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

Start by sorting your kitchen plan into wall, plumbing, wiring and gas work on one side and cabinets, countertops, tile and paint on the other, then use the optional records that fit: a Florida DBPR general, building or residential contractor record, separate plumbing or electrical records, a county search and DFS coverage records.

Source: DBPR unlicensed activity guide, what requires a license, read 15 October 2026.
Source: DBPR Construction Industry Licensing Board page, read 15 October 2026.
Source: Section 489.105, 2026 Florida Statutes, read 15 October 2026.
Source: DBPR occupation and specialty code tables, read 15 October 2026.
Source: DBPR Online Services licensee search, read 15 October 2026.
Source: Broward County contractor licensing lookup, read 15 October 2026.
Source: Palm Beach County Code Compliance contractor regulations, 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.

Researched by the InstaBids editorial team. Last checked: 15 October 2026 Updated 2026-10-16

A newly installed kitchen corner with white cabinets, a pale quartz countertop and an undermount sink.

Key facts

Which public records can I look up for a kitchen remodeling contractor?

Use the DBPR licence search for the business running your kitchen job and for any plumber or electrician it brings in, a Broward or Palm Beach county card search, and the DFS coverage lookup for every employer. All of these are optional; note on your written scope the day you ran each.

Source: DBPR Online Services licensee search, read 15 October 2026.
Source: Broward County contractor licensing lookup, read 15 October 2026.
Source: Palm Beach County Code Compliance contractor regulations, read 15 October 2026.
Source: DFS Proof of Coverage database, read 15 October 2026.

Ask which business does each part of the kitchen before you search. DBPR's construction business information page, read 15 October 2026, states: “Some construction work in Florida (such as cabinets, countertops, flooring, paint, wallpaper and window treatments, to name a few) may not require a state license. These types of contractors may be licensed through a local building department.”

Source: DBPR notes on construction businesses, read 15 October 2026.

A cabinet shop that only sets boxes, or a stone fabricator that only sets counters, may turn up nothing on DBPR. Treat an empty state result for that business as a reason to ask which local record, if any, it holds, not as a finding about the company.

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How do I read the state licence record?

Ask which kitchen tasks the bidder proposes before reading any DBPR record. DBPR's unlicensed activity table lists paid remodeling that alters or replaces a load-bearing wall under Needs a DBPR License, and installing cabinets or wood or tile flooring, paid or not, under Does not need a DBPR License.

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

DBPR's unlicensed activity page, read 15 October 2026, under Needs a DBPR License: “Remodel a home that requires alteration or replacement of a load-bearing wall for compensation.” Under Does not need a DBPR License: “Paint; install cabinets, wood or tile flooring, and insulation regardless of compensation.” Ask whether opening the wall between your kitchen and dining area touches a load-bearing wall, and who decides that.

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

The same table lists under Needs a DBPR License: “Install a dishwasher (requires connecting to drinking water) or replace a hot-water heater for compensation.” In its electrical table: “Install or replace electric outlets and switches for compensation.” The electrical section adds: “If you pay someone to perform even the simplest of electrical work, such as connecting two wires, you must hire a licensee.”

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

DBPR's construction page labels the general contractor category CG and RG, the building contractor category CB and RB and the residential contractor category CR and RR. Ask the business running your kitchen job which of those records it holds, then read how the statute limits the narrower two.

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

Section 489.105(3) of the 2026 Florida Statutes, read 15 October 2026, defines them this way:

  1. "“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."

    Source: Section 489.105, 2026 Florida Statutes, read 15 October 2026.

  2. "“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."

    Source: Section 489.105, 2026 Florida Statutes, read 15 October 2026.

Compare the definitions with your home and your plan: a kitchen in a single-storey house, a kitchen on an upper floor of a condominium building and a plan that removes a wall raise different questions, so ask the bidder which of its records covers your building and your wall work.

Plumbing and wiring have their own records. DBPR's construction page defines CF and RF this way: "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." DBPR's codes page, in its Occupation Codes table, pairs EC with “Electrical Contractor” and ER with “Registered Electrical Contractor”.

Source: DBPR Construction Industry Licensing Board page, read 15 October 2026.
Source: DBPR occupation and specialty code tables, read 15 October 2026.

Section 489.113(3) of the same statutes, read 15 October 2026, opens: “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:” Its first exception begins: “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.” Further exceptions follow in that subsection. Ask the business running your kitchen job to name who moves the sink drain and who runs any new appliance circuit, and search those names too.

Source: Section 489.113, 2026 Florida Statutes, read 15 October 2026.

Ask who runs or moves gas piping to your range, and which record that business holds.

Section 489.117(1)(b) of the 2026 Florida Statutes, read 15 October 2026, states: “Registration allows the registrant to engage in contracting only in the counties, municipalities, or development districts where he or she has complied with all local licensing requirements, if any, and only for the type of work covered by the registration.” Compare a registered record with the town or county where your kitchen is.

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

A status sits beside each category. In DBPR's construction FAQ, the answer for current and active is “Your contractor’s license is current and you may practice within your scope of work.” If the record shows any other status, read the FAQ answer for that exact wording before you rely on it.

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

On the company question, DBPR's business information page says: “The name of the approved business entity will appear on the contractor’s individual license.” Hold the kitchen proposal next to the record, compare the two business names, and see whether the expiration date shown falls after your planned finish date.

Source: DBPR notes on construction businesses, read 15 October 2026.

Does the county also keep a record?

Sometimes, and a county contractor card is a separate question from a permit. Broward and Palm Beach County each run a contractor search for local cards, so you can check the business on your written scope there too, and ask the bidder which building department would receive any permit application for your kitchen.

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

Section 489.117(4)(a)1. of the 2026 Florida Statutes, read 15 October 2026, states: “For purposes of this section, job scopes for which a local government may not require a license include, but are not limited to, painting; flooring; cabinetry; interior remodeling when the scope of the project does not include a task for which a state license is required; driveway or tennis court installation; handyman services; decorative stone, tile, marble, granite, or terrazzo installation; plastering; pressure washing; stuccoing; caulking; and canvas awning and ornamental iron installation.” Ask a countertop or backsplash installer which, if any, local card it holds before you search for one.

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

On Broward's search page, the instruction reads “Select one of the three search methods to find the Contractor Licenses”, and the licence-number method asks for a “CC Number:”. Ask the bidder which county issued any card it shows you.

Source: Broward County contractor licensing lookup, read 15 October 2026.

Palm Beach County's FAQ on contractor certification, read 15 October 2026, defines a Certificate of Competency in one line: “This is the term used for a Palm Beach County issued contractor's license.”

Source: Palm Beach County contractors certification FAQ, read 15 October 2026.

The county's Permit Center page, read the same day, states: “The Permit Center processes permit applications for building construction in the unincorporated area of Palm Beach County.” Ask the bidder whether your address falls in that area or within a city, which department would receive any application for your kitchen, and whose name it would carry.

Source: Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning and Building Permit Center, read 15 October 2026.

How can I check workers' compensation coverage?

Search the DFS Proof of Coverage database, if you choose, for each business that sends people into your kitchen: the demolition and framing crew, the plumber, the electrician and the cabinet and countertop installers. Write the search date on your written scope, and note whether each result shows a policy or an exemption, since the database holds both.

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

Ask for the employer's name on each trade in writing. A kitchen job can hand off from tear-out to rough plumbing and wiring, then to cabinet setting, countertop templating and backsplash tile, and each handoff may bring a different business through your door.

An exemption is a different record. The DFS exemptions page explains: “The purpose of obtaining an exemption is for officers of a corporation or members of a limited liability company to exclude themselves as employees from workers' compensation insurance laws. 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 kitchen firm shows you an exemption, file it under that person's name, never as a record of the crew who will tear out your cabinets.

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

What should I ask for in writing about insurance?

Ask the business that signs your kitchen agreement for a certificate of insurance only if you want one, with you named at the job address on your written scope. Nothing here is compulsory, and a question about what the certificate says goes to whoever issued it.

The FTC's consumer advice on home improvement, read 15 October 2026, puts it this way: “Check with your state or county government to confirm a contractor’s license, and ask the contractor for proof of insurance.” Treat that as one more optional step, on your own timetable.

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

Keep each certificate beside the line item it relates to, so you can see which part of the kitchen job it concerns.

How do I describe the kitchen remodeling job before checking anyone?

Describe the kitchen as it is and as you want it: which walls stay, whether the sink, range or dishwasher moves, which appliances are new, and what happens to the old cabinets and counters, including disposal. Add photographs of every wall, the sink base and the electrical panel, so every bidder answers the same written scope.

List each appliance you plan to keep or buy, with its model and whether it runs on gas or electricity, and say who takes delivery and who connects it. Ask each bidder whether a new range, wall oven, range hood or microwave changes the wiring, gas piping or venting, and who does that part.

Ask when the countertop will be measured for templating, whether the sink and faucet must be on site first, and who cuts the openings for the sink and cooktop. Say how long your household can manage without a working kitchen sink, and ask how the crew will reach the kitchen and cover the floors on the way in.

Settle three choices before you compare responses:

  1. New cabinets and counters in the same footprint, or a new layout that moves the sink, range or dishwasher.
  2. Every wall left where it is, or an opening cut between the kitchen and the next room.
  3. The existing gas or electric supply kept for cooking, or a change of fuel or a new circuit.

What should my request include?

Photograph each kitchen wall, the sink base, the range connection and the electrical panel, then write a scope that splits demolition, framing, plumbing, wiring, gas, cabinets, countertops, backsplash and disposal into their own items. Then ask every bidder to list the items its response omits.

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What should I do before I sign?

Compare the kitchen agreement with your written scope item by item: the cabinet line and finish, the countertop material and edge, each appliance hookup, the start date, the finish date and when each payment falls due. Ask whose name goes on any permit, and whether the agreement names the business you looked up.

Federal Trade Commission advice on hiring for home improvements, read 15 October 2026, says: “Before you sign a contract, make sure it includes”. One item in that list reads “any promises made during conversations or calls related to issues such as the scope of work and the cost of labor and materials”. Write down what a bidder said in the showroom or on the phone about hardware, soft-close drawers or sink models, and ask for it on the agreement.

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

The same guidance adds: “And, make sure all blank spaces are filled in.” Look for empty lines in the cabinet, countertop and tile sections before you sign.

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

If demolition exposes rotted subfloor under the old sink, a pipe in an unexpected place or wiring that has to be redone, ask for a written change order and agree on it before the crew closes the wall. Keep that change order in one folder with the signed agreement, every kitchen photo and every version of the scope.

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