You got three bids after the last storm came through. One was almost double the others. One contractor showed up in a truck with an out-of-state plate and handed you a one-page quote with no line items. The third guy seemed great on the phone but hasn't called back since you asked about permits. Now you're standing in your driveway wondering who you're actually supposed to trust with your roof. This situation plays out in South Florida neighborhoods every season, and it costs homeowners real money when they pick wrong.
Hiring a roofing contractor here is not the same as hiring one in Ohio or Georgia. Miami-Dade and Broward operate under some of the toughest building codes in the country. Materials have to meet High-Velocity Hurricane Zone standards. Permits aren't optional. And the storm chasers who flood the area after a hurricane move fast, take deposits, and sometimes disappear before the final inspection. Knowing what to ask, what to verify, and what the red flags look like is the only real protection you have.
This is what the hiring process actually looks like when you do it right in South Florida.
What Licenses Actually Matter in Florida?
Florida issues two types of roofing licenses, and they are not the same thing. A Certified Roofing Contractor (CCC) can work anywhere in the state. A Registered Roofing Contractor (RRC) is limited to specific local jurisdictions. If someone is doing work on your property in Miami-Dade or Broward, you need to know which one they hold before you sign anything.
The state tracks every license through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, and you can look up any contractor at myfloridalicense.com before you make a call. Takes two minutes. If a contractor's name or company doesn't appear there with an active license, stop the conversation.
DR Construction & Roofing holds dual licenses, CGC 1507284 and CCC 1328855. The CGC is a general contractor license, which matters when a job involves structural components like roof sheathing, fascia framing, or load-bearing repairs that a roofing-only license doesn't cover. Some contractors have a roofing license but have to bring in a separate GC when the scope expands. That adds time, coordination problems, and sometimes additional cost. A dual-licensed contractor handles both without the handoff. You can verify our licenses directly at our license page.
Also check that the license is in the individual's name or the company's name as it will appear on your contract. Some crews operate under a licensed qualifier they've borrowed, which is a violation and leaves you exposed if something goes wrong on the job.
What Is HVHZ and Why Does It Change Everything?
Miami-Dade and Broward counties sit inside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, and every roofing decision made in these counties has to account for that. The HVHZ isn't a recommendation. It's a code standard that governs materials, fastening patterns, underlayment requirements, and installation methods. If the work doesn't meet HVHZ specifications, it won't pass inspection. And if it doesn't pass inspection, your insurance coverage can be voided and you're personally liable for the non-compliant work.
This is where out-of-area contractors get in trouble fast. A crew that normally works in Central Florida or drove down from Georgia after a hurricane may know how to install a roof, but HVHZ has specific product approval requirements that don't apply statewide. Materials have to carry Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) approval. Fastening schedules are stricter. The window for what counts as acceptable is narrower than most contractors outside this region are used to working within.
Ask any contractor you're considering whether they have completed HVHZ-compliant projects in your specific county. Ask whether they pull their own permits. If they hedge on either question, that's your answer. A contractor who has been working Broward and Miami-Dade for years knows the NOA approval process, knows which products pass and which don't, and has a relationship with the local inspection offices. That experience isn't transferable from somewhere else.
Our residential roof repair work is built around HVHZ compliance because that's the only standard that applies here.
Who Is Responsible for Pulling the Permit?
The contractor pulls the permit. Not you. If anyone tells you otherwise, or suggests that the scope of work doesn't require one, take that as a serious red flag and get a second opinion before signing anything.
In Broward and Miami-Dade, significant repairs require permits and inspections. That includes things homeowners sometimes assume are minor, like replacing a section of underlayment, redecking damaged sheathing, or making repairs after storm damage. The permit requirement exists to protect you. An inspector signing off on completed work is documentation that the job met code. Without that documentation, you're carrying risk you may not even know about.
Unpermitted roofing work creates three practical problems. First, it can void your homeowner's insurance coverage if a storm exposes the work. Second, it creates a disclosure issue when you sell the property. Third, it can trigger code enforcement action that requires you to tear out and redo the work at your own expense, even if you had no idea it was done without a permit.
A legitimate estimate includes permit costs because permits are part of the job. If a bid is unusually low and doesn't mention permitting, ask directly whether permitting is included. If the answer is no, or if the contractor suggests you handle it separately, that cost hasn't gone away. You're just being asked to absorb it later.
DR Construction & Roofing pulls permits as part of every qualifying project. It's not an add-on. It's how the job gets done correctly. See our full service area coverage to confirm we work in your county.
What Are the Biggest Mistakes Homeowners Make When Hiring?
The single most common mistake is choosing based on price alone without verifying anything else first. A low bid feels like a win right up until the crew disappears after the deposit clears, the inspection fails, or the job gets done with materials that don't meet HVHZ standards.
Here are the other mistakes that come up repeatedly:
- Accepting verbal assurances about insurance: General liability and workers compensation coverage need to be verified with a current certificate from the carrier. Verbal confirmation means nothing if a worker gets hurt on your property and the contractor has no workers comp.
- Signing a vague estimate: A one-line estimate is not a scope of work. If the materials aren't specified by product type and grade, you have no way to verify the installation matches what you were quoted or what HVHZ requires.
- Paying too much upfront: A reasonable deposit at signing is standard practice. Paying more than half the total job cost before materials arrive is not, and it's one of the most common setups used by storm chaser operations.
- Not checking the DBPR database: Unlicensed contractors operate in South Florida every season. Checking myfloridalicense.com takes two minutes and tells you whether the person in front of you is actually licensed to do the work.
- Assuming the HOA handled verification: Some homeowners think that if a contractor has done work in their community before, they must be legitimate. HOA approval and state licensing are two different things. Verify both separately.
How to Hire a Roofing Contractor the Right Way
This is the actual process, not a theoretical checklist:
- Look up the contractor's license before the first call: Go to myfloridalicense.com and confirm the license is active, matches the company name, and is the right license type for statewide work. This takes two minutes and eliminates a large percentage of bad candidates immediately.
- Request a certificate of insurance: Ask for current general liability and workers compensation certificates issued by their carrier. Don't accept a policy number. Request the actual certificate with the carrier name, coverage amounts, and expiration date.
- Get a written estimate with full scope: The estimate should specify materials by product name and grade, permit costs, labor, timeline, warranty terms, and how change orders are handled. If any of those are missing, ask for a revised estimate before you proceed.
- Ask specific HVHZ questions: Ask directly whether the materials they're proposing carry Miami-Dade NOA approval. Ask whether they've completed similar work in your county and whether they will pull the permit before any work starts.
- Tie payments to milestones: Deposit at signing. Second payment when materials are on-site. Third when the work is substantially complete. Final payment after the inspection passes. Never pay the final amount before the inspection clears.
- Verify the permit was pulled before work begins: You can check permit status through your county's building department website. If a contractor tells you work is starting Monday, the permit should already be in the system.
Three things you can do right now, before hiring anyone: Pull up myfloridalicense.com and search the name of any contractor you're considering. Check your county building department website to see how permit status is tracked in your area. Review any estimate you've already received and flag every line item that doesn't specify a product name or code standard.
Why South Florida Roofs Are Different
Salt air, 60-plus inches of annual rainfall, and sustained hurricane-force wind exposure create conditions that don't exist in most of the country. That's not an exaggeration for effect. It's the reason Florida has its own roofing code standards, its own product approval process, and its own license classification system that doesn't automatically accept out-of-state credentials.
Tile roofs in South Florida carry different load requirements than tile roofs in California. Flat membrane systems have to account for standing water in ways that pitched roofs in drier climates don't. Shingle systems have to meet wind rating thresholds that reflect actual local storm history, not national averages. Metal roofing installations have to be specified correctly for coastal salt exposure or they fail faster than anyone expects.
Beyond materials, the inspection process in Broward and Miami-Dade is more involved than in most Florida counties. Inspectors here are looking at fastening patterns, underlayment laps, flashing details, and product approvals. A contractor who passes inspections consistently in these counties isn't just technically capable. They understand the local standard at a detailed level that takes years to develop.
This is also why timing matters. Hurricane season runs June through November. Scheduling a full replacement during the dry season, December through May, reduces weather-related delays. Repairs after storm damage usually can't wait that long, but a qualified contractor should have a clear plan for open-roof protection during rain and realistic expectations around scheduling during active storm periods. Ask about both before work starts.
Our commercial roof repair services reflect these same standards because the code applies regardless of property type.
Why Choose DR Construction & Roofing?
DR Construction & Roofing is a family-owned and woman-owned business with more than 20 years of South Florida roofing experience. We hold dual licenses, CGC 1507284 and CCC 1328855, which means we handle both roofing work and structural components without bringing in a separate contractor when the scope expands. That matters on jobs where fascia framing, sheathing, or structural roof-edge repairs are involved alongside the roofing system itself.
We serve Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade counties and are available seven days a week. We work on tile, shingle, metal and flat roof systems, and we pull permits as part of every qualifying job. Not as an add-on. Not as a discussion. As part of doing the work correctly.
We don't make promises we can't keep on pricing or claim outcomes. What we do promise is that the work gets done to code, the permits get pulled before the crew starts, and you know what's happening on your property at every stage. That's the standard we hold ourselves to, and it's why we say we do the right thing, not the easy thing.
The Bottom Line
Here's what matters: Hiring a roofing contractor in South Florida requires more due diligence than most homeowners expect. Verify the license type at myfloridalicense.com, confirm active insurance coverage with a certificate, and make sure the estimate specifies HVHZ-compliant materials and includes permit costs before you sign. If a contractor skips any of those steps, the liability ends up with you.
Your next step: Start with the instant roof estimate, or call (754) 779-3650.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I verify a roofing contractor's license in Florida?
Go to myfloridalicense.com and search by company name or license number. The database shows whether the license is active, what type it is, and whether there are any disciplinary actions on record. A Certified Roofing Contractor license (CCC) is valid statewide. A Registered license (RRC) is limited to specific jurisdictions. Confirm the name on the license matches the company name on your contract.
Do I need a permit for roof repairs in Miami-Dade or Broward?
In most cases, yes. Both counties require permits for significant roofing work, including repairs that involve replacing underlayment, redecking sheathing, or storm damage restoration. The contractor is responsible for pulling the permit before work begins. Unpermitted work creates problems with insurance coverage, property sales, and code enforcement. If a contractor says permits aren't needed, get that in writing and then get a second opinion.
What is HVHZ and how does it affect my roof project?
HVHZ stands for High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. Miami-Dade and Broward counties fall within this zone, which means all roofing materials and installation methods must meet stricter code standards than most of Florida. Products need Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) approval. Fastening schedules are more demanding. Work that doesn't meet HVHZ standards fails inspection and can void your insurance coverage. Ask any contractor you're considering whether they have HVHZ-compliant project experience in your specific county.
What should a roofing estimate include in South Florida?
A complete estimate breaks down materials by product name and grade, labor costs, permit fees, project timeline, warranty terms, and how change orders are handled. If an estimate doesn't specify the exact product being installed, you have no way to verify it meets HVHZ code requirements or matches what you were quoted. Vague estimates create disputes after the job starts. Request a fully itemized scope of work before you sign anything.
What is a reasonable payment schedule for a roofing project?
A deposit at contract signing is standard. Progress payments tied to specific milestones, such as materials delivered, work in progress, and inspection passed, are the professional structure. Paying more than half the total project cost upfront before materials arrive is not standard and is a common warning sign with storm chaser operations. Hold the final payment until the inspection clears and you've confirmed the job is complete to scope.