reinstalling rooftop solar needs a separate permit before the roofing permit can be finalized (Miami-Dade Owner’s Notification form). Ask how the roofer will handle each item that applies to your house, and get those answers into the contract.
7. Which inspections will the job need, who calls them in, and will you hold final payment until the final roofing inspection passes?
Why it matters: HVHZ roofing work needing a permit must be inspected by the building official, including inspections during the underlayment, during installation of shingles, tile, or metal, and a final, and adhesive- or mortar-set tile roofs need a field uplift test before final (FBC Building 1512.4). Miami-Dade’s inspection guidelines say the permit holder, whether contractor or owner-builder, is responsible for checking the work before calling an inspection, and list items inspectors look at such as tin caps and fastener spacing (Miami-Dade roofing inspection guidelines (PDF)). The City of Miami says the permit card must be kept on site (City of Miami: Get a Roofing Permit). Tie your payments to passed inspections, and check the result yourself in the permit records before releasing the last payment.
8. If this is an insurance claim, will you put in writing that you won’t waive my deductible, handle my claim, or ask me to assign my benefits?
Why it matters: Florida bars contractors from offering a rebate, gift, cash, or deductible waiver for a roof inspection or claim, from paying for referrals, and from interpreting your policy or adjusting your claim unless licensed as a public adjuster; they must give an itemized good-faith estimate before you sign an agreement for claim repairs (F.S. 489.147). Every residential roof contract must include notice of the rebate and deductible ban (if it’s missing, you can void the contract within 10 days) and bold language telling you to contact your insurer about coverage before signing (F.S. 489.147). For residential property policies issued on or after Jan. 1, 2023, an attempt to assign post-loss benefits to a contractor is void (F.S. 627.7152). A new or reopened claim generally must be reported to your insurer within 1 year of the loss, and a supplemental claim within 18 months (F.S. 627.70132). Call your insurer yourself, and don’t let a roofer “handle the adjuster” for you.
9. How much deposit do you need, when will you apply for the permit and start, and is the Recovery Fund notice in the contract?
Why it matters: A contractor who takes more than 10 percent of the contract price as an initial payment on a home must apply for permits within 30 days and start within 90 days after permits issue, unless there’s just cause or you agreed in writing to longer; if not, you send a written demand by certified mail, and failing to act within 30 days of that demand suggests there was no just cause (F.S. 489.126). Residential contracts above a modest size must include a written statement about the Florida Homeowners’ Construction Recovery Fund, with the Construction Industry Licensing Board’s contact information (F.S. 489.1425). Keep the deposit small, pay the licensed business (not a person), and write the permit-application and start dates into the contract.
10. Will you give me the Construction Lien Law notice and tell me who will serve a Notice to Owner, and will you provide lien releases and a final affidavit before the last payment?
Why it matters: Larger residential contracts must include Florida’s bold Construction Lien Law notice, which warns that unpaid subcontractors and suppliers can lien your home even if you paid your contractor (F.S. 713.015). Unless the job is small enough to be exempt, you must record a Notice of Commencement and post a copy on the job before work starts (F.S. 713.13), on larger jobs a copy must be filed with the building department before the first inspection, and the permit card carries a “Warning to Owner” that failing to record it may mean paying twice (F.S. 713.135). Subcontractors and suppliers must serve a Notice to Owner no later than 45 days after they start, and when final payment is due the contractor must give you a final payment affidavit naming anyone under the contract who hasn’t been paid (F.S. 713.06); a lien must be recorded within 90 days of the last work or materials (F.S. 713.08). Lien rights can’t be waived in advance, only for work already furnished (F.S. 713.20). Get a release from everyone who sent you a Notice to Owner before you pay the matching amount.
11. If you came to my door, what cancellation notice is in the contract, and is it in the language you used to sell me?
Why it matters: In a Florida home solicitation sale, you can cancel until midnight of the third business day after signing by written notice; the contract must carry a “Buyer’s Right to Cancel” notice; and if you cancel, the seller may not keep any part of a cash down payment; a sale that results from your own request for specific services is not covered (F.S. 501.021; F.S. 501.025; F.S. 501.031). The FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule requires the contract and the cancellation notice to be in the same language, such as Spanish, as the sales presentation (16 CFR 429.1). After a declared state of emergency, Florida also gives a 10-day roof-contract cancellation right that ends early once materials go on, a permit issues, or a code-compliant temporary repair is made (F.S. 489.147). After a storm, slow down, check the license, and don’t sign the same day.
Red flags
- No Florida roofing license in DBPR’s search, a license in a different name than the company, or a registered contractor with no Miami-Dade local license.
- Asks you to pull the permit as owner-builder, or says a re-roof needs no permit without a written answer from the building department.
- Won’t name the roof system or give NOA or product approval numbers for each part.
- Wants to roof over existing layers without explaining the HVHZ recover rules and tests, or patches more than a quarter of an older roof without a code-compliance plan.
- No mention of deck renailing, secondary water barrier, or a decking price before tear-off.
- Hands you the Owner’s Notification to initial without explaining it.
- Offers to waive or “cover” your deductible, offers a gift for an inspection, or wants to deal with your insurer for you.
- Wants you to sign an assignment of benefits or a contract on the spot.
- A large deposit, cash only, or payment to a personal name.
- No Construction Lien Law notice, no Recovery Fund statement, or no Notice of Commencement plan.
- A door-to-door contract with no cancellation notice, or a contract in English after a sales pitch in another language.
Next-step checklist
- Find out which building department covers your address (City of Miami folios begin with 01) and whether your home is historically designated.
- Look up each roofer and the company in DBPR’s license search.
- Get at least three written bids for the same scope: tear-off or recover, roof system and NOA numbers, underlayment, deck renailing, per-sheet decking price, flashing, ventilation, debris removal, and cleanup.
- Check the NOA numbers in Miami-Dade’s Product Control search.
- Have the roofer pull the permit in the company’s name; if anyone says no permit is needed, get that in writing from the building department.
- Go through the Owner’s Notification item by item before initialing it.
- If insurance is involved, call your insurer yourself, and don’t assign your benefits.
- Record the Notice of Commencement if required, and post it before work starts.
- Keep the deposit small, tie payments to passed inspections, and collect lien releases and the final affidavit before the last payment.
- Keep the contract, permit, NOAs, photos of the deck, affidavits, inspection results, warranties, and receipts.
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