Florida Lets General Contractors Do Roofing Until Dec. 5. Is That Who You Want on Your Roof?

If you live in Tampa Bay or the Panhandle and you’ve been waiting weeks for a roofer since Isaias came through, this probably sounds like good news. Until December 5, a state emergency order lets general contractors put a roof on your house without bringing in a licensed roofing contractor, so more companies are suddenly available to do the job. Before you sign with the first one who can start next week, it’s worth asking whether that’s who you want on your roof, because the order changes who is allowed to install it and does nothing to change what a Florida roof needs to get through the next hurricane.

What the emergency order changes

Under normal Florida rules, a general, building or residential contractor who isn’t also licensed as a roofing contractor has to subcontract the roof to someone who is (s. 489.113). DBPR’s Hurricane Isaias order suspends that requirement in the storm counties. In the order’s own words, a certified or registered general, building or residential contractor “is not required to subcontract roofing work for the repair or installation of any roof type when providing contracting services” (DBPR Emergency Order 2026-01).

The same order relaxes a few other rules for the recovery. Registered contractors, whose licenses are normally limited to certain local areas, can work outside those limits if they provide proof of their registration and insurance to the local jurisdiction, and installing a temporary emergency tarp to relieve Isaias damage falls within the exemptions in the licensing law, without overriding local permit or inspection rules (DBPR Emergency Order 2026-01). Licensing itself still applies. Escambia County described the order as temporary relief from certain licensing restrictions, not a pass for unlicensed work (Island Times).

Which counties it covers

The order covered 27 counties when it was signed on October 10, and Amended Order 2026-02 added Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas the next day, for a total of 30: Baker, Bay, Calhoun, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hillsborough, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Okaloosa, Pasco, Pinellas, Santa Rosa, Suwannee, Taylor, Walton, Wakulla and Washington (DBPR Emergency Order 2026-02). In Tampa Bay that means Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco, with Citrus a little farther north. In the Panhandle it covers Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton and Bay, along with most of the Big Bend.

It does not cover Central Florida or the east coast. As of November 9, the only DBPR emergency orders in effect are the Isaias orders (DBPR emergency page), so counties like Brevard and St. Lucie, which flooded in early November under a separate state of emergency, are not part of this licensing change. If you’re dealing with flood or rain damage there, our report on the November 2026 flooding covers what to check on your roof.

The Dec. 5 deadline

The end date comes from the order itself. Emergency Order 2026-01, as amended, “expires December 5, 2026, or upon the earlier expiration or rescission of Executive Order 26-202, as amended,” which is the governor’s Isaias state of emergency (DBPR Emergency Order 2026-02). After that, unless the state extends it, a general contractor without a roofing license goes back to subcontracting roof work.

Jobs don’t get cut off halfway, though. The order says the roofing relief continues to apply to any project whose building permit was applied for or obtained while the order was in effect, so a roof permitted before December 5 can be finished under the same rules. If a contractor brings up the deadline while asking you to sign, that’s why: the permit date is what counts. A date that matters to the contractor shouldn’t rush your decision, since the roof you sign for this month is the one you’ll live under for the next couple of decades.

Why hire a company that holds both licenses

The order lets a general contractor do your roof, but it doesn’t turn a general contracting company into a roofing company. Florida licenses roofing separately, with its own state exam, and until this order a licensed roofing contractor had to be part of every roof job, even when a general contractor ran the project. In these 30 counties that requirement is suspended until December 5, so the company working on your roof may be one whose everyday work is remodeling or new construction.

You don’t have to pick one or the other. JA Edwards of America holds a Florida Certified Roofing Contractor license (CCC1334804) and a Certified General Contractor license (CGC1534283). Roofing is what we do every day, and the general contractor license means that when a replacement uncovers rotted fascia or other wood damage around the roof, it gets fixed by the same company under the same contract. The emergency order doesn’t change anything for us, because we were licensed for both before Isaias and we’ll still be licensed for both after December 5.

It matters for your warranty too. GAF’s strongest shingle warranties can only be registered by contractors GAF has certified, and as a GAF Master Elite contractor we can register them on your roof. The details that decide how a roof holds up in the next hurricane, like how the deck is fastened and how the flashing is worked around walls and vents, are exactly what we do all day, and they’re almost impossible for a homeowner to check once the shingles are on.

How to check whoever you hire

Whoever you’re talking to, the biggest risk after a storm is usually the out-of-town crew that wants a big deposit up front, or the offer to “take care of” your insurance deductible, which Florida law prohibits (s. 489.147). Escambia County’s building services director flagged those same warning signs when the county eased its rules (WEAR-TV). Before you sign, run through this list.

• Look up the license. Search the name on the state’s DBPR license search and check that the license is active and that the business name matches your contract.
• Know which license you’re looking at. A certified roofing contractor license starts with CCC. Certified general, building and residential contractor licenses start with CGC, CBC and CRC, and under this order those can do your roof until it ends.
• Ask who will be on your roof. Get the name of the company whose crew will install it, and ask how many roofs that crew has installed in the last year.
• Make sure the contractor pulls the permit. If someone asks you to pull it yourself, walk away. Our guide to roofing permit requirements in Florida explains what’s required.
• Get the warranty in writing. Ask which manufacturer warranty will be registered on your roof and how long the workmanship warranty lasts.
• Keep the deposit reasonable. A large payment before any material is delivered is one of the most common storm scams. Our list of Florida roofing scam warning signs covers the rest.

We have offices in Tampa and Pensacola and work anywhere in Florida. If Isaias left you with damage, start with our storm damage repair page or our Panhandle storm damage guide, and our post on the Hurricane Isaias deductible explains what your policy is likely to cover.

General contractors and roofing: frequently asked questions