In response to recent storm damage to property, Escambia County building officials caution the public to be wary of unlicensed contractors and home repair scams after the storm.
Florida law requires a contractor’s license and workers’ compensation insurance and sets specific rules and guidelines for professional licensing, which are standards that protect Floridians form personal harm or financial loss. The liability for injuries to uninsured contractors could be devastating. Door-to-door repair operators and out-of-state contractors may seem attractive because they usually do not have a long waiting list, but they are perpetrating a fraud. Those laws also protect licensed professionals from unfair competition with cut-rate unlicensed individuals.
Contractors can easily be checked out by contacting the Building Inspections Department by email at [email protected] or call (850) 595-3509. Also, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) can verify licenses at www.myfloridalicense.com or call (850) 487-1395.
Escambia County residents should report suspected unlicensed or unpermitted work by emailing [email protected] or by calling (850) 595-3509.
