Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB)

The Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) is the Florida state board responsible for licensing and regulating the construction industry, including roofing contractors. It works within the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), and licensing is governed by Chapter 489 of the Florida Statutes. Information is available on myfloridalicense.com.

What the board does

The CILB meets regularly to consider licence applications, review disciplinary cases and hold informal hearings. It also writes rules to carry out the licensing statutes.

Roofing contractor licences

Florida has two main kinds of roofing contractor licence:

• Certified roofing contractor. Holds a certificate of competency from the state and may contract anywhere in Florida without meeting each local jurisdiction's competency requirements.
• Registered roofing contractor. Has registered with the state after meeting the competency requirements of a particular local jurisdiction, and may contract only in those jurisdictions.

The roofing licence covers roofing work generally, including skylights, required roof-deck attachment, and repair or replacement of wood roof sheathing or fascia as part of roof work. Roof-to-wall connection improvements are covered only when done together with roof covering repair or replacement.

General, building and residential contractors also have defined scopes, and in many cases roofing work must be performed by a licensed roofing contractor.

Checking a licence

Consumers can look up a contractor's licence status through the DBPR online licence search. The department also provides a database showing contractors' workers' compensation coverage status. Checking a licence before signing a contract is especially important after hurricanes, when unlicensed operators may solicit work.

Florida context

Florida's roofing is governed by the Florida Building Code, which includes strict wind provisions and a product approval system, with extra requirements in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone of Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association (FRSA) is the main trade association, separate from the licensing board.