(1) Any person who desires to engage in contracting on a statewide basis shall, as a prerequisite thereto, establish his or her competency and qualifications to be certified pursuant to this part. To establish competency, a person shall pass the appropriate examination approved by the board and certified by the department. If an applicant has received a baccalaureate degree in building construction from an accredited 4-year college, or a related degree as approved by the board by rule, and has a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, such applicant is only required to take and pass the business and finance portion of the examination. Any person who desires to engage in contracting on other than a statewide basis shall, as a prerequisite thereto, be registered pursuant to this part, unless exempted by this part.
(2) A person must be certified or registered in order to engage in the business of contracting in this state. However, for purposes of complying with the provisions of this chapter, a subcontractor who is not certified or registered may perform construction work under the supervision of a person who is certified or registered, provided that the work is within the scope of the supervising contractor‘s license, the supervising contractor is responsible for the work, and the subcontractor being supervised is not engaged in construction work that would require a license as a contractor under any of the categories listed in s. 489.105(3)(d)-(o). This subsection does not affect the application of any local construction licensing ordinances. To enforce this subsection:

(a) The department shall issue a cease and desist order to prohibit any person from engaging in the business of contracting who does not hold the required certification or registration for the work being performed under this part. For the purpose of enforcing a cease and desist order, the department may file a proceeding in the name of the state seeking issuance of an injunction or a writ of mandamus against any person who violates any provision of such order.
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Terms Used In Florida Statutes 489.113

  • Building contractor: means a contractor whose services are limited to construction of commercial buildings and single-dwelling or multiple-dwelling residential buildings, which do not exceed three stories in height, and accessory use structures in connection therewith or a contractor whose services are limited to remodeling, repair, or improvement of any size building if the services do not affect the structural members of the building. See Florida Statutes 489.105
  • Certificate: means a certificate of competency issued by the department as provided in this part. See Florida Statutes 489.105
  • Certification: means the act of obtaining or holding a certificate of competency from the department as provided in this part. See Florida Statutes 489.105
  • Certified contractor: means any contractor who possesses a certificate of competency issued by the department and who shall be allowed to contract in any jurisdiction in the state without being required to fulfill the competency requirements of that jurisdiction. See Florida Statutes 489.105
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Contracting: means , except as exempted in this part, engaging in business as a contractor and includes, but is not limited to, performance of any of the acts as set forth in subsection (3) which define types of contractors. See Florida Statutes 489.105
  • Contractor: means the person who is qualified for, and is only responsible for, the project contracted for and means, except as exempted in this part, the person who, for compensation, undertakes to, submits a bid to, or does himself or herself or by others construct, repair, alter, remodel, add to, demolish, subtract from, or improve any building or structure, including related improvements to real estate, for others or for resale to others; and whose job scope is substantially similar to the job scope described in one of the paragraphs of this subsection. See Florida Statutes 489.105
  • Department: means the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. See Florida Statutes 489.105
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
  • General contractor: means a contractor whose services are unlimited as to the type of work which he or she may do, who may contract for any activity requiring licensure under this part, and who may perform any work requiring licensure under this part, except as otherwise expressly provided in…. See Florida Statutes 489.105
  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Local construction regulation board: means a board, composed of not fewer than three residents of a county or municipality, which the governing body of that county or municipality may create and appoint to maintain the proper standard of construction of that county or municipality. See Florida Statutes 489.105
  • minor: includes any person who has not attained the age of 18 years. See Florida Statutes 1.01
  • person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
  • political subdivision: include counties, cities, towns, villages, special tax school districts, special road and bridge districts, bridge districts, and all other districts in this state. See Florida Statutes 1.01
  • Registration: means registration with the department as provided in this part. See Florida Statutes 489.105
  • Residential contractor: means a contractor whose services are limited to construction, remodeling, repair, or improvement of one-family, two-family, or three-family residences not exceeding two habitable stories above no more than one uninhabitable story and accessory use structures in connection therewith. See Florida Statutes 489.105
  • Roofing contractor: means a contractor whose services are unlimited in the roofing trade and who has the experience, knowledge, and skill to install, maintain, repair, alter, extend, or design, if not prohibited by law, and use materials and items used in the installation, maintenance, extension, and alteration of all kinds of roofing, waterproofing, and coating, except when coating is not represented to protect, repair, waterproof, stop leaks, or extend the life of the roof. See Florida Statutes 489.105
  • Solar contractor: means a contractor whose services consist of the installation, alteration, repair, maintenance, relocation, or replacement of solar panels for potable solar water heating systems, swimming pool solar heating systems, and photovoltaic systems and any appurtenances, apparatus, or equipment used in connection therewith, whether public, private, or otherwise, regardless of use. See Florida Statutes 489.105
  • Specialty contractor: means a contractor whose scope of work and responsibility is limited to a particular phase of construction established in a category adopted by board rule and whose scope is limited to a subset of the activities described in one of the paragraphs of this subsection. See Florida Statutes 489.105
  • Structural component: means any vertical or horizontal load-bearing member of a structure which supports dead or live loads in addition to its own weight and includes, but is not limited to, a foundation, an exterior or interior load-bearing wall, a column, a column beam, a floor, and a roof structure. See Florida Statutes 489.105
  • Underground utility and excavation contractor: means a contractor whose services are limited to the construction, installation, and repair, on public or private property, whether accomplished through open excavations or through other means, including, but not limited to, directional drilling, auger boring, jacking and boring, trenchless technologies, wet and dry taps, grouting, and slip lining, of main sanitary sewer collection systems, main water distribution systems, storm sewer collection systems, and the continuation of utility lines from the main systems to a point of termination up to and including the meter location for the individual occupancy, sewer collection systems at property line on residential or single-occupancy commercial properties, or on multioccupancy properties at manhole or wye lateral extended to an invert elevation as engineered to accommodate future building sewers, water distribution systems, or storm sewer collection systems at storm sewer structures. See Florida Statutes 489.105
  • Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
(b) A county, municipality, or local licensing board created by special act may issue a cease and desist order to prohibit any person from engaging in the business of contracting who does not hold the required certification or registration for the work being performed under this part.
(3) A contractor shall subcontract all electrical, mechanical, plumbing, roofing, sheet metal, swimming pool, and air-conditioning work, unless such contractor holds a state certificate or registration in the respective trade category, however:

(a) A general, building, or residential contractor, except as otherwise provided in this part, shall be responsible for any construction or alteration of a structural component of a building or structure, and any certified general contractor or certified underground utility and excavation contractor may perform clearing and grubbing, grading, excavation, and other site work for any construction project in the state. Any certified building contractor or certified residential contractor may perform clearing and grubbing, grading, excavation, and other site work for any construction project in this state, limited to the lot on which any specific building is located.
(b) A general, building, or residential contractor shall not be required to subcontract the installation, or repair made under warranty, of wood shingles, wood shakes, or asphalt or fiberglass shingle roofing materials on a new building of his or her own construction.
(c) A general contractor shall not be required to subcontract structural swimming pool work. All other swimming pool work shall be subcontracted to an appropriately licensed certified or registered swimming pool contractor.
(d) A general contractor shall not be required to subcontract the construction of a main sanitary sewer collection system, storm collection system, or water distribution system, not including the continuation of utility lines from the mains to the buildings, and may perform any of the services, on public or private property, for which a license as an underground utility and excavation contractor is required under this part.
(e) A general contractor shall not be required to subcontract the continuation of utility lines from the mains in mobile home parks, and such continuations are to be considered a part of the main sewer collection and main water distribution systems.
(f) A solar contractor shall not be required to subcontract minor, as defined by board rule, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, or roofing work so long as that work is within the scope of the license held by the solar contractor and where such work exclusively pertains to the installation of residential solar energy equipment as defined by rules of the board adopted in conjunction with the Electrical Contracting Licensing Board.
(g) No general, building, or residential contractor certified after 1973 shall act as, hold himself or herself out to be, or advertise himself or herself to be a roofing contractor unless he or she is certified or registered as a roofing contractor.
(4)(a) When a certificateholder desires to engage in contracting in any area of the state, as a prerequisite therefor, he or she shall be required only to exhibit to the local building official, tax collector, or other person in charge of the issuance of licenses and building permits in the area evidence of holding a current certificate and to pay the fee for the occupational license and building permit required of other persons.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a), a local construction regulation board may deny, suspend, or revoke the authority of a certified contractor to obtain a building permit or limit such authority to obtaining a permit or permits with specific conditions, if the local construction regulation board has found such contractor, through the public hearing process, to be guilty of fraud or a willful building code violation within the county or municipality that the local construction regulation board represents or if the local construction regulation board has proof that such contractor, through the public hearing process, has been found guilty in another county or municipality within the past 12 months, of fraud or a willful building code violation and finds, after providing notice of an opportunity to be heard to the contractor, that such fraud or violation would have been fraud or a violation if committed in the county or municipality that the local construction board represents. Notification of and information concerning such permit denial shall be submitted to the department within 15 days after the local construction regulation board decides to deny the permit.
(c) The local government may also deny issuance of, or may suspend, any outstanding building permit where a contractor fails or refuses to provide proof of public liability and property damage insurance coverage as required by s. 489.115(5) and workers’ compensation insurance coverage as required by s. 489.114.
(d) It is the policy of the state that the purpose of regulation is to protect the public by attaining compliance with the policies established in law. Fines and other penalties are provided in order to ensure compliance; however, the collection of fines and the imposition of penalties are intended to be secondary to the primary goal of attaining compliance with state laws and local jurisdiction ordinances. It is the intent of the Legislature that a local jurisdiction agency charged with enforcing regulatory laws shall issue a notice of noncompliance as its first response to a minor violation of a regulatory law in any instance in which it is reasonable to assume that the violator was unaware of such a law or unclear as to how to comply with it. A violation of a regulatory law is a “minor violation” if it does not result in economic or physical harm to a person or adversely affect the public health, safety, or welfare or create a significant threat of such harm. A “notice of noncompliance” is a notification by the local jurisdiction agency charged with enforcing the ordinance, which is issued to the licensee that is subject to the ordinance. A notice of noncompliance should not be accompanied with a fine or other disciplinary penalty. It should identify the specific ordinance that is being violated, provide information on how to comply with the ordinance, and specify a reasonable time for the violator to comply with the ordinance. Failure of a licensee to take action correcting the violation within a set period of time would then result in the institution of further disciplinary proceedings.
(5) The certificate is not transferable.
(6)(a) The board shall, by rule, designate those types of specialty contractors which may be certified under this part. The limit of the scope of work and responsibility of a specialty contractor shall be established by the board by rule. However, a certified specialty contractor category established by board rule exists as a voluntary statewide licensing category and does not create a mandatory licensing requirement. Any mandatory statewide construction contracting licensure requirement may only be established through specific statutory provision.
(b) By July 1, 2025, the board shall, by rule, establish certified specialty contractor categories for voluntary licensure for all of the following:

1. Structural aluminum or screen enclosures.
2. Marine seawall work.
3. Marine bulkhead work.
4. Marine dock work.
5. Marine pile driving.
6. Structural masonry.
7. Structural prestressed, precast concrete work.
8. Rooftop solar heating installation.
9. Structural steel.
10. Window and door installation, including garage door installation and hurricane or windstorm protection.
11. Plaster and lath.
12. Structural carpentry.
(7) If an eligible applicant fails any contractor’s written examination, except the general and building contractors’ examination, and provides the board with acceptable proof of lack of comprehension of written examinations, the applicant may petition the board to be administered a uniform oral examination, subject to the following conditions:

(a) The applicant documents 10 years of experience in the appropriate construction craft.
(b) The applicant files written recommendations concerning his or her competency in the appropriate construction craft.
(c) The applicant is administered only one oral examination within a period of 1 year.
(8) Any public record of the board, when certified by the executive director of the board or the executive director’s representative, may be received as prima facie evidence in any administrative or judicial proceeding.
(9)(a) This part does not prevent any contractor from acting as a prime contractor where the majority of the work to be performed under the contract is within the scope of his or her license or from subcontracting to other licensed contractors that remaining work which is part of the project contracted.
(b) This part, chapter 471, chapter 481, or any other provision of law does not:

1. Prevent any licensed engineer or architect from contracting directly with a licensed contractor for the preparation of plans, specifications, or a master design manual addressing structural designs used to make an application for building permits.
2. Require a licensed engineer or architect, when preparing drawings, specifications, plans, or master design manuals for use by any licensed contractor, to prepare site-specific drawings, specifications, or plans for the design and construction of single-family and two-family dwellings; swimming pools, spas, or screened enclosures; or any other structure not exceeding 1,200 square feet or one story in height. For the purpose of issuing building permits, local building officials shall accept such drawings, specifications, or plans when submitted by any licensed contractor. Upon good cause shown, local government code enforcement agencies may accept or reject plans prepared by persons licensed under chapter 471, chapter 481, or this chapter.

As used in this section, the term “master design manual” means a restrictive design manual intended to be used to design, permit, and construct structures as described in this section. Any such manual must be prepared by a licensed engineer or architect and specifically detail the limits of its use, including, but not limited to, the structure type, size, materials, loading conditions, time limits, applicable codes, and associated criteria. The manual must also detail the required training for the contractor, engineer, or architect using the manual. All master design manuals must be peer reviewed by an independent licensed engineer or architect having no financial interest in the development of the manual or the construction of structures pursuant to the manual. The engineer or architect conducting the peer review must be identified in the manual.

(c) Notwithstanding anything in this chapter or any other provision of law, a licensed engineer or architect is not required for the preparation or use of any design guide adopted by the Florida Building Commission as part of the building code pursuant to s. 553.73.
(10) The addition of a new type of contractor or the expansion of the scope of practice of any type of contractor under this part shall not limit the scope of practice of any existing type of contractor under this part unless the Legislature expressly provides such a limitation.
(11) Any local act, law, ordinance, or regulation, including, but not limited to, a local building code or building permit requirement, of a county, municipality, or other political subdivision that pertains to hoisting equipment including power-operated cranes, derricks, hoists, elevators, and conveyors used in construction, demolition, or excavation work, that is not already preempted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration under 29 C.F.R. § parts 1910 and 1926, including, but not limited to, local worksite regulation regarding hurricane preparedness or public safety, is prohibited and is preempted to the state. This subsection does not apply to the regulation of elevators under chapter 399 or to airspace height restrictions in chapter 333.
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