Building Specialty Licenses

Examinations are required for certification in the following types of contractor licenses.
* Specialty Licenses preempted by the State

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. The required years of experience is three years.

A Concrete Forming and Placing Contractor* is qualified and certified to:

• Proportion, batch and mix aggregates, cement and water to agreed specifications
• Construct forms and framework for the casting and shaping of concrete, including but not limited to columns, beams, decks and window frames
• Place and erect reinforcing steel and miscellaneous embedded steel
• Pour, place and finish concrete, including terrazzo

The required years of experience is three years.

A Concrete Slab Sawing and Core Drilling Contractor* is qualified and certified to cut and/or core concrete, asphalt or any masonry combination thereof.

Where cutting or coring is done on any structural member of any building or structure, it shall be under the direct supervision of the general or prime contractor and professional engineer who is responsible for that building or structure.

All cutting or coring is to be approved by and coordinated between the general or prime contractor and the specialty or subcontractor as to the layout of the work to be performed.

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

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. The required years of experience is three years.

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 facias, store front awnings or canopies. The required years of experience is three years.

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. The required years of experience is three years.

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

The required years of experience is three years.

A Miscellaneous Metals Contractor* is qualified and certified to:

• Fabricate, apply, erect and install miscellaneous appurtenances, appendages, parts or equipment of metal including other materials incidental thereto in or on buildings or other structures
• Also include all work involving: metal awnings and storm shutters, canvas awnings, metal cabinets and store fixtures, screen enclosures and all work incidental thereto, metal partitions, flagpoles, ornamental metals including structural railings, and metal sunshades

The work of a miscellaneous metals contractor shall not include the work of a metal decking and siding contractor, reinforcing steel placing contractor or structural steel contractor. The required years of experience is three years.

A Pneumatic Concreting and Pressure Grouting Contractor* is qualified and certified to:

• Proportion and apply concrete to surfaces by pneumatic methods
• Chip loose concrete, sandblast and clean reinforcing
• Batch and proportion cement, sand and water
• Erect forms and framework to which concrete is to be applied pneumatically
• Place miscellaneous reinforcing for repair of concrete
• Proportion and place cement and intergrout by pneumatic pumping methods that under an agreed specifications subsurface load bearing capacities can be stabilized or previously settled structures raised or restored to plumb, grade or alignment

The required years of experience is three years.

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

The required years of experience is three years.

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. The required years of experience is three years.

A Roof Deck Contractor* is qualified and certified to:

• Erect, construct, fabricate and install roof decks of Portland cement or gypsum concrete using lightweight aggregate, on joists or other supporting members erected by others, and shall include the placing of forms and welding of supporting members for forms and miscellaneous reinforcing of the deck and the proportioning, mixing and placing of cement, aggregate and water, provided, however, that roof decks of wood, metal, heavy aggregate concrete, glass or plastic and the application of roofing felts or other water resistant membranes shall not be a part of the scope of such work

The experience requirement for the qualifying agent for a roof deck contractor is one year.

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. The required years of experience is three years.

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 Nonelectric Sign Contractor* is qualified and certified to paint or otherwise apply or erect any outside display of characters, letters, illustrations or ornamentations which do not include the incorporation of any electrical work in their manufacture, fabrication or erection.

The work of a nonelectric sign contractor shall include the installation of panels, facing, frame, structure, movable or fixed, free standing or attached to a building or other structure which is to be used for sign purposes and which do not include any electrical work in their manufacture, fabrication or erection. The required years of experience is three years.

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. The required years of experience is three years.

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

* Specialty Licenses being preempted to the State

A Canvas Awning Contractor* is qualified and certified to fabricate, erect and install metal-framed canvas covered awnings or canopies, in or on buildings or other structures, and which may be, in whole or in part supported on a building wall erected and provided by others or may be self-supporting, and including the miscellaneous hardware for ready extension or retraction of such awnings and including footings in connection therewith.

The scope of work of this category shall also include the erection and removal of canvas tents. Experience requirement as a prerequisite to issuance of certificate is one year.

A Caulking Contractor* is qualified and certified to:

• Caulk windows, window to frame and the frame of windows, doors and panel walls to the surfaces of other building components
• Clean cracks, joints and seams
• Caulk and apply water resistant materials to surface cracks, joints and seams between the same or different materials on the exterior or interior of a building in such a manner that satisfactory caulking can be accomplished

Experience requirement as a prerequisite to issuance of certificate is two years.

A Concrete Finish Contractor* is qualified and certified to screed, trowel, score and otherwise provide surface treatment to concrete placed by others and whether such concrete is fresh or hardened. Application of surface treatment material is included in this scope of work but not tile, plaster or stucco. Experience requirement as a prerequisite to issuance of certificate is two years.

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. Experience requirement as a pre-requisite to issuance of certificate is one year.

A Finish Carpentry Contractor is qualified and certified to:

• Fabricate and erect cabinets, store fixtures and similar prefabricated or on-site fabricated enclosures of wood or plastic, of a non-structural nature
• Apply paneling to the interior of a structure. The paneling may be of wood or synthetic products or a combination of both
• Set door jambs, hang wood doors, and apply miscellaneous molding to a structure

Experience requirement as a prerequisite to issuance of a certificate is two years.

A Flagpole Contractor* is qualified and certified to fabricate, erect and install metal flagpole, self-supporting or from buildings or other structures, and the incidental hardware. Experience requirement as a prerequisite to issuance of certificate is one year.

A Flooring Contractor* is qualified and certified to fabricate, repair, maintain, install and apply floor surfacing materials of ceramic tile, asphalt tile, vinyl tile, cork tile, linoleum, parquet wood, wood strip flooring or similar wearing surfaces, prefabricated or cast-in-place, to floor decks constructed and provided by others. Experience requirement as a prerequisite to issuance of certificate is one year.

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. Experience requirement as a requisite to issuance of certificate is one year.

A Gypsum Finish Drywall Contractor* is qualified and certified to install tape joints, joint compounds and finish coatings to gypsum drywall surfaces provided that any installation of gypsum drywall shall not be part of such work. Experience requirement as a prerequisite to issuance of certificate is two years.

A Gypsum Drywall Installer Contractor* is qualified and certified to install gypsum drywall products to studs, joists and suspended ceiling channels provided that any installation of studs, joists and suspended ceiling channels and the installation of tape joints and finishes shall not be a part of such work. Experience requirement as a prerequisite to issuance of certificate is two years.

An Insulation and Acoustic Tile Contractor* is qualified and certified to fabricate, install and apply thermal or acoustic or fire-retardant acoustic material to walls, floors, ceilings or within such walls, floors or ceilings by mechanical or adhesive methods to supporting members provided by others in such manner that under an agreed specification satisfactory insulation can be accomplished.

The scope of work shall also include the installation of metals channels, hangers or suspension systems for the supporting of acoustic, thermal or fire-retardant acoustic tile or drop in units, provided however, the insulation of pipes, vessels or ducts or built up refrigeration boxes or rooms as may be under the category of a Mechanical Insulation Contractor, or the application of insulation over the top of a roof deck where such insulation is attached by adhesion shall not be a part of this scope of work. Experience requirement as a prerequisite to issuance of certificate is two years.

A Limited Residential Repair Contractor* is qualified and certified to make minor repairs to one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses not more than three stories in height.

The scope of work includes:

• Exterior and interior painting
• The repair or replacement of doors, non-load bearing interior partitions, flooring, finish carpentry
• The repair of drywall

A Limited Residential Repair Contractor shall be considered to be contracting for work beyond their scope if more than 50 percent of the work under the contract is not within the scope of work of their contractor category.

A Limited Residential Repair Contractor shall subcontract to other licensed contractors all electrical, mechanical, air-conditioning, plumbing, roofing, sheet metal, swimming pool, and any other work not within their scope, unless such contractor holds a state certificate or a Miami-Dade County contractor license in the respective trade category.

Additionally, the construction, alteration or repair of a structural component is not included in the scope of work of a Limited Residential Repair Contractor.

The experience requirement for a qualifying agent of a Limited Residential Repair Contractor is three years supported by notarized affidavits from a certified or registered general, building or residential contractor.

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. Experience requirement as a pre-requisite to issuance of a certificate is one year.

A Metal Partition Contractor* is qualified and certified to fabricate, erect and install non-bearing interior or exterior (usually prefabricated) partitions of metal or having panels of other materials and which partitions are attached in openings or to building components erected and provided by others.

The scope of work of this category shall include metal studs and runners (site fabricated), provided, however, lathing, plastering or wood or other panel materials or surfacing applied after the metal frame is in place shall not be a part of such scope of work. Experience requirement as a prerequisite to issuance of certificate is one year.

An Ornamental Metals Iron Contractor* is qualified and certified to fabricate, erect and install ornamental metal iron non-structural members or assemblies, excluding structural railings and panels and sunshades.

Work under this category shall be limited to single family or duplex structures. Experience requirement as a prerequisite to issuance of certificate is two years.

A Painting Contractor* is qualified and certified to clean, size and do minor caulking in preparation for painting and to apply waterproofing, paint and related liquid or viscous products thereon by brush, rollers or spray method.

This category shall include roof cleaning and painting. Experience requirement as a prerequisite to issuance is one year.

A Public Seating Contractor* is qualified and certified to fabricate, erect and install prefabricated or precut public seating, with or without backs, fixed or movable, including the supporting framework above a level deck of metal or other materials incidental thereto, including hardware and site painting and finishing. Experience requirement as a prerequisite to issuance of certificate is three years.

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 Shower and Tub Enclosure Contractor* is qualified and certified to fabricate and install glass, plastic or metal enclosures around interior showers and tubs and provide miscellaneous hardware therefore between walls erected or provided by others. Experience requirement as a prerequisite to issuance of certificate is one year.

A Tennis Court Surfacing Contractor* is a contractor who has a qualifying agent with the experience and skill gained by not less than one year in the field and qualified and certified to construct a playing surface for tennis courts on a previously prepared base.

The scope of work of this classification is limited to the playing surface and any necessary striping. It does not include preparation of the base on which the surface is to be laid.

A Traditional Thatched Hut Contractor* is qualified and certified to erect, fabricate, install, repair and replace thatch roof systems.

The work may include but shall not be limited to: foundation, wood post and beam erection and thatch roof installation. However, electrical, plumbing or mechanical work is not included.

Any person who applies for certification as a thatch roof contractor shall demonstrate proof of having been instrumental in the erection or installation of the thatch roofing system for a period of not less than 24 months preceding the date of the application for certification.

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. The required years of experience is three years.