Building Specialty Licenses

Examinations are required for certification in the following types of contractor licenses.

A Communications Tower Contractor is qualified and certified to fabricate and erect steel communications towers and do the welding, bolting, and riveting in connection therewith. Three years of experience is a prerequisite to issuance of the certificate.

A Demolition Contractor is qualified and certified to demolish, wreck or disassemble buildings or other structures or parts thereof and remove the debris in such a manner that adjoining structures and properties and parts thereof, workmen and other persons may be kept safe. Three years of experience is a prerequisite to issuance of the certificate. 

A Drywall Contractor is qualified and certified to:

• Install gypsum drywall products to studs, joists and suspended ceiling channels
• Fabricate and install metal accessories and all necessary trim in connection therewith, including metal studs, runners, hangers, channels, drywall metal suspension accessories and prefabricated ceiling materials, provided that any plaster work or troweled material, application of block or wood partitions shall not be a part of the scope of such work

The experience requirement for the qualifying agent for a drywall contractor is one year and six months.

A Fence Contractor is qualified and certified to fabricate, assemble, erect and install fences of masonry, wire, concrete, wood and other fence materials in such manner that an acceptable fence can be erected complying with applicable regulations including zoning regulations.

Such contractor shall have a qualifying agent with experience and skill gained by at least one year of practical work experience in this field and who has passed a designated examination.

A Glass and Glazing Contractor is qualified and certified to:

• Fabricate, install and attach windows of any type, fixed or movable, and swinging or sliding glass doors to building walls or columns erected by others
• Install glass-holding or supporting mullions or horizontal bars, which in turn are attached to building walls or columns erected by others
• Cut and install glass

Work may also include metal accessories and prefabricated glass, metal or plastic curtain walls or panels

The scope of work shall include the caulking incidental to all such work and shall include the fabrication and installation of garage and industrial doors and shower and tub enclosure doors and metal fascias, store front awnings or canopies. Three years of experience is a prerequisite to issuance of the certificate. 

A Lathing and Plastering Contractor is qualified and certified to:

• Apply and affix wood, gypsum or metal lath, or any other product prepared or manufactured, including the placing of metal studs and runners to which lath is to be applied
• Provide key or suction bases for the support of plaster coatings
• Provide hangers, channels and other mechanical suspension work for the support of lath or acoustical tile or other prefabricated ceiling materials, including the channel iron work for the support of metal or other fire resistive lath on walls, ceilings or soffits or for solid plaster partitions
• Coat surfaces with a mixture of sand or other aggregate, gypsum, plaster, Portland cement or quick lime and water, or any combination of such materials as to create a permanent surface coating and which coatings are usually applied with a plasterer's trowel or by pneumatic pressure on any surface which offers a mechanical key for the support of such coatings or to which the coating will adhere by suction

The scope of work shall not include the erection of wood stud or masonry walls. Such contractor may perform the work of a drywall contractor. Three years of experience is a prerequisite to issuance of the certificate. 

A Metal Awning and Storm Shutter Contractor is qualified and certified to fabricate, erect and install awnings or canopies of metal including other materials, incidental thereto, in or on buildings or other structures and which may be, in whole or part, supported from a building wall erected and provided by others, or may be self-supporting and including footings or slabs on grade in connection therewith.

Such contractor shall have a qualifying agent with experience and skill gained by at least one year of practical work experience in this field and who has passed a designated examination.

A Metal Decking and Siding Contractor is qualified and certified to:

• Erect metal decking and siding or other material incidental thereto that may be used for enclosing buildings or other structures including welding, bolting or other attachments, in connection therewith and including such minor field fabrication as may be necessary
• Installation of industrial doors and windows in connection therewith

Three years of experience is a prerequisite to issuance of the certificate. 

A Prestressed Precast Concrete Erection Contractor is qualified and certified to:

• Erect structural precast concrete units such as decks, beams, girders, walls, columns and stairs that are or may be used as structural members for buildings and structures, including welding and rigging in connection therewith
• Erect precast concrete units for guard rails and decorative panels above the ground floor including such minor field fabrication as may be necessary

Three years of experience is a prerequisite to issuance of the certificate.

A Reinforcing Steel Placing Contractor is qualified and certified to fabricate, place, tie and weld steel reinforcing bars (rods) that are or may be used to reinforce concrete buildings or structures. Three years of experience is a prerequisite to issuance of the certificate.

A Roofing Contractor is qualified and certified to install, repair and replace roof systems, as defined in the Florida Building Code and the waterproofing thereof.

Work may include, but shall not be limited to, roof deck insulation, roof coating, painting and covering, including use of sheet metal and installation of other sheet metal products incidental to roofing work, including gutters and downspouts and other material in connection therewith or any combination thereof and including installation of nonstructural decking and siding.

During the repair or replacement process of a roof system, a roofing contractor shall be allowed to repair and/or replace damaged decking and/or damaged wood structural or nonstructural members of the roof framing provided that such replacement and/or repair conforms to the requirements of the Florida Building Code and the repair or replacement of damaged decking and wood structural or nonstructural members of the roof framing constitutes less than 50 percent of the value of the total work performed. Three years of experience is a prerequisite to issuance of the certificate.

A Screen Enclosure Contractor is qualified and certified to fabricate, erect and install on grade only, screen enclosures with metal-supporting members in whole or in part self-supporting, having walls and roof of screen except that the roof may be of metal or plastic where the area of solid wind resistant material does not exceed 40 percent of the area of screen roof.

The scope of work shall include footings or slab on grade in connection therewith.

Such contractor shall have a qualifying agent with experience and skill gained by at least one year of practical work experience in this field and who has passed a designated examination.

A Structural Steel Erection Contractor is qualified and certified to erect structural steel shapes and plates including such minor field fabrication as may be necessary of any profile, perimeter or cross-section that are or may be used as structural members for buildings and structures including steel joists, steel decking and siding, and communication towers, and including riveting, welding and rigging only in connection therewith.

The experience requirement for the qualifying agent for the structural steel erection contractor is five years.

A Swimming Pool Contractor's scope of work involves two or more building trades or crafts and is qualified and certified to excavate, construct, fabricate, install and equip swimming pools and such contractor shall subcontract to a qualified contractor, in the field concerned, all other work set forth in this chapter as being the exclusive work of a plumbing, electrical, mechanical or liquefied petroleum gas contractor. Three years of experience is a prerequisite to issuance of the certificate.

A Unit Masonry, Marble and Exterior Veneer Contractor is qualified by:

• Three years' experience
• Passed written examination
• Certified to select, cut and lay brick and concrete block or any other unit masonry products or clay products, rough cut and dress stone, artificial stone and precast blocks, structural glass brick or block, decor block and veneer, laid at random or in course, with or without mortar or to do any part, or any combination thereof and shall include the application of tile to floors and exterior wall surfaces, provided however, that the scope of work shall not include the pouring, placing, or finishing of cast-in-place concrete except for masonry or precast concrete fences

A Door Contractor is qualified and certified to fabricate and install swinging or sliding doors of wood or metal or material other than glass, not exceeding seven feet in height and not exceeding six feet in width, except where the glass area therein does not exceed 50 percent of the area of the door and where door is installed in openings in building walls erected and provided by others provided that glass or sliding glass doors are not a part of the scope of work. One year of experience is a prerequisite for the issuance of certificate.

A Garage and Industrial Door Contractor is qualified and certified to fabricate and install swinging, sliding or overhead doors of unlimited dimension and of any material and where such door is installed in openings in building walls or attached to a building erected and provided by others.

The scope of this category includes the installation of incidental hardware such as, but not limited to locks, fusion linkage, springs, gears or motor operation, except that electric work shall be sub-contracted to a qualified and certified electrical contractor, and provided, however, that the installation of glass or sliding glass doors shall not be a part of the scope of such work. One year of experience is a prerequisite for the issuance of a certificate.

A Masonry Fence and Decorative Concrete Contractor* is qualified and certified to lay concrete block or erect precast units including columns and caps in fences not to exceed four feet in height. These fences cannot be used as a building or structural wall. One year of experience is a prerequisite for the issuance of a certificate.

A Painting and Waterproofing Contractor is qualified and certified to perform rooftop painting, coating, and cleaning above three stories in height. The contractor is authorized to clean, sandblast, caulk, and size surfaces in preparation for and to apply waterproofing, paint, paper and related liquid or viscous product thereon brush, roller, or spray methods in such manner that under an agreed specification satisfactory painting, waterproofing and paperhanging can be accomplished. Three years of experience is a prerequisite to the issuance of the certificate.

A Sheet Metal Gutter and Downspout is qualified and certified to fabricate, erect and repair sheet metal gutters and downspouts. Experience requirement as a prerequisite to issuance of certificate is one year.

A Waterproofing Contractor (Limited) is a contractor qualified by:

• Three years of experience in the installation of above-grade waterproofing, e.g., plaza decks, parking garages and terraces, verified through detailed information relating to trade projects and tasks performed in Miami-Dade County in the classification sought and certification as an approved contractor or applicator from a waterproofing system manufacturer
• Certification to clean, sandblast, caulk and prepare the surface
• Install, repair and replace waterproofing and damp proofing systems including the application of felt, bitumen, epoxy, pitch, silicone, elastomeric coatings, sheet membranes or any other materials or combination of materials to surfaces and the incidental use of sheet metal and other components in connection therewith to create an impervious barrier preventing the passage of water by applied protective material, membrane, surfacing or sealant on decks no larger than 500 square feet, excluding conventional roofing.

In no way is this to be interpreted as limiting, denying or excluding general building, residential and roofing contractors in the performance of this craft. Three years of experience is a prerequisite to issuance of the certificate.