Florida · Buyer's guide
How to choose a metal roofing contractor in Florida
Start with the license: Florida licenses roofing contractors under Chapter 489, and you can look one up at MyFloridaLicense.com in a minute. Then check the insurance certificates, the written contract and Florida's deposit and insurance-claim rules. The same checks apply to the certified installer assigned through Metal Roofing Florida.
Reviewed by Scott Plumptree, Director of Marketing, The Interlock Group · Updated October 7, 2026
License
Chapter 489, Florida Statutes
Look it up at MyFloridaLicense.com (DBPR).
Deposit over 10%
Permits within 30 days
Work within 90 days of the permits (s. 489.126).
Insurance claims
No inducements
No rebates, gifts or deductible deals (s. 489.147).
Why vet an installer assigned to your project?
Because the contract is between you and the installer. Metal Roofing Florida supplies the Interlock® roof, certifies independent contractors on it and assigns one to your project; it does not install, hold a contractor license or sign your contract. The installer does, under their own business name. So check them the way you would check any roofer, and expect them to welcome it.
Certified, here, means certified by the manufacturer on the Interlock® system. It is not a state or county license. The toll-free line can tell you which certified installer has been assigned to your project.
Check the Florida license at MyFloridaLicense.com
Every roofing contractor in Florida must be licensed under Chapter 489. A certified roofing contractor holds a state certificate of competency and can work anywhere in Florida; a registered roofing contractor has met a local jurisdiction's competency requirements and can work only where registered, according to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR).
Look the license up by name or number on the DBPR license search at MyFloridaLicense.com before you sign, and check that the name on the license matches the name on the proposal. Under s. 489.128, a contract entered into by an unlicensed contractor is unenforceable by that contractor.
Get the insurance certificates from the insurer
Ask for proof of commercial general liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage, sent directly from the broker or insurer, with the policy dates on it. A photo of a certificate from last year proves nothing about the week your roof comes off.
Make sure the insured business on the certificate is the same business that holds the license and signs your contract.
Know Florida's deposit and roof-contract rules
Get everything in writing: the scope, the product and its approval number, the price, the payment schedule, the start window and the workmanship terms. Florida adds four statutory points to check.
- A deposit over 10 percent of the contract price obliges the contractor to apply for permits within 30 days and to start work within 90 days after the permits are issued, unless there is just cause or you agree in writing to a longer period (s. 489.126).
- A roof repair or replacement contract must include a notice that the contractor may not offer inducements for a roof inspection or claim; without it, you may void the contract within 10 days (s. 489.147(5)).
- A roof contract signed within 180 days after a declared state of emergency can be cancelled without penalty within 10 days of signing or the official start date, whichever comes first, by certified mail or another mailing with proof of delivery (s. 489.147(6)).
- If the work relates to an insurance claim, the contract must tell you in bold type that you should contact your insurance company (s. 489.147(7)).
If insurance is involved, know what a roofer may not do
Under s. 489.147, a contractor may not offer you a rebate, gift, cash, coupon or a waiver of your insurance deductible for allowing a roof inspection or making a roof-damage claim, and may not interpret your policy, advise you on coverage or adjust a claim unless they hold a public adjuster license.
Metal Roofing Florida plays no part in insurance claims, and a roofer who offers to manage one for you is telling you how they operate. Coverage questions are between you and your insurer.
Read the warranty as if the exclusions are the document
Ask four things: does the coverage reduce over time? Is there a wind figure written down, tied to installation to the manufacturer's specification? Does it transfer to the next owner, and on what terms? What is excluded? Then ask who issues it.
On an Interlock® roof the material warranty is issued by Interlock Roofing: the Guardian Lifetime Limited Material Warranty, which excludes workmanship and ice damming among other things. Workmanship terms come from the installer, in writing; there is no separate Interlock workmanship warranty, so read the installer's terms before you sign.
Ask what the fasteners look like, and who made the panels
Exposed gasketed screws through the weather surface are a leak point once the gaskets age. Concealed-fastener, mechanically interlocked panels keep the fasteners out of the weather and leave no edge for wind to get under.
Ask any roofer for the manufacturer by name and its published code evaluation. In Florida the building department checks the product approval. Florida Product Approval NEMO P.E. Evaluated FL7263-R7, under the 8th Edition (2023) Florida Building Code, lists the Shingle/Slate, Diamond, Shake and Hidden Fastener Tile panels, tested to UL 1897, UL 580 and TAS 125. It is a non-HVHZ approval, which is why Miami-Dade and Broward counties are not served.
Get references, and approvals before the contract
Ask for two or three recent roofs the installer has done nearby and call the homeowners. If you live under an HOA or in a historic district, get the board's or commission's decision in writing before anyone signs; the installer should give you the profile, color, specification sheets and warranty the board asks for.
In Florida, an HOA may regulate roof material, color and profile, but a denial must be in writing and state the rule or covenant relied on and the part of the project that does not conform (s. 720.3035(4)(a)).
Questions, answered
Do roofers need a license in Florida?
Yes. Florida licenses roofing contractors under Chapter 489: a certified roofing contractor can work statewide, and a registered roofing contractor only in the local jurisdictions where they are registered. Look either one up at MyFloridaLicense.com.
How do I check a Florida roofing license?
Use the Department of Business and Professional Regulation's license search at MyFloridaLicense.com: search by the contractor's name or license number and check that the name matches the proposal. Metal Roofing Florida holds no contractor license; the license is the assigned installer's.
How big a deposit can a Florida roofer take?
Florida sets no percentage cap, but a contractor who takes more than 10 percent of the contract price up front must apply for the permits within 30 days and start work within 90 days after the permits are issued, unless there is just cause or you agree in writing to a longer period (s. 489.126).
Can a roofer offer to pay my insurance deductible in Florida?
No. Section 489.147 prohibits a contractor from offering a rebate, gift, cash, coupon or a waiver of your deductible for allowing a roof inspection or making a claim. Any coverage question is between you and your insurer.
What is the difference between an installer and a certified installer?
A certified Interlock installer has been certified by the manufacturer on the Interlock® system. Metal Roofing Florida assigns one to each project. Certification is the manufacturer's, not the state's, and it does not replace the license, insurance and contract checks on this page.
Should I get more than one quote?
You can, and compare them like for like. A cheaper quote with exposed fasteners and a prorated warranty is not the same roof at a lower price. Compare the system, the warranty terms, the license or registration and the insurance, then the price.
Sources
- Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation: license search (MyFloridaLicense.com)
- Florida DBPR, Construction Industry Licensing Board: certified and registered contractors
- Florida Statutes s. 489.128: contracts entered into by unlicensed contractors unenforceable
- Florida Statutes s. 489.126: moneys received by contractors
- Florida Statutes s. 489.147: prohibited property insurance practices
- Florida Statutes s. 720.3035: architectural control covenants
- Florida Product Approval NEMO P.E. Evaluated FL7263-R7, P.E. evaluation report, 8th Edition (2023) Florida Building Code, non-HVHZ (PDF)
- Guardian Lifetime Limited Material Warranty (full document, PDF)
Product specifications are the manufacturer's (Interlock Roofing). Laws, codes and statistics are as published by the source cited. Reviewed by Scott Plumptree, October 7, 2026.
Request a quote, then vet the installer.
Metal Roofing Florida supplies the roof and assigns a certified Interlock installer for your part of Florida, who visits, measures and gives you a written proposal under their own Florida license. Miami-Dade and Broward counties are not served.
