How do I check a bathroom remodeling contractor in Florida myself?

Key facts

• DBPR's unlicensed activity page lists under its Needs a DBPR License column: “Perform plumbing work or irrigation installation that requires the contractor to connect lines to potable (drinking) water for compensation.”

  Source: DBPR unlicensed activity guide, what requires a license, read 15 October 2026.

• DBPR's unlicensed activity page lists under its Needs a DBPR License column: “Installation or replacement of drywall if the contract also includes work on the load bearing part of the wall, plumbing, electrical, or air conditioning work.”

  Source: DBPR unlicensed activity guide, what requires a license, read 15 October 2026.

• DBPR's unlicensed activity page lists under its Does not need a DBPR License column: “Installation or replacement of drywall if the contract does not include other work on the load bearing part of the wall or any plumbing, electrical, or air conditioning work.”

  Source: DBPR unlicensed activity guide, what requires a license, read 15 October 2026.

• DBPR's unlicensed activity page lists under its electrical Needs a DBPR License column: “Install ceiling fans and light fixtures for compensation.”

  Source: DBPR unlicensed activity guide, what requires a license, read 15 October 2026.

• DBPR's construction page states: “A building contractor is also a contractor whose services are limited to remodeling, repair, or improvement of any size building – if the services do not affect the structural elements of the building.”

  Source: DBPR Construction Industry Licensing Board page, read 15 October 2026.

• The Florida Department of Financial Services exemptions page states: “Exemptions are issued to officers of a corporation and members of limited liability companies - not to the business.”

  Source: DFS exemptions for corporate officers and LLC members, read 15 October 2026.

Which bathroom remodeler public records can I look up myself?

Use four optional public sources: DBPR's licence search for the remodeler and any plumbing or electrical business it names, Broward's or Palm Beach County's contractor search, the DFS workers' compensation pages, and, for an older home, EPA's lead-safe contractor search. Compare each record's business name with your proposal, and date each search on your written scope.

Source: DBPR Online Services licensee search, read 15 October 2026.
Source: Broward County contractor licence search, read 15 October 2026.
Source: Palm Beach County Code Compliance contractor regulations, read 15 October 2026.
Source: DFS Exemption Search, read 15 October 2026.
Source: EPA Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program, read 15 October 2026.

DBPR's business information page, read 15 October 2026, lists what a search needs: “you will need to know their license number, the contractor’s name or the name of the business entity.” Ask the bathroom bidder for all three in writing, because the showroom or brand name on a proposal may not be the name DBPR shows.

Source: DBPR construction business information, read 15 October 2026.

EPA's lead renovation page, read 15 October 2026, states: “In general, anyone paid to perform work that disturbs paint in housing and child-occupied facilities built before 1978 must be certified in lead-safe work practices. This includes all firms, even sole proprietorships.”

Source: EPA Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program, read 15 October 2026.

If your house may fall under that EPA statement, ask each bidder who will cut or scrape painted bathroom walls during demolition, and which firm name to look up.

How do I read a bathroom remodeler state record?

Check DBPR records in up to three categories for a bathroom remodel: a general, building or residential contractor for the whole job, a plumbing contractor for supply and drain lines, and an electrical contractor for wiring. Read each record's C or R letter, exact status, expiry date and business name against your written scope.

Source: DBPR Construction Industry Licensing Board page, read 15 October 2026.
Source: DBPR unlicensed activity guide, what requires a license, read 15 October 2026.
Source: DBPR construction FAQs on licence status, read 15 October 2026.
Source: DBPR construction business information, read 15 October 2026.

DBPR's unlicensed activity page, read 15 October 2026, lists in its contractor table under Needs a DBPR License: “Perform plumbing work or irrigation installation that requires the contractor to connect lines to potable (drinking) water for compensation.” Ask which business will connect your new shower valve, toilet and vanity faucet to the water supply, and search that name as well.

Source: DBPR unlicensed activity guide, what requires a license, read 15 October 2026.

The same table puts drywall on both sides. Under Needs a DBPR License: “Installation or replacement of drywall if the contract also includes work on the load bearing part of the wall, plumbing, electrical, or air conditioning work.” Under Does not need a DBPR License: “Installation or replacement of drywall if the contract does not include other work on the load bearing part of the wall or any plumbing, electrical, or air conditioning work.” Ask whether the wallboard around your tub sits in the same contract as the pipes behind it.

Source: DBPR unlicensed activity guide, what requires a license, read 15 October 2026.

In the same table, Needs a DBPR License lists “Remodel a home that requires alteration or replacement of a load-bearing wall for compensation.” and Does not need a DBPR License lists “Paint; install cabinets, wood or tile flooring, and insulation regardless of compensation.” That second entry names tile flooring, so ask how the bidder treats wall tile in the shower, and who decides whether widening the bathroom doorway touches a load-bearing wall.

Source: DBPR unlicensed activity guide, what requires a license, read 15 October 2026.

Wiring has its own record. DBPR's page describes the trade this way: “An Electrical Contractor installs, repairs, alters, adds to, or designs electrical wiring, fixtures, or appliances, which generate, transmit, transform, or utilize electrical energy for compensation.” Its electrical table lists “Install ceiling fans and light fixtures for compensation.” under Needs a DBPR License and “Change the light bulbs in fixtures.” under Does not need a DBPR License.

Source: DBPR unlicensed activity guide, what requires a license, read 15 October 2026.

On DBPR's occupation code table, the code EC carries the description “Electrical Contractor” and the code ER carries “Registered Electrical Contractor”. Ask who wires a new exhaust fan, vanity light or heated floor in your bathroom, and look up that business under EC or ER.

Source: DBPR occupation and specialty code tables, read 15 October 2026.

Plumbing is a separate category too. DBPR's construction page, read 15 October 2026, defines CF and RF: "A “plumbing contractor” means a contractor whose contracting business consists of the execution of contracts requiring the experience, financial means, knowledge, and skill to install, maintain, repair, alter, extend, or, when not prohibited by law, design plumbing."

Source: DBPR Construction Industry Licensing Board page, read 15 October 2026.

The same definition continues: “A plumbing contractor may install, maintain, repair, alter, extend, or design the following without obtaining any additional local regulatory license, certificate, or registration:” Two items in that list read “sanitary drainage or storm drainage facilities;” and “venting systems; public or private water supply systems;”. Ask who moves the toilet flange or shower drain, who ties a new drain into the vent, and which CF or RF record that business holds.

Source: DBPR Construction Industry Licensing Board page, read 15 October 2026.

For the business running the whole remodel, DBPR's construction page gives these three category definitions:

1. CG and RG: "A “general contractor” means a contractor whose services are unlimited as to the type of work which he or she may do."

   Source: DBPR Construction Industry Licensing Board page, read 15 October 2026.

2. CB and RB, in its remodeling sentence: “A building contractor is also a contractor whose services are limited to remodeling, repair, or improvement of any size building – if the services do not affect the structural elements of the building.”

   Source: DBPR Construction Industry Licensing Board page, read 15 October 2026.

3. CR and RR: "A “residential contractor” means a contractor whose services are limited to construction, remodeling, repair, or improvement of one-family, two-family, or three-family residences which are not more than two stories and the “accessory use structures” in connection with these buildings."

   Source: DBPR Construction Industry Licensing Board page, read 15 October 2026.

Ask which of those records belongs to the business on your bathroom proposal, and whether your building and any wall change fall inside it.

Status sits beside each category. DBPR's construction FAQ, read 15 October 2026, answers the current, active question with “Your contractor’s license is current and you may practice within your scope of work.” Its answer for delinquent, active reads: “Your contractor’s license was not renewed by the expiration date. The status of your license before the expiration date was active. You may not practice with this license until the status has been updated.” Check that the expiry date shown falls after your planned finish date.

Source: DBPR construction FAQs on licence status, read 15 October 2026.

Then compare the names. DBPR's business information page says: "If the contractor is operating as an individual without a business name, the word “INDIVIDUAL” will appear on the contractor’s license." If your bathroom proposal carries a company name but the record you open says INDIVIDUAL, ask the bidder which entity will sign the agreement.

Source: DBPR construction business information, read 15 October 2026.

Where can I look up county records for a bathroom remodel?

Check Broward's or Palm Beach County's contractor search if you want a county record for a bathroom bidder, and keep it apart from the DBPR record and any permit. A tile setter or shower-glass installer may hold no county card at all, so treat an empty result as a question to ask, not a finding.

Source: Broward County contractor licence search, read 15 October 2026.
Source: Palm Beach County Code Compliance contractor regulations, read 15 October 2026.
Source: Section 489.117, 2026 Florida Statutes, read 15 October 2026.

Broward's contractor search, read 15 October 2026, takes a firm name in a field labelled “Contracting Firm / Company Name:” and a number in a field labelled “CC Number:”. Ask the bidder which county issued any card it shows you.

Source: Broward County contractor licence search, read 15 October 2026.

Palm Beach County's contractor regulations page carries a notice for state and county contractors: “Effective July 1, 2025, specific County construction trade scopes will be preempted by State Statute, no longer requiring a Certificate of Competency.” Ask a Palm Beach tile or glass installer which local card, if any, it still holds before you search for one.

Source: Palm Beach County Code Compliance contractor regulations, read 15 October 2026.

Section 489.117(4)(d) of the 2026 Florida Statutes, read 15 October 2026, begins: “Any person who is not required to obtain registration or certification pursuant to s. 489.105(3)(d)-(o) may perform contracting services for the construction, remodeling, repair, or improvement of single-family residences, including a townhouse as defined in the Florida Building Code, without obtaining a local license if such person is under the supervision of a certified or registered general, building, or residential contractor.” For a house or townhouse, ask whether the tile setter on your job works under such a contractor's supervision, and who that contractor is.

Source: Section 489.117, 2026 Florida Statutes, read 15 October 2026.

How can I look up bathroom remodeler workers' compensation coverage?

Use the DFS Proof of Coverage and Exemption Search pages, both optional, to look up the employer behind each crew in your bathroom, from demolition and plumbing to tile and shower glass. Write the search date beside that crew's line item on your written scope, and note whether the result shows a policy or an exemption.

Source: DFS Exemption Search, read 15 October 2026.
Source: DFS Proof of Coverage database, read 15 October 2026.
Source: DFS exemptions for corporate officers and LLC members, read 15 October 2026.

The DFS Exemption Search page, read 15 October 2026, explains what a result opens: “Please note that upon search retrieval, Employer Name text is highlighted and if selected will provide information on the employer’s insurance coverage, including carrier information and policy number.”

Source: DFS Exemption Search, read 15 October 2026.

The Proof of Coverage page describes its contents this way: “The information contained herein is a representative reflection of selected information reported by the insurance carrier and maintained by the Department of Financial Services, Division of Workers' Compensation.” Send any question about a result to DFS rather than reading more into it.

Source: DFS Proof of Coverage database, read 15 October 2026.

An exemption belongs to a person. The DFS exemptions page states: “Exemptions are issued to officers of a corporation and members of limited liability companies - not to the business.” It adds: “Upon issuance of an exemption, the officer or member is not considered an employee of the business and may not recover workers' compensation benefits.” If the owner of a small bathroom firm shows you an exemption, it describes that owner, not the helpers who carry out your old tub.

Source: DFS exemptions for corporate officers and LLC members, read 15 October 2026.

What insurance documents could I request for a bathroom remodel?

Ask, only if you want one, for a certificate of insurance from the business that signs your bathroom agreement, with your name and the job address from your written scope. The request is optional, and questions about what a certificate says belong with the insurer that issued it.

Palm Beach County's contractor regulations page lists, among its Tips for Hiring a Licensed Contractor: “Ask to see their County or State license and Liability and Workers Compensation insurance.” If you choose to ask, keep whatever you receive with your bathroom agreement.

Source: Palm Beach County Code Compliance contractor regulations, read 15 October 2026.

Which wet-area details define my bathroom remodel job scope?

Describe each bathroom fixture as staying, moving or going, the walls you expect opened, the finish you want in the shower and on the floor, and who hauls away the old tub, tile and vanity for disposal, so every bidder reads one written scope.

Say how the wet area should end up: a tub with tile above it, a tub-to-shower conversion, or a shower with a low curb or no curb. Ask each bidder to name the waterproofing it plans behind the tile and under the shower floor, where the shower drain will sit, and whether the floor must be lowered or built up for the shower you want.

List the electrical items you expect: a new or relocated exhaust fan, a vanity light, extra outlets, a heated floor or a heat lamp. Ask where the fan will discharge and who runs any new circuit.

Name the tile sizes, where tile stops on each wall, the grout colour and any niche or bench, and say who supplies the tile, the vanity, the mirror and the fixtures. Ask whether leftover tile stays with you for later repairs.

EPA's guide to mold and moisture, read 15 October 2026, states: “Other possible locations of hidden mold include areas inside walls around pipes (with leaking or condensing pipes), the surface of walls behind furniture (where condensation forms), inside ductwork, and in roof materials above ceiling tiles (due to roof leaks or insufficient insulation).” Ask each bidder how it would report damp framing or mold found behind your shower wall.

Source: EPA brief guide to mold, moisture and your home, read 15 October 2026.

How should I describe fixture changes in my request?

Photograph each bathroom wall, the floor, the ceiling fan and the shower valve, then write a scope with separate items for demolition, plumbing, wiring, waterproofing, tile, vanity, glass and disposal. Ask every bidder to list, in writing, anything its response leaves out, and keep that list with the response.

Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection.

Source: InstaBids process and privacy, read 15 October 2026.

What should my bathroom remodel agreement say about scope and payments?

Read the bathroom agreement against your written scope before you sign: the waterproofing method, the tile and grout, each fixture by model, the glass enclosure, the start date, the finish date and the payment schedule. Check that the business named at the signature line is the one you looked up.

Federal Trade Commission advice on home improvement, read 15 October 2026, says: “Contract requirements vary by state. Even if your state doesn’t require a written agreement, ask for one.” Its list of what a contract should include contains “the contractor’s name, address, phone number, and license number” and “an estimated start and completion date”.

Source: FTC consumer advice on home improvement, read 15 October 2026.

If a bidder suggests you pull a permit for your bathroom in your own name, read the owner-builder disclosure first. Section 489.103(7)(c) of the 2026 Florida Statutes, read 15 October 2026, states: “The local permitting agency shall provide the person with a disclosure statement in substantially the following form:” Item 3 of that statement begins: “I understand that, as an owner-builder, I am the responsible party of record on a permit.” Item 7 begins: “I understand that it is a frequent practice of unlicensed persons to have the property owner obtain an owner-builder permit that erroneously implies that the property owner is providing his or her own labor and materials.” Ask whose name any permit for your bathroom would carry.

Source: Section 489.103, 2026 Florida Statutes, read 15 October 2026.

The same FTC page adds: “And never make the final payment until the work is done and you’re satisfied with it.”

Source: FTC consumer advice on home improvement, read 15 October 2026.

Palm Beach County's hiring tips include: “Do not make the final payment until the permit is closed out.” Ask how your payment schedule ties the last payment to a final walk-through and, if a permit is issued, to its close-out.

Source: Palm Beach County Code Compliance contractor regulations, read 15 October 2026.

If the old shower pan, subfloor or drain turns out worse than expected once the tile is off, ask for a written change order before the crew closes the wall or sets new tile, and keep it with the signed agreement and your photographs.

Next: How InstaBids works, Florida hiring checklist.

InstaBids is in an early pilot in Broward and Palm Beach counties. InstaBids is new in your area, so finding contractors can take longer, and a request may get no bids.

Source: InstaBids process and privacy, read 15 October 2026.
Source: Pilot FAQ, read 15 October 2026.

Sources for the facts on this page

• DBPR unlicensed activity guide, what requires a license, accessed 15 October 2026.
• DBPR Construction Industry Licensing Board page, accessed 15 October 2026.
• DBPR occupation and specialty code tables, accessed 15 October 2026.
• DBPR construction business information, accessed 15 October 2026.
• DBPR Online Services licensee search, accessed 15 October 2026.
• DBPR construction FAQs on licence status, accessed 15 October 2026.
• Section 489.103, 2026 Florida Statutes, accessed 15 October 2026.
• Section 489.117, 2026 Florida Statutes, accessed 15 October 2026.
• Broward County contractor licence search, accessed 15 October 2026.
• Palm Beach County Code Compliance contractor regulations, accessed 15 October 2026.
• DFS Proof of Coverage database, accessed 15 October 2026.
• DFS Exemption Search, accessed 15 October 2026.
• DFS exemptions for corporate officers and LLC members, accessed 15 October 2026.
• EPA Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program, accessed 15 October 2026.
• EPA brief guide to mold, moisture and your home, accessed 15 October 2026.
• FTC consumer advice on home improvement, accessed 15 October 2026.
• InstaBids process and privacy, live-page excerpts reviewed 15 October 2026.
• Pilot FAQ, live-page excerpt read 15 October 2026.

Parent: InstaBids home.