How Do You Know You're Hiring the Right Roofer?

A Palm Beach and Martin County homeowner's guide to licensing, crew quality, and the red flags that should end the conversation.

Your roof is the single most expensive system on your house, and in South Florida it's the one doing the hardest work. It takes UV, salt air, 60-inch rain years, and the occasional named storm. When it's time to replace it, you're going to spend more on that roof than most people spend on a car — and unlike a car, you can't test drive it.

So the question isn't really "who's the best roofer in Jupiter?"

The question is: how do you tell the difference between a real roofing company and a truck with a magnet on the door?

We've been answering that question for three generations, and the honest answer is that most of it comes down to about twenty minutes of homework. Here's exactly what to check.

1. Licensing and Insurance: Verify It Yourself, Before the Estimate

Every roofing contractor in Florida says they're "licensed and insured." It's on every yard sign in the state. The phrase means nothing until you've confirmed it, and confirming it takes about a minute.

Understand what a Florida roofing license actually is

Roofing is a licensed trade in Florida, regulated by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) under the Construction Industry Licensing Board. There are two license classes you'll encounter:

• Certified Roofing Contractor (CCC) — valid statewide. Number starts with the letters CCC.
• Registered Roofing Contractor (RC or CRC) — valid only in the specific local jurisdictions where that contractor has registered.


For a re-roof in Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, Tequesta, Stuart, or Palm City, you want to see an active CCC license — or an RC that is specifically registered in your municipality.

One critical detail most homeowners don't know: in Florida, the license belongs to a person, not a company. A roofing business operates under the license of a named individual called the qualifying agent. So when you pull up a license record, you're checking a human being's credential and confirming that the company on your contract is properly attached to it.

How to check it (60 seconds)

1. Go to myfloridalicense.com and choose "Verify a License." Use the official state portal, not a third-party lookup site that may be running stale data.
2. Search by license number, business name, or the qualifier's name.
3. Confirm the status reads Current, Active. Anything else — inactive, delinquent, suspended, null and void — means the work isn't legal. Stop there.
4. Confirm the business name on the license record matches the name on your contract and your check. If the estimator represents "ABC Roofing" but the license qualifies "XYZ Exteriors," ask why before you go any further. Qualifier relationships do legitimately change, but you're owed a clear answer.
5. Screenshot it. Keep it with your paperwork.

Insurance: general liability and workers' compensation

Ask for a Certificate of Insurance (COI), and ask that it be sent directly from the insurance agent to you — not forwarded from the contractor's phone. A PDF can be edited. An email from the agency can't be, as easily.

You're looking for two things:

General liability. Covers damage to your property — a dropped bundle through a skylight, a torn screen enclosure, a truck in the landscape lighting. Confirm the policy is active on your job dates, not expired last quarter.

Workers' compensation. This is the one that can genuinely cost you. If an uninsured worker is hurt on your roof, you may end up a defendant. Here's the trap: Florida allows certain construction business owners and officers to file a workers' comp exemption. A contractor can legally hold an exemption, employ a crew, and hand you a COI that technically shows "workers' compensation — exempt." That is not coverage for the guys on your roof. Ask the plain question: "Does your workers' comp policy cover every person who will physically be on my property?" Then confirm it with the agent.

And ask who is pulling the permit

Roofing work in Palm Beach and Martin Counties requires a permit and inspections — typically a deck/nailing inspection and a final. The licensed contractor should pull the permit in their own name. If a roofer asks you to pull an owner-builder permit, that is not a shortcut or a cost savings. It transfers liability for code compliance onto you, it can void manufacturer warranties, and it is frequently a sign the contractor cannot legally pull it themselves.

2. Crew Quality: What Separates a Good Crew from a Risky One

Licensing gets you a legal roof. The crew gets you a roof that lasts. Two companies can install the exact same shingle over the exact same deck and produce wildly different results, because roofing is almost entirely a workmanship trade.

Here's what to look at.

Who is actually doing the work? Ask directly: is this an in-house crew, a long-term subcontracted crew the company has used for years, or whoever was available that week? Subcontracting isn't automatically bad — plenty of excellent roofs are installed by dedicated sub crews. Rotating, unknown labor is the problem. Ask how long the company has worked with the specific crew that will be on your house.

Is there a supervisor on site, and who is it? You want a named foreman who is physically present, not a salesperson who disappears after the deposit and a crew nobody is checking on. Ask who inspects the deck after tear-off, and who is there when the underlayment goes down.

Do they dry in the same day they tear off? This is the single most important operational question in South Florida. An open deck at 3 p.m. in August is a flooded house. A good crew tears off only what it can dry in before the afternoon builds, and carries tarps for the day it guesses wrong.

What happens when they open the deck? Rotten or delaminated plywood is common on older homes here. Ask how replacement decking is priced and documented before work starts — per sheet, at what rate, with photos. A vague "we'll let you know" is how a $22,000 roof becomes a $31,000 roof.

How do they treat your property? Magnet sweeps for nails, plywood over pavers and pool decks, protection for A/C units and screen cages, landscaping covered. Ask what their standard protection plan is. If they haven't thought about your pavers, they haven't thought about much.

Are they certified by the manufacturer? Manufacturer certifications (Certainteed, Eagle, Polyglass, and others) require verified licensing, insurance, and installation training, and they're what unlock enhanced system warranties covering labor as well as materials. A standard material warranty only covers a defective product — which is almost never what fails. Workmanship is what fails. Ask specifically: how long is your workmanship warranty, is it in writing, and does it transfer if I sell?

Can they show you work in your area? Not just photos — addresses. A company that's been in Palm Beach and Martin Counties for decades can point at roofs in your zip code that are fifteen years old and still tight. That's the reference that matters.

3. Red Flags: The Warning Signs That Should End the Conversation

Some of these are judgment calls. Several of them are actual violations of Florida law.

🚩 They knocked on your door after a storm. Florida Statute 489.147 restricts how roofing contractors may solicit homeowners regarding insurance claims for roof damage. Contractors are prohibited from using "prohibited advertisements" — written or electronic communications encouraging you to contact them or a public adjuster to file a roof claim — unless the communication carries specific required disclosures in at least 12-point type. That includes door hangers, flyers, business cards, and emails. Unlicensed persons who violate this can be fined up to $10,000 per violation. A storm-chasing crew working the neighborhood door to door is a company you have no ability to find in three years when the flashing leaks.

🚩 They offer to "cover," "waive," "eat," or "absorb" your deductible. This is not a discount. Under Florida law, a contractor knowingly waiving or rebating all or part of your insurance deductible with intent to defraud is insurance fraud, a third-degree felony. Any roofer who opens with it is telling you how they do business.

🚩 They offer you a gift card, cash, or a rebate to let them inspect your roof or file a claim. Also specifically prohibited under 489.147.

🚩 No physical address, no local phone, no Sunbiz registration. A Sunbiz business registration is not a roofing license — but the absence of both is a very short conversation. Out-of-state plates and a rented office are how companies leave.

🚩 The proposal is one page and one number. A legitimate proposal specifies the tear-off, the underlayment product by name, the roof covering by manufacturer and product line, color, fasteners, drip edge, valley metal, ventilation, flashing details, decking replacement rate, permit, cleanup, warranty terms, and payment schedule. If you can't tell from the paper what's going on your house, you can't compare bids and you can't hold anyone to anything.

Bonus: The Repair-vs-Replace Question (Florida's "25% Rule")

Worth knowing before anyone quotes you, because it's where honest contractors and dishonest ones diverge fastest.

The Florida Building Code has long held that if more than 25% of a roof area or roof section is repaired, replaced, or recovered within a 12-month period, the entire roof system or section must be brought up to current code. Senate Bill 4-D (2022) added a significant exception: if your existing roof was built in compliance with the 2007 Florida Building Code or a later edition — generally, roofs installed after March 1, 2009 — then only the portion being worked on has to meet current code. Roofs older than that often still trigger the full-replacement requirement.

Two caveats. First, your local building official has authority over permitting and code interpretation, so the answer can vary by property, permit history, and jurisdiction. Second, what the code allows and what your insurance carrier will accept to keep your policy in force are two different questions — a repair that's legal may still put your coverage at risk.

A contractor who explains this to you is trying to get you the right roof. A contractor who insists on a full replacement without ever mentioning your roof's age or permit history may be selling one.

The Short Version: Questions to Ask Every Roofer

Print this. Ask all nine.

1. What is your license number, and what name is it qualified under?
2. Can your insurance agent send me your COI directly?
3. Does your workers' comp cover every person who will be on my property?
4. Who pulls the permit, and which inspections will this job require?
5. Is the crew in-house or subcontracted, and how long have you worked with them?
6. Who is the on-site foreman, and will they be here every day?
7. How do you handle bad decking — what rate, and will I get photos?
8. What is your workmanship warranty, in writing, and does it transfer?
9. Can you give me three addresses in my area you roofed more than ten years ago?

Any contractor worth hiring will answer all nine without flinching. Ours do it before you ask.

Why This Matters More Here

Jupiter, Tequesta, Palm Beach Gardens, Hobe Sound, Stuart, Palm City — this is a coastal wind zone with real product approval requirements, real inspection standards, and real consequences for shortcuts. Roofing materials installed here need valid Florida Product Approval or Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance documentation. Underlayment matters as much as the roof covering. Fastener patterns matter. Flashing details at a chimney or a wall tie-in matter more than the color of the tile.

A roof installed correctly in Palm Beach or Martin County lasts decades. A roof installed by whoever showed up after the last storm lasts until the next one.

Talk to a Third-Generation Local Crew

Joe Ward Roofing has been putting roofs on homes in Palm Beach and Martin Counties for three generations. Same family. Same standards. Crews we know by name, on roofs we'll still be standing behind in twenty years.

We'll give you our license number before you ask for it, our COI direct from our agent, and a proposal that tells you exactly what's going on your house.

Serving Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, Tequesta, Juno Beach, North Palm Beach, Hobe Sound, Stuart, Palm City, and surrounding communities.

FAQ

Q: How do I verify a roofing contractor's license in Florida? A: Visit myfloridalicense.com, select "Verify a License," and search by license number, business name, or the qualifier's name. Confirm the status reads "Current, Active" and that the business name on the license record matches the name on your contract.

Q: What license does a roofer need in Florida? A: A Certified Roofing Contractor (CCC) license is valid statewide. A Registered Roofing Contractor (RC/CRC) license is valid only in the specific local jurisdictions where the contractor has registered.

Q: Can a roofing contractor waive my insurance deductible in Florida? A: No. Under Florida law, knowingly waiving or rebating all or part of an insurance deductible with intent to defraud is insurance fraud and a third-degree felony.

Q: What is Florida's 25% roof rule? A: If more than 25% of a roof area or section is repaired or replaced within 12 months, the whole system generally must meet current code — unless the existing roof was built to the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, in which case only the worked-on portion must comply.