A Florida roofing contract should name the contractor’s license number and insurance, the exact products going on your roof (brand, product line, color and product approval number) and the full scope of work, including how rotted wood is handled. It should also confirm the contractor pulls the permit, give a start date and timeline, tie payments to finished stages, require a signed change order for any change and spell out both the workmanship and manufacturer warranties.
Florida law adds required notices on top of that. Contracts over $2,500 need a construction lien law notice and a recovery fund notice, and every residential roofing contract needs a bold notice about checking your insurance coverage. Most roofing disputes start with a vague contract, not bad work. The checklist below goes section by section, then covers the notices and the red flags that should stop you from signing.
Free download: Roofing contract checklist (PDF). Every item below on two printable pages with boxes to tick. Take it to the table when you review a contract.
Who You’re Hiring and What They’ll Install
The contractor. The contract should show the company’s legal name, address, phone number and Florida roofing license number. Check that license on the state’s license search before you sign. It matters for you, too: under Section 489.128, an unlicensed contractor can’t enforce its contract. Ask for certificates of general liability and workers’ compensation insurance. Our list of questions to ask a roofer before hiring shows how to check a license in two minutes.
The exact products. This is the section most often left vague, and it’s the one that protects you most. For each part of the roof, the contract should name:
- Roof covering: manufacturer, product line, profile and color.
- Underlayment: the named product, such as a specific self-adhering membrane.
- Flashing, drip edge and trim: the material and thickness.
- Vents and pipe boots: new, not reused.
- Fasteners: corrosion resistant if you live near the coast.
- Product approval numbers: the Florida Product Approval or, in Broward, the Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA). You can look any number up on the Florida Building Commission site.
The Work, the Permit and the Timeline
Scope of work. “Replace roof” isn’t a scope. The contract should list each step: tear-off down to the deck (and how many layers come off), deck re-nailing to current code, how rotted wood is handled, underlayment and covering installed to the manufacturer’s instructions, new flashing at walls, skylights and valleys, ventilation, protection for your landscaping and pool, daily cleanup, a magnetic nail sweep and debris removal.
Rotted wood. Nobody can see the deck until the old roof is off, so this is where surprise bills come from. The contract should say either that all rotted decking is included in the price or what each sheet costs, with a cap and a promise to photograph every sheet replaced. APEX Roofing of Delray Beach includes all compromised decking in the price of shingle, tile and metal roofs.
Permit. The contract should say the contractor pulls the permit in its own name, schedules every inspection and gives you the final approval. Be wary of any roofer who asks you to pull the permit yourself as an owner builder, because that makes you legally responsible for the work.
Timeline. Look for an estimated start date, how long the work should take and what can delay it, such as permits, HOA approval, inspections and weather.
Price, Payments and Changes
Price. The total price, what’s included and anything priced separately, written as a number rather than “to be determined.”
Payment schedule. Payments should follow finished stages, for example a deposit, then material delivery, then dry-in, then the final inspection. Florida law protects your deposit. Under Section 489.126, a contractor who takes more than 10 percent up front must apply for the permit within 30 days and start work within 90 days after the permit is issued, unless you agree in writing to a longer time.
Final payment. It should be due only after the final inspection passes and the contractor gives you final releases of lien (signed statements that the roofer and its suppliers have been paid).
Change orders. One clause saves more arguments than any other: any change to the products, scope or price needs a written change order that you sign before the work is done.
Warranties
A roof comes with two different warranties, and the contract should spell out both. The workmanship warranty comes from the roofer and covers how the roof was installed. It should state how long it lasts, what it covers, what voids it and how to make a claim. The manufacturer warranty covers defects in the materials. The contract should name which one applies and whether the roofer registers it for you, since some manufacturer warranties only reach their full length when registered.
The Notices Florida Law Requires
These notices are required by statute, so a contract that leaves them out tells you something about how the roofer runs its business.
| Notice | When it’s required | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Construction lien law notice, in capitalized bold type, signed by you | Contracts over $2,500 on homes of 1 to 4 units | Section 713.015 |
| Florida Homeowners’ Construction Recovery Fund notice | Residential contracts over $2,500 | Section 489.1425 |
| Bold notice to check your insurance coverage, deductible and policy terms if the work is tied to a claim | Every residential roofing contract | Section 489.147 |
| Right to cancel within 10 days or by the official start date, whichever comes first | Contracts signed within 180 days of a declared state of emergency for your area | Section 489.147 |
The lien law notice matters most in practice. It explains that anyone who works on your roof or supplies materials and isn’t paid can put a lien on your home, even if you paid the roofer in full. That’s why the final releases of lien above are worth insisting on.
There’s one more cancellation right to know about. If a roofer came to your door and you signed at home, without having asked for the work, Florida’s home solicitation law usually gives you until midnight of the third business day to cancel (Section 501.025). It generally doesn’t apply when you called the roofer yourself.
How a Contract Stops Material Substitution
Material substitution is when a roofer installs something different from what you paid for, like a cheaper shingle line, a thinner underlayment or reused flashing. Sometimes it’s deliberate. Sometimes a supplier runs out and the crew installs what’s on hand without telling you. Either way, it almost always traces back to vague wording.
- Name everything. No “or equal,” “similar” or “comparable” in the product section.
- Require a signed change order for any substitution, with any price difference stated.
- Check the delivery. Compare the names and colors on the bundles, rolls and pallets with your contract, and take photos.
- Ask for photos of the underlayment and flashing before they’re covered.
- Match the approval numbers at closeout against what the permit lists.
Our free material delivery check sheet (PDF) makes step 3 easy: write what the contract says in one column and what showed up in the next.
Here’s the kind of plain wording that closes the gaps. These are examples of what to look for, not legal language to copy.
| Topic | Example wording |
|---|---|
| Materials | Contractor will install [manufacturer] [product line] in [color], Florida Product Approval No. [number]. No substitute product will be installed without a written change order signed by Owner. |
| Rotted wood | All damaged roof decking is included in the contract price. Contractor will photograph each sheet replaced. |
| Final payment | Final payment is due after the final roofing inspection passes and Contractor provides final releases of lien. |
Red Flags in a Roofing Contract
Walk away, or at least slow down, if you see any of these:
- An offer to waive or cover your insurance deductible, or a gift card or rebate for letting the roofer inspect or file a claim. Florida law bans it under Section 489.147, and waiving a deductible is insurance fraud.
- Language letting the roofer negotiate or settle your insurance claim. Only a licensed public adjuster or an attorney can do that for you.
- An assignment of benefits. Florida banned assigning your policy benefits to a contractor for policies issued on or after January 1, 2023.
- A large deposit with no permit or start date.
- “Or equal” wording, blank spaces or a price marked “to be determined.”
- A request that you pull the permit yourself.
- Missing license number or missing required notices.
Important: never sign a contract with blank spaces, and keep a signed copy. Fill in or cross out every blank before you sign, initial any handwritten changes and get a full copy signed by both sides that day.
Once the contract is signed, our guide to the roof replacement process in Florida shows what happens next, step by step, and our checklist on how to prepare for a roof replacement helps you get your home ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a roofing estimate the same as a contract?
No. An estimate is a price proposal. The contract is the signed agreement that binds both of you. Some roofers turn the estimate into the contract by adding terms and signature lines, so read every page of whatever you sign, not just the price.
What happens if the roofer finds more rotted wood than expected?
It depends on what your contract says. If all rotted decking is included, there’s no extra charge. If it’s priced per sheet, the cap and the photo requirement in your contract keep the bill predictable. Any other surprise should come to you as a written change order before the work continues.
Should I have an attorney review my roofing contract?
For a typical home reroof, a careful read with a checklist covers most of it. For a large or unusual job, an HOA or condo project, or a contract with terms you don’t understand, a short review by a construction attorney is worth the cost.
Who signs the Notice of Commencement?
You do, as the owner, under Section 713.13. Your roofer usually prepares it and brings it to you, often to sign in front of a notary, and it’s recorded with the county before the first inspection.
Get a Clear Contract From a Licensed Roofer
APEX Roofing of Delray Beach is a licensed Florida roofing contractor (CCC1336203) serving Broward and Palm Beach County. All compromised decking is included in the price of shingle, tile and metal roofs, every roof is backed by our lifetime workmanship warranty and the roof inspection is always free. Learn more about our roofing services, request a free online roofing estimate or call us at 561.414.2909.
