InstaBidsHow do I check a pool contractor in Florida myself?
Use three dated lookups to check a pool bidder yourself: DBPR's state licence, a Broward contractor card or Palm Beach Certificate of Competency, and Florida DFS workers' compensation coverage or exemption record for the named employer or person.
Source: DBPR lookup, read 14 October 2026.
Source: CP/RP construction, servicing and specialty limits, read 14 October 2026.
Source: Broward county card, read 14 October 2026.
Source: County competency definition, read 14 October 2026.
Source: Carrier-reported DFS coverage, read 14 October 2026.
Source: DFS person search, read 14 October 2026.
Key facts
- DBPR lists residential, commercial and servicing pool/spa categories (CP/RP); new construction requires the residential or commercial scope.
Source: CP/RP construction, servicing and specialty limits, read 14 October 2026.
- Pool/spa servicing includes repair, equipment replacement and necessary additional equipment.
Source: CP/RP construction, servicing and specialty limits, read 14 October 2026.
- DBPR says pool specialty subcontractors may not contract directly with the public.
Source: CP/RP construction, servicing and specialty limits, read 14 October 2026.
- Palm Beach's locally issued contractor licence is called a Certificate of Competency.
Source: County competency definition, read 14 October 2026.
- DFS exemptions belong to officers and LLC members, not businesses.
Source: Officer/member exemptions, read 14 October 2026.
Which public records can I look up for a pool contractor?
Check three records for the pool business and proposed employer: DBPR's pool/spa category (CP/RP), a Broward contractor card or Palm Beach Certificate of Competency, and Florida DFS workers' compensation Proof of Coverage or exemption search. Keep the date with each optional search result.
Source: DBPR lookup, read 14 October 2026.
Source: CP/RP construction, servicing and specialty limits, read 14 October 2026.
Source: Broward county card, read 14 October 2026.
Source: County competency definition, read 14 October 2026.
Source: Carrier-reported DFS coverage, read 14 October 2026.
Source: DFS person search, read 14 October 2026.
DBPR's public instructions explain how to open the matching licence entry and see the individual and associated company. Keep that entry with your lookup date. Ask the bidder to identify who will contract with you for the equipment, surface or structural work rather than searching only a marketing name.
Source: DBPR business identity, read 14 October 2026.
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Post your requestHow do I read the state licence record?
Read the expiry date and the name of record; confirm future expiry and match the company to your contract. DBPR lists residential pool/spa, commercial pool/spa and pool/spa servicing (CP / RP); servicing covers repair and equipment, while construction of a new pool is in the residential or commercial pool/spa scope.
Source: CP/RP construction, servicing and specialty limits, read 14 October 2026.
Source: How to check a contractor licence, read 14 October 2026.
DBPR lists commercial and residential pool/spa contractor categories separately from servicing. It also says pool specialty subcontractors may not contract directly with the public. If a proposal names a specialist for the finish or excavation, ask who holds the homeowner's contract and how the specialist's work fits within it.
Source: CP/RP construction, servicing and specialty limits, read 14 October 2026.
The construction FAQ, read on 14 October 2026, explains the status Current, Active as a current licence permitting practice within its scope. Record the full category and status together. Ask DBPR about a category mismatch rather than treating an active servicing record as an answer to a new-construction question.
Source: Current/active status, read 14 October 2026.
DBPR explains that a certified (C) licence applies statewide, while a registered (R) licence applies only in the local jurisdictions where the contractor is registered.
Source: CP/RP construction, servicing and specialty limits, read 14 October 2026.
Start with the operation named in the category, not simply the letters CP/RP. DBPR uses those letters for residential pool/spa, commercial pool/spa and servicing categories. A servicing description addresses repair and equipment; a proposal to construct a new vessel calls for the residential or commercial construction scope. Keep the full category title in your notes so a shortened pool label does not erase that distinction.
Source: CP/RP construction, servicing and specialty limits, read 14 October 2026.
Read who is offering the homeowner agreement when a proposal includes an excavation or finish specialist. DBPR states that pool specialty contractors may not contract directly with the public and must work under the appropriate contractor's supervision and scope. Ask the bidder to identify that contracting relationship rather than treating the specialist's name as a substitute for the business responsible to you.
Source: CP/RP construction, servicing and specialty limits, read 14 October 2026.
If your request changes from repairing existing equipment to building a replacement pool, reopen the category question before reusing the earlier record note. Likewise, ask who takes responsibility when an equipment supplier introduces another firm for construction. Track the agreement you would actually sign and the operation it describes. Your record folder should connect those names and tasks, leaving an unresolved relationship as a question for DBPR instead of a conclusion about the bidder.
Does the county also keep a record?
Read the Palm Beach Certificate of Competency as a locally issued contractor licence; Broward provides its own contractor card search. For a pool bidder with a DBPR registered category, ask the county about registration at the project's address.
Source: Broward county card, read 14 October 2026.
Source: Palm Beach contractor directory, read 14 October 2026.
Source: County competency definition, read 14 October 2026.
Source: CP/RP construction, servicing and specialty limits, read 14 October 2026.
Broward's search has a field labelled 'CC Number' for the county card number; a DBPR state licence number belongs in the DBPR search instead.
Source: Broward county card, read 14 October 2026.
Source: DBPR lookup, read 14 October 2026.
Keep the homeowner's contracting business identifiable when the proposal names several pool specialists. Use that company's entry for the county question; ask separately about another business that would sign a separate agreement. Palm Beach names its local contractor licence a Certificate of Competency and links the county search from Contractor Regulations.
Source: County competency definition, read 14 October 2026.
Source: Palm Beach contractor directory, read 14 October 2026.
Broward's browser form needs JavaScript and session cookies. Search by contractor or firm name if you lack the county card number, or consult the contractor-record phone line on Broward's Building Code page.
Source: Broward county card, read 14 October 2026.
Source: Broward record enquiries, read 14 October 2026.
How can I check workers' compensation coverage?
Use the DFS coverage database for an optional employer lookup before pool work starts, retaining the date with your written scope. Ask who employs the excavation, interior-finish or equipment crew involved, so you have the business name relevant to each question.
Source: Carrier-reported DFS coverage, read 14 October 2026.
DFS describes the database as a selection of information reported by carriers. Keep your recorded result with the employer name supplied by the contractor. If a separate company will install equipment or work on the pool interior, ask about that staffing arrangement before deciding which employer record to consult.
Source: Carrier-reported DFS coverage, read 14 October 2026.
DFS offers a separate exemption search and states that exemptions are issued to officers and LLC members, not businesses. Where the bidder provides one, record the person's name and lookup date; ask DFS about its meaning rather than extending the result to the entire proposed crew.
Source: Officer/member exemptions, read 14 October 2026.
Source: DFS person search, read 14 October 2026.
Request a sequence of the planned operations for a larger pool project: site preparation, vessel work, equipment installation, finish and handover. Ask the contracting business to identify the team involved at each stage, particularly when attendance will change over the course of the work.
If a proposed specialist is replaced before its stage begins, ask for the new business identity and role. Keep that update with your optional record notes. Do not assume that the people installing equipment and the people applying an interior finish necessarily have the same employer merely because both arrive for the pool project.
DFS says “Upon issuance of an exemption, the officer or member is not considered an employee of the business and may not recover workers' compensation benefits.”
Source: Officer/member exemptions, read 14 October 2026.
What should I ask for in writing about insurance?
Ask for a certificate of insurance naming you as certificate holder for the pool business on your written scope. Provide your project address and request issuer details, then direct coverage questions to the insurer instead of interpreting the certificate from the proposed pool work.
Source: FTC estimate and insurance checklist, read 14 October 2026.
Make the document request specific to the contracting business. Ask for an explanation if the equipment supplier, finish installer and business signing your agreement have different names. Keep those responses in your project folder alongside the version of the pool proposal under consideration.
Palm Beach asks homeowners to request “Liability and Workers Compensation insurance”.
Source: Palm Beach contractor directory, read 14 October 2026.
Source: FTC estimate and insurance checklist, read 14 October 2026.
How do I describe the pool job before checking anyone?
Describe the vessel, circulation equipment and surrounding surfaces as separate parts of your written scope. Identify whether you want equipment repair, an interior finish or new construction, with retained components, access restrictions and deck boundaries clearly marked.
Describe the intended result before collecting documents. For a pump request, identify the current equipment and the proposed replacement. For a resurfacing proposal, mark the interior, tile and coping boundaries. For construction, ask for a separate description of the pool, deck and associated equipment.
Separate your pool project into the vessel, circulation equipment and surrounding surfaces before asking who will contract for it. Identify the existing pump, filter and other equipment from accessible labels without dismantling anything. Ask the bidder to mark which pieces remain and which are proposed replacements.
For interior finish work, ask where preparation stops and how the proposed finish meets existing fittings, tile and coping. If the response identifies damaged material, request its location and the proposed repair as a separate item. Do not turn an observation about appearance into your own diagnosis of the underlying structure.
For new construction, ask who supplies the design and how the proposed pool, deck and equipment location are represented in it. If access crosses a narrow side yard or shared area, ask the contractor to describe its intended route and any arrangements you must make. Keep access questions visible without attempting to specify the excavation method yourself.
Use different component boundaries for equipment repair, refinishing and new construction. Complete only the rows relevant to your request, leaving design and repair findings for the pool contractor to explain.
| Pool component | Detail to identify | Responsibility to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Circulation equipment | Accessible pump and filter identification, including items expected to remain | Who selects replacement equipment, makes the specified connections and performs startup? |
| Interior surface | Area to be refinished and any appearance concern you want examined | What preparation is included, and how are additional repair findings presented for your decision? |
| Tile line | Retained tile and any sections proposed for replacement | How does the new finish meet retained tile, and who supplies replacement selections? |
| Coping | Sections included and their relationship to the surrounding deck | Where does coping work stop, and is adjoining deck repair within the same agreement? |
| Fittings and lights | Locations affected by surface work, as identified by the bidder | Which components are retained or removed, and who contracts for separate electrical operations? |
| New vessel | Drawing revision, outline, steps and features discussed | Who supplies the design and incorporates a requested change into the construction description? |
| Equipment pad and access | Proposed equipment position and known entry restrictions | How are connections, excavation access and restoration divided among the businesses involved? |
When the contractor replaces a drawing, carry the revision through the component list. An unchanged finish selection does not show that the vessel dimensions, equipment position or deck limits stayed the same.
Ask a bidder proposing several specialists to identify the business responsible for the complete homeowner agreement. Keep specialist names beside their operations and ask how their work is coordinated. The point of the list is to make the contracting arrangement understandable before you decide.
How does InstaBids work, in one paragraph?
Homeowners pay InstaBids nothing. Contractors who take part estimate from your photos and a written scope card, so nobody visits before you see any prices. The contractor you pick may visit once before settling the final price against the percentage the bid stated.
Source: How InstaBids works, read 14 October 2026.
Contractors in your trade see the scope card, your photos and your 5-digit ZIP code.
Source: How InstaBids works, read 14 October 2026.
Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection. The contact-detail filter can miss disguised contact details.
Source: Pilot FAQ, read 14 October 2026.
What should I do before I sign?
Read the pool proposal for component boundaries, permit responsibility and a written completion description before signing. Ask which equipment stays, which surfaces change and who handles any separate electrical work, then resolve exclusions that would leave the finished project undefined.
Source: FTC estimate and insurance checklist, read 14 October 2026.
Source: CP/RP construction, servicing and specialty limits, read 14 October 2026.
For equipment work, request the proposed model, connections and commissioning tasks. For a finish project, identify preparation, tile, coping and any repair discovery process. For new construction, ask how the design, excavation, deck and equipment installation are divided into written stages.
Name the handover you expect: operating instructions for replacement equipment, the agreed finish boundaries and documents for completed work. Ask who answers questions after the installation and how requested changes will be recorded.
Next: How to check a contractor licence, Florida contractor licence guide, Florida hiring checklist.
Home jobs 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: Pilot FAQ, read 14 October 2026.
Sources for the facts on this page
Read DBPR's pool categories before assigning equipment repairs or construction to a bidder; county records and DFS lookups answer different identity questions, and the FTC estimate guidance supports making your proposed work and materials explicit.
Sources checked: 14 October 2026.
- DBPR lookup.
- DBPR business identity.
- Pilot FAQ, checked 14 October 2026.
- CP/RP construction, servicing and specialty limits.
- Current/active status.
- Palm Beach contractor directory.
- County competency definition.
- Broward county card.
- Broward record enquiries.
- Carrier-reported DFS coverage.
- Officer/member exemptions.
- DFS person search.
- FTC estimate and insurance checklist.
- How InstaBids works, checked 14 October 2026.
- How to check a contractor licence, checked 14 October 2026.
Parent: InstaBids home.