Hiring a Licensed Pool Contractor in Florida

General information, not legal, engineering or insurance advice.

In Florida, installing or replacing pool equipment, including pool heaters, is licensed contracting work. Here's how the state's pool and spa license categories differ, how to check a license, and what to put in writing before work starts. Rules change, so treat the statutes linked below as the authority.

Florida pool/spa license categories

Florida's construction contracting law defines three pool/spa contractor categories in section 489.105(3), Florida Statutes.¹ All three include heater work in their scope:

None of the three pool/spa scopes includes direct connections to a sanitary sewer system or to potable water lines.¹ The definitions also don't mention electrical wiring or gas piping, so ask who will run the electrical circuit for a heat pump or the gas line for a gas heater, and check that the person doing that work is licensed for it.

Solar pool heating

A “solar contractor” under section 489.105(3)(o) installs, alters, repairs, maintains, relocates or replaces solar panels for swimming pool solar heating systems, among other systems. The statute also says a certified or registered contractor doesn't need a solar license for work that's already within the scope of their own license.¹

Certified vs. registered

A certified contractor holds a state certificate of competency and may contract in any jurisdiction in Florida. Aregistered contractor has met a local jurisdiction's competency requirements and may contract only in the jurisdictions where they're registered.¹ Certified pool/spa licenses start with CPC and registered ones with RP.

How to look up a license

1. Go to the DBPR license search on myfloridalicense.com.
2. Search by the contractor's license number (for example, a number beginning with CPC or RP) or by name.
3. Check that the license is current and active, and that the license type covers your job.
4. Make sure the business name on your quote and contract matches the licensed business or the qualifier shown on the record.

Every listing in our directory shows the license number, type, qualifier and expiration date from the DBPR public licensee file, with a link to the lookup. Licenses can change at any time, so check again before you sign.

Permits

Requirements vary by city and county, so ask your local building department. Installing a new heater can involve building, electrical or gas permits, and the Department of Energy's solar guide notes that plumbing, building and electrical permits may be required for solar systems, typically with a final inspection.⁵ Your licensed contractor normally pulls the permit. Ask for the permit number, and don't make final payment until the final inspection passes.

Put it in a written contract

• The contractor's legal name, license number and address.
• The heater make, model and output, and any pump, plumbing, electrical or gas work included.
• Who pulls which permits, and whether permit fees are included.
• Total price, payment schedule and start and completion dates.
• Manufacturer warranty and the contractor's labor warranty, in writing.

For residential projects where labor and materials are over $2,500, Florida law requires the contract to include a written statement explaining your rights under the Florida Homeowners' Construction Recovery Fund.³

Deposits and payments

Under section 489.126, a contractor who receives more than 10% of the contract price as an initial payment on residential work must apply for the necessary permits within 30 days of the payment and start work within 90 days after the permits are issued, unless there's just cause or you agreed in writing to a longer period.⁴

Notice of Commencement and liens

Florida's construction lien law generally requires the owner to record a Notice of Commencement with the county clerk before an improvement begins and post a copy at the job site.⁶ Improvements with a direct contract price of $2,500 or less are exempt from most of the lien law.⁷ Suppliers and subcontractors who aren't paid may be able to file liens, so on larger jobs ask for lien releases before final payment.

A quick checklist

1. Get 2–3 written quotes for the same heater type and size.
2. Look up each license on DBPR and confirm the license type fits the job.
3. Ask who handles electrical and gas work, and confirm their license.
4. Confirm who pulls the permit, and get the permit number.
5. Sign a written contract with model, price, schedule and warranty.
6. Keep deposits small and pay final only after inspection.

Sources

1. Florida Statutes, section 489.105, Definitions, including (3)(j) commercial pool/spa contractor, (3)(k) residential pool/spa contractor, (3)(l) swimming pool/spa servicing contractor, (3)(o) solar contractor, (8) certified contractor and (10) registered contractor (2026).
2. Florida Statutes, section 489.103, Exemptions, subsection (7).
3. Florida Statutes, section 489.1425, Duty of contractor to notify residential property owner of recovery fund.
4. Florida Statutes, section 489.126, Moneys received by contractors.
5. U.S. Department of Energy, “A Consumer’s Guide: Heat Your Water with the Sun” (December 2003).
6. Florida Statutes, section 713.13, Notice of commencement.
7. Florida Statutes, section 713.02, Types of lienors and amounts of liens, subsection (5).
8. Florida DBPR, license search.