Picking a roofer in Orlando carries higher stakes than picking a painter or plumber. A bad roof can fail fast during hurricane season and may void your insurance when you need it most.
Check the state license on the DBPR site first
In Florida, anyone can paint “licensed and insured” on a truck. The paint means nothing. The state record is what matters.
Ask every contractor for the full company name and state license number. Then pull the record yourself on the Florida DBPR website. You want to see active and in good standing with no open discipline. Don’t accept a screenshot or photocopy as proof. Those can be edited or out of date, and we’ve seen both.
You’re looking for a state-certified roofing license. In Florida, that number starts with CCC. It means the holder passed a statewide competency exam and meets state requirements to pull roofing permits and perform full roof replacements anywhere in Florida under state rules.
A county registration is different. It allows work in one county or city where a local office gave approval, but it does not show that the contractor passed the state exam.
Match the names closely. The name on the license has to match the name on the contract and the name on the insurance papers. If the salesperson hands you a card with one name while the license shows another, stop there.
If the search shows inactive or delinquent, don’t listen to excuses about paperwork delays. A working roofer keeps that license current because no legal permit can be pulled without it.
Don’t skip this step.
Turn away storm chasers after a hurricane
Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. Every year brings the same pattern to Orlando. A storm brushes central Florida, and within days, trucks with out-of-state plates start knocking on doors.
A storm chaser has no shop you can visit. The address may be a PO box or short-term rental, while the crew was hired for the week. The company name may change by next season, so past work can’t be checked, and online reviews often point to dead numbers or empty lots.
The pitch usually feels urgent. Sign tonight so we can hold your spot. Let us talk to your insurer for you. Sign this form so we can start tarping now. That form is often an assignment of benefits that hands your claim rights to the contractor.
Don’t sign anything before your adjuster has seen the roof. A real local contractor will tarp the roof to stop water entry and tell you to wait for the inspection. A chaser wants the paperwork signed while you’re stressed.
If you feel rushed, you’re being sold.
Ask where their last three Orlando roofs went on. Request street names and permit numbers that you can look up. A local crew answers quickly, while a chaser changes the subject.
Get a name and a card, then say you’ll call back after the adjuster’s visit. Legitimate contractors respect that pause and leave the card.
Verify insurance with a phone call, not a PDF
Roofing is hard construction work. Crews handle steep pitches in brutal heat while working with nail guns and tear-off loads. Falls and injuries happen even with good crews, and Florida requires workers’ compensation when a contractor has employees.
Ask for a certificate of insurance that lists general liability and workers’ compensation. Look for at least $1 million in general liability, but don’t stop at the paper.
Call the listed insurance carriers. Use a phone number you find yourself rather than one the contractor gives you. Confirm the policies are active today and that the name on each policy matches the license and the contract you are being asked to sign.
This matters because a lapsed policy can leave you exposed. If a worker is hurt on your property without coverage, medical claims and legal costs can turn towards the homeowner. An uncovered accident can even cloud the title and slow a future sale.
Certificates can be forged. Policies can also be cancelled a week after they’re printed. A five-minute call is the only proof that counts.
Some homeowners accept a PDF only to learn later that the workers’ compensation policy had lapsed in spring. That gap becomes their problem when a helper falls from a ladder.
It’s awkward to question someone’s paperwork to their face. Do it anyway, every time.
Hire local and demand a real permit history
An Orlando roof has to meet the Florida Building Code for wind uplift and fastening. That calls for the right underlayment and nailing pattern for the local wind zone. Paper specifications don’t mean much if the crew hasn’t worked under Orange County or City of Orlando inspectors.
Ask for a physical shop address in the Orlando area that you could drive past. Find out how often the contractor pulls permits with the city and county. Then request a couple of recent permit numbers you can check through the public portal. You want to see passed inspections tied to the contractor’s license number, not just photos on a phone.
Unpermitted work follows you. It can stall a sale when the buyer’s inspector flags a roof with no record. It can also give your insurer a reason to deny a future claim after wind damage. The small saving from skipping a permit may become a much larger loss later.
Once you’ve confirmed licensing and insurance, the best next move is to schedule in-person estimates from a qualified Orlando Roofing Company with a documented local track record and permit history you can check.
During the estimate, listen for code details. A local professional talks about drip edge and starter strip, along with ridge venting and pipe flashing, without prompting. If the conversation stays focused on colour and monthly cost, keep looking.
Good crews can name the underlayment they use and explain why it suits a low-slope porch compared with a steep main roof.
Insist on manufacturer training and two separate warranties
Shingle manufacturers don’t hand out their top badges to everyone. Programmes such as GAF Master Elite and Owens Corning Platinum require proof of training and job audits. The contractor has to show that the crew installs products to specification, rather than simply demonstrating strong sales.
That badge matters because it unlocks better backing. A certified installer can provide an extended warranty that is registered with the manufacturer and transfers to the next buyer if you sell within the coverage term. A non-certified installer can only provide the basic material coverage.
You need to understand both layers. The manufacturer covers defects in the shingle itself. That coverage often runs 25 to 30 years, prorated, and it shrinks over time. It does not cover leaks caused by poor nailing or flashing.
The contractor covers installation errors through the workmanship warranty. New or thin companies may offer one or two years, while established Orlando roofers often provide five or more. Put the exact length and terms in the contract. Verbal promises mean nothing when a leak appears in year four.
Ask who handles a claim and whether the manufacturer or contractor sends the inspector. Get names and phone numbers before signing. Clear answers now can prevent finger-pointing later.
Read the fine print covering proration and transfer fees. Some extended coverage stays strong for a decade before stepping down. Keep the registration letter with the permit card so the next buyer can see the proof.
Choose materials for Orlando heat and wind
Most Orlando homes have asphalt shingles. The combination of cost and weight helps explain why asphalt shingles are used on approximately 75 to 80 percent of homes in North America (ARMA). In this market, the specification sheet matters more than the colour.
Check the wind rating on the exact shingle listed in your quote. Orlando sits in a high-wind zone with design speeds above 110 mph. You want a shingle and nailing pattern rated for that force, with the rating named in writing so the inspector and insurer see the same specification. Ask the contractor to put the product name and wind rating in the proposal. If two quotes list different shingles, you aren’t comparing equal bids.
Heat matters too. Attics here bake from April through October. Cool-roof shingles carry reflectivity ratings that send more sunlight back. That can lower attic temperatures and trim summer cooling costs. They cost more initially, so weigh that gain against how long you intend to stay.
Hail and flying limbs pose another threat. Impact-resistant shingles use a tougher mat to resist cracks. No shingle will make a roof storm-proof, but these products can reduce bruising and granule loss after a burst of hail.
Don’t choose from a brochure alone. Hold a real sample and feel its weight. Ask how it seals in high heat.
Check the underlayment and ventilation alongside the shingle choice because heat and moisture age a roof from below.
Compare equal quotes and keep control of money and paper
Get three or four itemised quotes based on the same scope, including the same full tear-off plan, shingle name and underlayment.
A line-by-line review tells the truth. One quote may include a full tear-off and new underlayment, while another reuses old flashing to look cheaper. Those aren’t equal bids, even when the totals are close.
Look for flashing, drip edge, starter strip and ridge venting in every bid. Check debris removal and gutter protection as well. Missing lines become change orders that you pay later at full markup.
Never pay for the full job up front. An established Florida contractor often asks for 10 to 25 percent down to secure materials and crew time. Tie the balance to construction progress and final sign-off after the city or county inspection passes. Keep the last payment until you hold the passed inspection card and warranty registration in your hands, rather than accepting a promise that they’ll arrive later.
Watch the deductible and the fine print
Florida law bars contractors from paying or rebating your insurance deductible. If a roofer says they’ll eat the deductible or hide it in the bill, that pitch breaks the law. Honest calculations include your hurricane deductible, which in Florida is often a percentage of the home value rather than a flat sum.
Don’t hand over your claim rights lightly
An assignment of benefits transfers your claim rights to the contractor. After reforms in Florida, that document still limits your pull with the insurer. Don’t sign one at the door. Have a public adjuster or attorney read it first, and keep control of your claim and checks.
A roof is too big a purchase to make on trust alone. Check the license first, call the carrier yourself and write down the answer. Pull the permit history. When bids match in scope and the paperwork protects you, choose the crew that answers clearly and shows up on time. That care now buys dry seasons later.