When to Escalate
Despite your best efforts to verify credentials and check the Public Record Score, disputes occur. If a contractor abandons a job, commits permit fraud, or performs work wildly below the standards of the Florida Building Code, you have a powerful recourse: The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR).
Step 1: Document the Failure
The DBPR operates on concrete evidence, not emotion. Before filing a complaint, you must assemble a comprehensive package:
- A signed copy of the original contract/estimate.
- Detailed proof of all payments (cleared checks, credit card statements, bank transfers).
- High-resolution photographs of the abandoned or defective work, timestamped.
- Written correspondence (emails, text messages) showcasing your attempts to resolve the issue directly with the contractor.
Step 2: Submitting the Official Uniform Complaint
The State of Florida requires the submission of a Uniform Complaint Form.
- Navigate to the official DBPR website: myfloridalicense.com.
- Select "File a Complaint" from the main navigation.
- Download the appropriate PDF form for Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) complaints.
- Fill out the narrative precisely. Stick to objective facts: dates, financial amounts, and specific code violations.
Step 3: The Investigation Phase
Once submitted, an analyst will review the complaint for legal sufficiency (meaning the allegations, if true, violate Florida law). If deemed sufficient, it is forwarded to an investigator. The contractor will be legally notified and given a statutory period to formally respond. The DBPR has the authority to issue citations, suspend licenses, or refer cases involving unlicensed activity directly to the State Attorney for criminal prosecution.
The Florida Homeowners' Construction Recovery Fund
If you have suffered direct financial loss due to the illegal acts of a licensed contractor, and you have exhausted all civil remedies (like winning a court judgment), you may be eligible to apply to the Recovery Fund. This fund, maintained by contractor licensing fees, exists specifically to compensate victims of egregious fraud or abandonment by state-certified individuals.