Here’s what the Department of Business and Professional Regulation website says: “If you pay someone to perform even the simplest of electrical work, such as connecting two wires, you must hire a licensee.” That means no installing ceiling fans or replacing lighting fixtures.
Work a Handyman Can Perform in the State of Florida Without a License:
Books & Classes for your Contractor’s License
There is no such thing as a handyman contractor’s license in Florida. A business license or tax receipt issued by the county is NOT a contractor’s license and does not allow you to legally engage in any type of contracting. In order to legally contract with customers, you must first obtain permission via a license from either the DBPR (CILB or ECLB) at the State level or by your local contractor’s board.
When unsure of whether a specific scope of work is licensed or not, it is always best to contact your local building department to find out. Also, remember that even though House Bill 735 (Preemption of Local Occupational Licensing) will prohibit counties from requiring licenses whose scope of work is substantially different from those issued by the state, many of the services offered by handymen extend well into the scope of work of well regulated trades like plumbing, roofing and general contracting. If your scope of work requires a contractor’s license in Florida or if your county or city require you to be licensed for a specific type of work, you should not offer those services as a handyman.
Some well established handyman businesses offer a set of services like the ones listed below and their work is completely legal.
Small Service Repairs In FloridaFlorida is considered a friendly state for the jack-of-all-trades handyman, which means many of the jobs performed by a handyman don’t require a contractor’s license of any kind. Many states limit the dollar amount of these jobs to $1,000 but that is not the case in Florida. This includes basic small repair service jobs such as:
FAQ
Can a handyman change a ceiling fan in Florida?
Can a handyman hang a ceiling fan?
What can a handyman legally do in Florida?
- Patch Cracks & Holes in Existing Concrete.
- Caulking.
- Painting.
- Tile cleaning and repair.
- Exterior and Interior Cleaning.
- Yard Maintenance.
- Pressure Cleaning.
- Cleaning Gutters.
What does a handyman charge to install a ceiling fan?
