If you hold a Florida state contractor license, your license number has to appear in your advertising, and your website counts as advertising. Homeowners are told to verify that number on the DBPR license search. They're also told to check insurance, finished work, reviews and written estimates. Your website can answer all five checks.
Roofing, plumbing, A/C, pool and general contracting owners all face the same checklist, and it comes from public consumer guides that anyone can read. When your website answers each item in plain view, a homeowner has what they need before they pick up the phone.
Florida's License Number Rule for Contractor Advertising
The rule comes from Florida Statutes section 489.119. The wording is broad.
"The registration or certification number of each contractor shall appear in each offer of services, business proposal, bid, contract, or advertisement, regardless of medium, as defined by board rule, used by that contractor or business organization in the practice of contracting."
That board rule is Florida Administrative Code rule 61G4-12.011. Its definition of advertising covers business cards, contracts, construction signs and signs on vehicles. It also covers "any electronic media including Internet sites". Your contractor website falls inside that definition.
The statute also lists a few exceptions, and business stationery plus promotional items such as balloons, pencils, trinkets or clothing don't count as advertisements. The rule text doesn't say where on a website the number must go, so that part is your call.
Enforcement starts with a notice. For a first offense, the licensing board issues a notice of noncompliance. If you don't correct it within 30 days, or it happens again later, the board may assess a fine or issue a citation.
One limit matters here. The rule is for state-licensed trades. DBPR's brochure, Hire a State-Licensed Contractor, lists trades that don't need a state license. They include painting, carpentry, drywall, flooring, masonry, paving, and tree trimming and removal.
How Homeowners Look Up Your License
The same brochure lists warning signs that a contractor may not be licensed, and one of them is "No license number in advertisement or posting." The brochure explains that sign in one line.
"By law, contractors licensed by DBPR must include their license number in all advertising."
The brochure also tells homeowners to ask to see the state-issued license, verify the number with DBPR, and check for any complaints. The Federal Trade Commission gives similar advice in its guide on home improvement scams. Its guide tells people to check with their state or county government to confirm a contractor's license.
The license search lets anyone look up a Florida license by name, license number, city or county, or license type. A homeowner who finds your number on your website can check it without calling you first. Show the number as plain text, written the same way it appears on your license, and use the business name that's on your license record, too.
Proof of Insurance and Photos of Finished Work
The FTC guide is direct. "Consider only contractors who are licensed and insured." It also tells homeowners to ask the contractor for proof of insurance.
If you're insured, say so on your website in plain words. Add a line that tells homeowners how to ask for proof, whether by form, email or phone. A homeowner shouldn't have to guess whether you're open to that request.
Photos matter as well. Tips from the BBB point homeowners toward your finished work.
"View photos or videos of a company's completed project on their BBB Profile, website, or social media channels."
A project gallery answers that tip. Label each job with the trade and the city, like a tile roof in Clearwater or a pool resurfacing in Sarasota. Use your own jobs for labels like those. The BBB also tells homeowners to ask for a list of recent local references, so a short note that references are available on request covers that one too.
Check how your gallery looks on a phone, too. A guide on why small businesses should fix the mobile website first covers the basics.
Reviews Homeowners Can Trust
The FTC says, "Read reviews with a critical eye." Its guide also tells homeowners to search a company's name online with words like scam, review or complaint, so expect them to do that with your name.
Google reviews are one place homeowners can read feedback. Per Google Business Profile Help, reviews "show next to your Business Profile in Maps and Search." Link to your profile from your website so a homeowner can read those reviews in one tap. A guide on how your Google Business Profile affects local search ranking goes deeper.
Ask customers for honest reviews, and don't offer anything in return. Google's help page addresses incentives such as free or discounted goods or services in exchange for reviews. Offering them "is considered fake & misleading content and is strictly prohibited."
A Clear Way to Ask for a Written Estimate
DBPR's brochure tells homeowners, "Get a written estimate from several licensed contractors." The FTC says it in fewer words: "Get multiple estimates." Homeowners are shopping around, and they're told to.
Per the FTC, a written estimate should include:
- A description of the work
- The materials
- A completion date
- The price
Give homeowners one obvious way to request that estimate, like a short form with their name, address, phone number and the type of job. Say on the page that your estimates are written, and list what they cover. The FTC also says a contract should list the contractor's name, address, phone number and license number before anyone signs. Put those same details on your website so they match what the homeowner sees later.
Quick Answers for Florida Contractors
Do Florida contractors need a license number on their website? Yes, if they hold a Florida state contractor license. Florida law says the registration or certification number must appear in each advertisement, and the rule includes Internet websites.
Does my painting or flooring company need to show a state license number? DBPR lists painting and flooring among trades that don't need a state license. The Florida advertising rule covered here is for state-licensed trades.
Where on my website does the number have to go? The statute and board rule text cited here don't name a spot. They say the number must appear in advertising, regardless of medium.
Every check in this post comes from a public guide. A contractor website that answers each one in plain view gives homeowners the facts they're told to look for.
See our contractor websites.
