Florida has more unlicensed pool work than almost any state. These five questions take two minutes and will tell you whether you are talking to a licensed contractor or a handyman with a truck. Ask us the same questions.
Print this or keep it on your phone. Our answers are included so you can hold us to them.
Florida pool contractors hold a CPC (commercial) or CPB/CPD (residential/servicing) license from the DBPR. A county 'registration' or a business tax receipt is not a contractor license. Get the number, then look it up at myfloridalicense.com and confirm it is active and in the name of the company on the quote. Ours: CPC1456897.
General liability and workers' compensation, with your name added as certificate holder. If a worker is hurt in your backyard and the contractor has no workers' comp, Florida law can put the claim on you. A legitimate company sends the certificate the same day. Ours: yes, ask and we send it.
Resurfacing, equipment replacement, and structural work all require permits in Sarasota, Charlotte, Manatee, and Lee counties. 'You do not need one for this' is the most common lie in the trade. Unpermitted work surfaces during a home sale and the fine lands on the homeowner. Ours: we pull it and schedule inspections on every job.
A written estimate should list surface prep, finish, tile, coping, drain covers, permit, and who handles the 30-day startup after new plaster. If it is one number on a business card, walk away. Watch for 'discount expires today' pressure; that is a sales tactic, not a contractor talking. Ours: written and itemized on the first visit, good for 30 days.
Ask for the material warranty (from the finish manufacturer) and the workmanship warranty (from the contractor) separately, in years, in writing. A 'lifetime warranty' from a company that has been around two years is worth exactly that. Ours: both in writing, on the contract.
Call 941-302-8081. License CPC1456897, insured, permits on every job, written estimate on the first visit, warranty in writing. Veteran-owned.
Any one of these and you should thank them for their time.
Florida law limits deposits on home improvement contracts and requires work to start within a set period. A demand for half or more in cash before a shovel moves is the classic setup for a contractor who disappears.
Door-to-door pool sales are a known scam pattern targeting retirees. A real contractor is booked and does not need to knock.
A company you cannot find is a company you cannot hold accountable. Ours is 1121 W Price Blvd #126, North Port, and you are welcome to stop by.
Florida requires the license number on contracts and advertising. If it is not there, ask why.
Go to myfloridalicense.com, choose 'Verify a License', enter the license number or business name, and confirm three things: status is Current/Active, the name matches the company on your quote, and there are no open complaints. Do this for every contractor, including us.
What resurfacing should cost, the pool inspection checklist for home buyers, or find your town on service areas.
Search CPC1456897 at myfloridalicense.com. Veteran-owned. Serving Sarasota to Fort Myers.