Verify the business.
Then review the scope.

Match the contract name to the license record

Use Florida DBPR’s official lookup and construction business guidance. Check the business name and individual qualifier, license status and whether the credential supports the proposed scope. Ask the local building office about registration and any additional project requirements.

DBPR construction business information · Monroe County Building and Permitting

What should you save from a credential check?

Record the date, exact name, license number, status and scope you checked. If the proposal is from a business, resolve its relationship to the named qualifier before signing. Recheck if the contracting entity changes.

Engineering is a separate check. The Florida Board of Professional Engineers links to the state lookup for engineers and engineering companies. Ask who will be responsible for any engineering report or design and verify that person and business.

• A matching number is not proof of relevant seawall experience.
• A construction license does not identify the author of an engineering design.
• A photograph or sales name does not establish the legal party in your agreement.

Florida engineering credential verification

Ask about work over water explicitly

Describe barges, dock access, demolition and the planned work next to navigable water when requesting insurance confirmation. Monroe County’s notice warns that Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation coverage may be needed. Have an insurance professional explain the applicable coverage instead of assuming a generic certificate settles it.

Work Over Water Notice

Request relevant, verifiable examples

• A comparable wall system and access constraint.
• The contractor’s actual role in the referenced project.
• Permission to contact the reference.
• An explanation of how unexpected ground or habitat findings were handled.
• A sample scope showing exclusions and closeout documents.

Do not treat a photograph as proof of who designed or built the wall.

Which gaps should be resolved before a deposit?

For a reference project, ask the owner what work was actually performed, whether changes were documented and whether closeout records arrived. That is more useful than asking only whether they liked the contractor.

Name the permit coordinator

Ask who handles county or Village applications, DEP, federal review and NOAA’s sanctuary submission. Obtain a list of approvals required before work starts. A contractor saying “permits included” should be able to explain what that includes and what remains an owner or consultant responsibility.

Monroe County OPAL applications · Islamorada Building Services · NOAA nearshore submission checklist · Notice To Proceed Instructional Handout (Internet Archive copy)

Compare terms before paying

• Legal business identity and payment recipient.
• Measured work limits, material specification and drawings.
• Milestones, change-order method and weather/access provisions.
• Restoration, disposal and neighboring-property responsibilities.
• Inspection closeout, warranty scope and exclusions.

Use the scope checklist. We help you prepare for the conversation; your chosen professional confirms the scope, price and work agreement.