How to Choose a Roofing CompanyWithout Getting Burned
A roof here is a $15,000–$60,000 decision that has to survive hurricanes, salt air, and two decades of Florida sun. The contractor matters more than the shingle. Here's how to verify one properly — including the checks most homeowners skip.
Every hurricane season, the same thing happens from Boca Raton to Vero Beach: the storms arrive, then the trucks arrive. Out-of-area crews with magnetic door signs, "free inspections" from strangers on your porch, and quotes that are either suspiciously cheap or urgently expiring.
Roofing consistently ranks among Florida's top categories for consumer complaints — unlicensed work, skipped permits, abandoned jobs, and warranties from companies that no longer exist. None of it is hard to avoid. It just requires running a handful of checks before you talk price, in an order most homeowners reverse.
We're a Stuart-based contractor, so we're not neutral — but every check below works against us exactly the way it works against anyone else. That's the point. Run them on everyone, including us.
Six Checks That Take Twenty Minutes
1. Verify the license — yourself
Every legitimate Florida roofer holds an active DBPR license. A Certified roofing contractor (license starting CCC1…) can work anywhere in the state; a Registered contractor is limited to specific local jurisdictions.
Don't take the number on the truck at face value — look it up at myfloridalicense.com. Confirm it's active, matches the business name on your contract, and shows no discipline history. Two minutes, and it filters out more bad actors than any other single step.
2. Demand certificates of insurance
Two policies, both current: general liability (at least $1M per occurrence) and workers' compensation. If a roofer without workers' comp gets hurt on your property, the claim can land on you.
Ask for the COIs and verify them with the issuing agent — a real company produces them without friction. Hesitation here is your answer.
3. Confirm they pull permits
Roof replacement requires a permit everywhere in Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties, and the contractor should pull it — not you. An "owner-builder" permit request shifts all liability to you and usually means the contractor can't pull permits legally.
Unpermitted roof work can void insurance coverage, fail a four-point inspection, and surface as a serious problem when you sell.
4. Check the reviews for patterns
Ignore the star average; read the middle. One angry review means a bad day; five reviews mentioning the same failure — no-show crews, unreturned warranty calls, surprise change orders — means a pattern.
Look for reviews that name your city and your roof type, and check how the company responds to criticism. That response is a preview of your warranty experience.
5. Verify a physical local address
A warranty is only as good as the company's ability to answer the phone in year six. A physical office in the region — not a P.O. box, not a "serving your area" landing page — is the simplest proof a contractor plans to still be here.
Ask where the office is and how long they've operated from it. Then check the address exists.
6. Ask what they'll tell the building department
Your roofer will interact with your local building official — Martin County, City of Port St. Lucie, Palm Beach County or one of its 39 municipalities — on your behalf. A contractor who works these jurisdictions weekly knows each office's quirks, inspection schedules, and documentation standards. One who doesn't will learn them on your project, at your expense.
Five Red Flags, No Exceptions
The post-storm door knock
Established local roofers don't cold-canvass neighborhoods — their schedule is full from referrals. Someone "working in the area" who spotted damage from the street is almost always a storm chaser who'll be gone before your first warranty call. Never sign anything on your porch.
Big money up front
Under Florida Statute 489.126, a contractor who takes more than a 10% deposit must apply for permits within 30 days and start work within 90 days of the permit issuing — and violating that is a crime. A demand for 40–50% before a single shingle is ordered signals a company financing yesterday's job with your money.
"This price expires today"
Real quotes survive a week of thinking. Manufactured urgency exists to stop you from comparing bids and checking licenses — the two things this guide is about. Any discount that can't wait 48 hours was never real.
The one-page contract
"Roof replacement — standard materials" protects nobody. A real contract names the exact products (manufacturer and line), itemizes tear-off, underlayment, flashing, and disposal, states start and completion windows, the payment schedule, and both warranties in writing.
The cash discount
A steep discount for cash usually means no permit, no taxes, no insurance, no paper trail — and no recourse for you when something leaks. You're not saving money; you're buying all of the contractor's risk.
One more, specific to Florida right now: since the 2023 insurance reforms, assignment-of-benefits deals on new residential policies are largely a thing of the past. A contractor pushing you to sign over your insurance claim, or promising to "handle the whole claim" and eat your deductible, is describing something between a violation and a felony. A legitimate roofer documents damage and gives you honest scope — you deal with your carrier.
Twelve Questions to Ask Every Roofer
Ask all twelve, in front of them, and watch how they answer. Confident specifics are the tell of a real operation; vagueness or defensiveness is the tell of everything else.
Credentials
- What's your Florida license number, and is it Certified or Registered?
- Can I see current COIs for liability and workers' comp today?
- Who pulls the permit, and who meets the inspector?
The Work
- Exactly which underlayment, fasteners, and flashing are in this quote?
- What happens if you find rotten decking after tear-off — and what's the per-sheet price now, in writing?
- Who is actually on my roof — your crew or a sub, and who supervises?
The Warranty
- How many years is your workmanship warranty, and what voids it?
- Is the manufacturer warranty registered in my name, and does it transfer if I sell?
- Walk me through what happens when I call about a leak in year four.
The Money
- Can I have this itemized — materials, labor, tear-off, disposal, permit?
- What's the payment schedule, and is the final payment tied to passed inspection?
- What could make the final number differ from this quote?
Why the Lowest Bid Is Usually the Most Expensive
Get three written quotes — but compare them on scope, not just the bottom line. Two bids for "shingle replacement" can differ by thousands because one includes upgraded peel-and-stick underlayment, new flashing, and full disposal, while the other quietly reuses old flashing and excludes decking repairs entirely. That gap surfaces later as change orders, or as a roof that fails early where nobody was looking.
A bid dramatically below the others isn't a bargain — it's a question. Either the materials are lesser, the labor is uninsured, the permit is skipped, or the change orders are coming. Price the same roof across all three bids before comparing numbers.
Two Warranties, Not OneUnderstand What's Actually Covered
Manufacturer warranty
Covers defective materials — often 25 years to "lifetime," but usually prorated, shrinking in value over time. It does not cover installation mistakes, which is what most Florida roof failures actually are. Confirm it's registered in your name and transferable.
Workmanship warranty
Covers the installation — the flashing detail, the fastening, the tie-ins where roofs really leak. This one comes from the contractor, which is why the company's longevity and local address matter more than any brochure. Get its length and exclusions in writing.
This Coast Is Its Own Roofing Market
Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast sit in Florida's wind-borne debris region, with design wind speeds along the coast that dictate specific fastening patterns, sealed roof decks, and product approvals. The building code is statewide; how it's applied runs through your local building department — and it changes at the county line.
Then there's the geography no code book covers: salt exposure on Hutchinson Island, Sewall's Point, Jupiter Island, and Singer Island that corrodes standard fasteners years early; the huge population of 2004–2006 hurricane-cohort roofs now reaching end of life; HOA architectural review boards from Palm City to Boca with their own color and profile requirements; and the My Safe Florida Home grant program, which an approved contractor can help you actually capture instead of merely mention.
A capable roofer from Georgia or even Orlando can install shingles here. What they can't do is tell you your permit history from memory, spec aluminum where galvalume will fail, or know which inspector wants what. That's the difference you're hiring.
Choosing a Roofer: FAQs
How do I verify a roofing contractor's license in Florida?
Search the contractor's name or license number at myfloridalicense.com (the Florida DBPR license portal). Confirm the license is active, the name matches your contract exactly, and there's no disciplinary history. A Certified license (CCC1…) is valid statewide; a Registered license is limited to specific local jurisdictions.
How much deposit is normal for a roof in Florida?
Modest — commonly around 10%, with the balance tied to material delivery and passed final inspection. Florida Statute 489.126 requires a contractor who takes more than 10% down to apply for permits within 30 days and begin work within 90 days of permit issuance. Demands for half the money up front are a walk-away signal.
How many quotes should I get before choosing?
Three written, itemized quotes is the standard. But compare the scope line by line — underlayment type, flashing, decking repair pricing, disposal — before comparing totals. The cheapest bid on paper is often the most expensive roof in practice.
Should I trust a roofer who knocks on my door after a storm?
Treat it as a red flag. Established local companies stay booked through referrals and don't canvass neighborhoods. If you engage at all, verify the license and insurance first, never sign anything on the spot, and get a second opinion from a company with a verifiable local address.
What's the difference between the manufacturer warranty and the workmanship warranty?
The manufacturer warranty covers defective materials and is often prorated over 25+ years. The workmanship warranty covers the installation itself — where most Florida roof failures actually originate — and comes from the contractor. You need both in writing, and the workmanship warranty is only as reliable as the company behind it.
Does it matter if my roofer is local to Palm Beach or the Treasure Coast?
Yes, practically. Local contractors know each county and municipality's permitting process, spec corrosion-resistant components for barrier-island salt exposure, understand the region's 2004-era roof stock, and can navigate programs like My Safe Florida Home. And a warranty is easier to enforce on a company with a physical office twenty minutes away.
Start With the Verification, Not the Sales Pitch
Look up CCC1332394 and CGC1533052 at the DBPR. Read the reviews. Then get a free inspection with a photo report you keep — including "your roof is fine," when it is.
Get My Free InspectionMartin & St. Lucie (772) 800-8897 · Palm Beach (561) 970-3626
Expert Roofing Services, LLC — Florida State Certified roofing contractor (CCC1332394) and general contractor (CGC1533052), headquartered at 7847 SW Ellipse Way, Stuart, FL. BBB A+ rated, My Safe Florida Home approved. This guide is general consumer information; verify any contractor's credentials directly with the Florida DBPR and your local building department.