Your roof is the single most important system protecting your home from a hurricane — and Miami-Dade has some of the strictest roofing rules in the country for exactly that reason. Here’s how to separate a real contractor from a storm-chaser.
1. Verify the license
In Florida, roofing requires a state-certified or registered roofing contractor’s license. Ask for the license number and look it up on the Florida DBPR website. “My buddy does roofs” is not a license.
2. Confirm insurance — both kinds
A legitimate roofer carries general liability and workers’ compensation. Without workers’ comp, an injury on your roof can become your liability. Ask for a certificate of insurance, and that it lists current dates.
3. Check for HVHZ knowledge and NOA products
Miami-Dade and Broward are a High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ). Materials must carry a Notice of Acceptance (NOA) proving they’re approved for our wind speeds. A contractor who can’t talk fluently about NOA products, secondary water barriers and ring-shank nailing patterns isn’t ready for a Miami roof.
4. Make sure they pull the permit
The roofer should pull the permit in their name and schedule the required inspections. If a contractor asks you to pull an owner-builder permit, that’s a major red flag — it means the liability lands on you.
5. Read the contract before the deposit
A real contract spells out the scope, materials (by brand and product), timeline, payment schedule, and warranty — both the manufacturer’s material warranty and the contractor’s workmanship warranty. Vague one-page quotes hide problems.
Red flags to walk away from
- Storm-chasers who knock door-to-door after a hurricane and pressure you to sign today.
- Huge upfront deposits — a reasonable deposit is standard; demanding most of the money before work starts is not.
- Cash-only, no contract.
- No physical address or local track record.
- An AOB requirement to “handle your insurance.” Reputable roofers don’t need to take over your claim.
The simplest test
Ask them to walk the roof and show you photos of the actual problem before they recommend anything. A contractor confident in their honesty has nothing to hide.
Doing your homework? Good. Get a free, no-pressure estimate — licensed, insured, HVHZ-compliant, with everything in writing.
