General Contractor License Florida: CGC vs CBC vs CRC

To work as a general contractor in Florida you need a state license through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and its Construction Industry Licensing Board. The three main building licenses are the Certified General Contractor (CGC), Certified Building Contractor (CBC) and Certified Residential Contractor (CRC), and they differ in what size and type of building the holder may work on. For a homeowner, the practical steps are to look the contractor up on the DBPR license search, confirm the license category fits your project, and check insurance before you sign.

CGC vs CBC vs CRC: what each license allows

All three are issued by the same state board. The difference is scope.

License	Prefix (certified / registered)	What the holder can build or remodel
General contractor	CGC / RG	Unlimited as to the type of work: any building, any height, residential or commercial
Building contractor	CBC / RB	Commercial buildings and single- or multiple-dwelling residential buildings up to three stories, plus accessory structures
Residential contractor	CRC / RR	One-, two- and three-family homes of no more than two stories, plus accessory structures such as garages

For a typical single-family kitchen, bathroom or whole-home remodel, any of the three can be the right license. Where it matters:

• Multi-family, mixed-use or commercial projects: a residential contractor cannot take them on.
• Larger or taller buildings: a building contractor is capped at three stories; a general contractor is not.
• Demolition: DBPR notes a general contractor may demolish any structure regardless of height, while a building contractor is limited to three stories.

Upgrading is common. Under Florida Statutes 489.111, a certified residential contractor can qualify for the building contractor exam after 3 years of proven experience, or the general contractor exam after 4 years.

Certified vs registered: statewide or local

Two words on a Florida license tell you where the contractor may work:

• Certified contractors passed the state exam and hold a certificate of competency that lets them contract anywhere in Florida. Certified license numbers begin with C, such as CGC, CBC or CRC.
• Registered contractors hold a license based on a local (city or county) certificate of competency and may work only in the jurisdictions where they hold that local certificate.

If you hire a registered contractor, confirm the registration covers your city or county. A certified contractor does not have that limit.

What it takes to earn a Florida contractor license

Florida Statutes 489.111 sets the exam eligibility. Applicants must be at least 18, meet good moral character standards, and qualify through one of these experience paths:

1. A four-year degree in engineering, architecture or building construction plus 1 year of proven experience in the license category.
2. At least 4 years of active experience as a skilled worker or foreman, including at least 1 year as a foreman.
3. A combination of college credit and field experience allowed by the statute.

After passing the exam, licensees must carry the required insurance and renew on the state’s cycle. Specialty trades such as plumbing and mechanical have their own license categories under the same board (a certified plumbing contractor holds a CFC license), and electrical contractors are licensed by a separate state electrical board.

Insurance a Florida contractor must carry

DBPR’s construction industry FAQ states the minimums:

• General and building contractors: $300,000 liability insurance and $50,000 property damage insurance.
• Other license categories: lower minimums.
• All active licensees: workers’ compensation coverage or an exemption.

Ask for a certificate of insurance before work starts, and look at the policy dates. A workers’ comp exemption usually covers the owner-officer only, not employees, so ask who will actually be on your job and how they are covered.

How to verify a contractor license on DBPR, step by step

1. Go to the DBPR license search on myfloridalicense.com.
2. Search by license number if you have it (it should be on the contractor’s estimate, contract and vehicle or website). Otherwise search by name.
3. Open the result and check:
   • Status: current and active, not delinquent, suspended or revoked.
   • License type: CGC, CBC or CRC for a general remodel; a trade license (plumbing, electrical, mechanical) for trade-only work.
   • Name: the person on the license is the qualifier; the business on your contract should be the licensed business they qualify, or the license holder personally.
   • Complaints and discipline: the detail page can show related licenses and public complaints.
4. If anything does not match, ask before you sign. If someone is contracting without a license, DBPR takes unlicensed activity complaints.

As an example, Prime Construction’s licenses are CGC1535686 (Certified General Contractor) and CFC1433952 (Certified Plumbing Contractor), and both can be checked the same way.

What a homeowner should check before hiring

A license is the minimum. On top of it, check these before you sign:

• The permit is in the contractor’s name. Never pull an owner-builder permit for work a contractor is doing. You take on the contractor’s legal responsibilities when you do.
• A written contract with the scope, materials, price, payment schedule and who handles permits and inspections. For help comparing bids, see our guide to getting a kitchen remodel estimate.
• A reasonable deposit. Under Florida Statutes 489.126, if a contractor takes more than 10 percent of the contract price up front, it must apply for permits within 30 days and start work within 90 days after the permits are issued, unless there is just cause or you agreed in writing otherwise.
• The Notice of Commencement recorded for jobs over $5,000, and lien releases from the contractor, subs and suppliers as you pay. Our guide on what a general contractor does explains Florida lien law basics.
• Insurance certificates naming current policies.
• Local registration. Many building departments require licensed contractors to be registered with them before they can pull permits. A contractor who is unfamiliar with your city or county permit process will slow your job down.

Red flags

• Asks you to pull the permit yourself, or says your remodel does not need one when it involves plumbing, electrical or walls.
• Will not give a license number, or the number belongs to someone else.
• Wants most of the money before any material is ordered or any permit applied for.
• Pushes you to sign the same day.

What the state Recovery Fund covers

Florida has a Construction Industry Recovery Fund, which DBPR describes as a fund of last resort for a person who suffered money damages from certain contractor misconduct and has exhausted other ways to collect. It generally requires a judgment or order against a licensed contractor and has statutory caps. It does not protect you when you hire an unlicensed contractor, which is one more reason to check the license first.

Hiring a licensed contractor in Orlando?

Prime Construction is a licensed Florida general contractor that handles kitchen, bathroom and whole-home remodels, additions and commercial build-outs in Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Lake counties. We pull permits in our name and schedule every inspection. See our general contractor services and home remodeling pages, or if you are in Orlando or nearby, call (407) 404-3944 or request an estimate.