How to verify a contractor in Sarasota County before you sign
State license if any, county registration and competency, permit history, insurance and bond. Four lookups, twenty minutes.
- State
- DBPR license lookup (myfloridalicense.com)
- County
- Sarasota County Operating Certificate + Certificate of Competency (Code Ch. 22)
- Charlotte
- Local Concrete Masonry or state license
- Always
- Insurance certificate, bond, permit history
How do I check a contractor before signing?
Four lookups. The DBPR license search for a state license (not required for flatwork and pavers, but common); Sarasota County's contractor licensing office for the Operating Certificate and Certificate of Competency that Code Chapter 22 requires for regulated trades; the permit portal for the contractor's permit history and any citations; and the insurer's agent for a current certificate of liability and workers' compensation. Charlotte County accepts a Local Concrete Masonry license for driveway and slab permits.
Florida Statute 489.119(5)(b) requires a licensed contractor to put its license number on every advertisement, proposal and contract; a company that advertises "licensed" without a number is either unlicensed or careless. This site says "Insured" and nothing more until the provider's number is documented, which is the same standard you should hold everyone to.
The four lookups
| What | Where | What you're looking for |
|---|---|---|
| State license | myfloridalicense.com, DBPR license search | Active status, no discipline; the name matches the contract |
| County registration and competency | Sarasota County Planning & Development contractor licensing; Charlotte County Contractor Licensing | Active Operating Certificate and Certificate of Competency in a relevant category |
| Permit history | building.scgov.net; city portals; Charlotte County records | Permits pulled in the contractor's name; no unresolved violations |
| Insurance and bond | Certificate from the agent | General liability, workers' comp or exemption, surety bond |
Red flags
- No legal entity name on the estimate.
- "Licensed" with no number.
- Asks you to pull the permit as owner-builder for work they're doing.
- Wants most of the money before demolition.
- Won't put the base depth or the joint spacing in writing.
- Can't produce an insurance certificate from the agent.
Questions we get about this
How do I verify a concrete contractor's license in Sarasota County?
Check the state first at myfloridalicense.com (DBPR) for a certified or registered contractor license; then check Sarasota County's contractor registration and Certificate of Competency through the county's licensing office, because Code Chapter 22 requires an Operating Certificate and Certificate of Competency for regulated trades; then ask for the certificate of insurance and the surety bond the county requires for registration.
Does a paver installer need a state license in Florida?
No. Installing driveways and pavers is on the DBPR's list of work that doesn't require a state construction license. Counties and cities can require local registration or a competency card, and Sarasota and Charlotte counties do for regulated trades; Charlotte's Local Concrete Masonry license is one example.
What insurance should a concrete contractor show me?
A certificate of general liability insurance naming you or the county as certificate holder, workers' compensation or a valid exemption, and, for county registration, the surety bond the county requires by category. Ask for the certificate directly from the insurer's agent, not a photocopy.
Last reviewed September 10, 2026 by the Sarasota Concrete editorial team (author name pending owner input).