Southwest Florida has a contractor problem.
Not a shortage of contractors — there's no shortage. The problem is that it can be nearly impossible to tell the difference between a 25-year licensed contractor with proper insurance and a weekend handyman with a pickup truck and a Facebook page.
Both of them will answer your call. Both will give you a price. And by the time you know which one you hired, your deposit is gone and your kitchen is half-demolished.
This article exists because we've been doing this long enough to have heard every story. The contractor who disappeared after the demo. The "licensed" company that turned out to be one guy with a borrowed license number. The project that failed final inspection because permits were never pulled. The homeowner who couldn't sell their house because unpermitted work showed up on the title search.
Here's how to protect yourself.
The 10-Point Contractor Checklist
Before signing anything, verify all of these.
1. Active Florida Contractor License
Florida requires a state contractor license for any remodeling work over $1,000. The license should be clearly listed on their website, business card, and estimate.
Verify it yourself at the Florida DBPR (Department of Business and Professional Regulation) online portal at myfloridalicense.com. You want to see:
- Status: Active (not expired, suspended, or voluntarily inactive)
- No complaints or disciplinary actions (or understand what they were if there are any)
- License type matches the work — a General Contractor license (CBC prefix) covers residential remodeling. A roofing license does not.
A licensed contractor in Florida has passed state exams, maintained continuing education, and carries the minimum required insurance. It's not a guarantee of quality, but it's a meaningful baseline.
2. General Liability Insurance — Minimum $1,000,000
If someone gets hurt on your property during the remodel, or a subcontractor causes water damage to your neighbor's home, you want the contractor's insurance — not yours — to respond.
Ask for a Certificate of Insurance (COI) naming you as an additional insured on the policy. A legitimate contractor sends this without hesitation. A contractor who hedges on this is a contractor to avoid.
3. Workers' Compensation Coverage
If a worker is injured in your home and the contractor doesn't carry workers' comp, you may be liable for their medical expenses and lost wages.
Florida has specific exemptions for small contractors (sole proprietors can opt out), but if the contractor is sending a crew, workers' comp is required. Confirm this on the same COI request.
4. Physical Business Address (Not a P.O. Box)
A physical address means someone is accountable somewhere. Storm-chasing contractors and out-of-state operators often have no local presence — they showed up after Ian, scooped deposits, and left.
Google the address. Does it match a real office or shop? Or is it someone's house, a UPS Store, or a vacant lot?
This isn't a disqualifier on its own — many excellent small contractors work from home offices. But combined with other signals, a lack of physical presence is worth noting.
5. Three References From Similar Projects
Ask specifically for references from projects similar to yours in scope, not just general references.
If you're doing a full kitchen renovation, ask for kitchen remodel references. If you're in Naples, ask for references from Naples or nearby areas.
When you call references, ask:
- Did the project finish on time?
- Were there change orders? Were they explained in advance?
- Did the contractor communicate during the project?
- Would you hire them again?
The answers to the last two questions tell you the most.
6. Written Scope Before Any Payment
Never pay anything — not even a deposit — before you have a written scope of work.
The scope should describe exactly what will be done: which cabinets are included, what countertop material is specified, what tile, what fixtures, what appliances. If it says "kitchen remodel" and nothing else, it's not a scope — it's a loose commitment.
This document protects you if disputes arise. Vague language always gets interpreted in the contractor's favor.
7. Payment Schedule Tied to Milestones
A legitimate contractor does not need 50% of the project cost before work begins. Payment should be tied to measurable milestones: deposit to schedule, payment at demo completion, payment at cabinet installation, payment at countertop installation, final payment at walkthrough.
General guideline: No single payment before project start should exceed 20-30% of the total contract. Any contractor requiring 50%+ upfront is a significant red flag.
8. Permit History
Ask the contractor which permits they've pulled for recent projects and whether any received stop-work orders or failed inspections.
You can also look up permit history yourself through your county's online portal:
- Lee County: LeeGov.com → Development Services → Permit Search
- Collier County: Collier County Growth Management portal
A contractor who has consistently pulled permits and passed inspections is a contractor who does the work correctly.
9. Single Point of Contact
"Who will be my contact during the project?" is a question many homeowners forget to ask.
You want one person who is accountable to you from start to finish. Not a rotating cast of project managers who don't know the history of your job. Not a salesperson who disappears after signing and hands you off to a crew supervisor you've never met.
10. Written Warranty
What's the warranty on labor? On materials? For how long?
A standard workmanship warranty is one year. Some contractors offer more. Get it in writing. A verbal warranty is worth nothing.
Red Flags: Walk Away From These
Large Upfront Payment (More Than 30%)
The single most common scenario in contractor fraud: large deposit, work starts (or doesn't), contractor disappears. In SW Florida's post-storm environment, this happens more than it should.
No Written Contract
"We'll figure it out as we go" is not a working relationship — it's a recipe for a dispute where you have no documentation.
Can't Provide License Number Immediately
A licensed contractor knows their license number. If they need to "look it up" or "have the office send it over," that's a delay tactic. Real answer: it's on their card, their truck, their estimate header.
Pressures You to Skip Permits
"We don't need a permit for this — it's just cosmetic" is sometimes true. It's also sometimes a lie told to avoid the scrutiny that comes with inspections.
Any electrical work, plumbing changes, or structural modifications require permits in Lee and Collier County. A contractor who suggests otherwise is either uninformed or trying to cut corners. Either way, you bear the consequences.
Subcontractor-Heavy With No Accountability
There's a version of "we'll use our guys" that means: I'll call whoever's available on Craigslist, they won't be licensed or insured, and when something goes wrong I won't know who did the work.
Specialty trades (flooring, painting, electrical, plumbing) legitimately use licensed subcontractors. The question is not whether subcontractors are used — it's whether the general contractor is accountable for their work and whether the subs carry proper licensing and insurance.
Ask: "Can you provide proof of license and insurance for any subcontractors working on my project?" If they hedge, push harder.
Price Significantly Below Everyone Else
If you get three quotes and one is 40% below the others, the low bidder has excluded something. Either the scope is narrower (you won't notice until construction starts), the materials are cheaper than specified, the labor is unlicensed, or the permits won't be pulled.
A competitive price is fine. An outlier-low price means something is missing.
No Physical Address or SW Florida Presence
SW Florida remains a magnet for out-of-state contractors after storm events. They may have a Florida license (or not), but they have no local reputation, no local subcontractor relationships, and no stake in your community. When problems arise, they're gone.
How to Verify a Florida Contractor License
- Go to myfloridalicense.com
- Click "Verify a License"
- Select "Contractor" as license type
- Enter the contractor's name or license number
- Review: Status (must say Active), License Type (CBC = Certified Building Contractor), Expiration Date, and Disciplinary History
If there's a complaint on record, don't dismiss it automatically. Read what happened. A single resolved complaint from 10 years ago is different from three active complaints from last year.
You can also call the DBPR directly at (850) 487-1395 if you have questions about a specific license.
What Your Contract Should Include
A proper remodeling contract covers:
Scope of work: Itemized description of every task. Cabinet brand, model, finish. Countertop material, thickness, edge profile. Tile specifications. Fixture makes and models. Appliance specifications if included.
Fixed price or change order process: Contracts should be fixed price for defined scope. Any scope changes should be documented in a written change order with price before work proceeds. Verbal change orders are how disputes happen.
Payment schedule: Exact amounts tied to exact milestones. Written out, not "as agreed."
Timeline: Project start date. Substantial completion date. What constitutes a delay and how it's handled.
Material lead times: Custom cabinets take 6-14 weeks. Countertops take 2-4 weeks after cabinet installation. Your contractor should give you a realistic project timeline that accounts for these.
Permit responsibility: Who pulls permits? (The contractor, not you.) Who pays for permits? (Usually included in the contract, but confirm.)
Subcontractor disclosure: Who will be working on your home and what are their credentials?
Warranty: Duration and scope. What's covered? What voids the warranty?
Cancellation clause: What happens if you need to cancel? What happens if they can't complete on time?
Lien waiver: Upon final payment, the contractor should provide a lien release confirming all subs and suppliers have been paid. Without this, a subcontractor the contractor didn't pay can file a lien on your property.
The Subcontractor Question
"Will your crew do the work, or will you use subcontractors?"
This is the single most important question that separates transparent contractors from evasive ones.
The honest answer from most established remodeling companies: it depends on the trade. General construction, demo, cabinet installation — typically done by an in-house crew or consistent subcontractors they know well. Electrical and plumbing — licensed subcontractors are standard, because these are licensed trades.
What you want to hear: "For the [specific work], we use [in-house crew / our regular subs]. Our flooring work is done by a licensed flooring installer we've worked with for years. All subs carry their own license and insurance, and I'm accountable for their work."
What you don't want to hear: Vague answers. "We have guys." Resistance to the question. Changing the subject.
At HomeWorks, we're owner-led from design through build — Chad is on your project, not managing you from an office. Where specialty trades like flooring and painting are involved, we work with licensed, insured professionals we've vetted and worked with long-term. You get one point of accountability from start to finish.
How to Compare Three Quotes
Get three quotes. No more, no less.
One quote gives you no comparison. Two quotes leaves you with no tiebreaker. Four or more quotes usually means the process drags out long enough that you're comparing proposals that are weeks apart — with different material prices.
Compare Scope, Not Price
Line the three quotes side by side and compare what's included, not the bottom line. A $45,000 quote that includes permits, appliances, and flooring may be a better value than a $38,000 quote that excludes all three.
Ask each contractor to itemize their quote. If they won't, that's informative.
Ask Each Contractor the Same Questions
Use the same list with every contractor:
- Can I see your license and insurance?
- Can you provide three references from similar projects?
- Who will be on-site during the project?
- What permits are required and who pulls them?
- What's your payment schedule?
Inconsistent answers across contractors will tell you a lot.
Trust Your Gut on Communication
How did they communicate during the estimate process? Did they show up on time? Did they follow up? Did they answer your questions directly or deflect?
A contractor who's hard to reach before signing is going to be harder to reach after. Communication style during the estimate is a reliable predictor of communication during the project.
Ready to Talk to a Contractor You Can Trust?
If you're looking for a kitchen, bathroom, or outdoor kitchen remodel in Fort Myers, Naples, Estero, Bonita Springs, or Cape Coral — we'd be glad to walk your project, answer your questions directly, and give you a written estimate you can actually use.
Browse our services or read our reviews to get a sense of who we are. Then call us at (239) 219-0828 or request a free quote.
We'll bring the license number, the insurance certificate, and the references. You bring the coffee.
HomeWorks Construction and Design, LLC — License CBC 1261775
