What Should a Florida Home Renovation Contract Include?

A Florida home renovation contract should name a licensed contractor, describe the work and products in detail, and set the price with a payment schedule tied to passed inspections. It should also say who handles permits, the Notice of Commencement, change orders, storm delays, cleanup and warranties. For residential jobs over $2,500, Florida law requires two notices in the contract itself: the construction lien law notice and the Homeowners' Construction Recovery Fund notice. Residential roofing contracts carry an extra notice and their own cancellation rules.

Use the table as a quick check before you sign, then read the sections below for what each clause should say. This is general information, not legal advice. We last reviewed the legal points in October 2026. Many Florida laws take effect on July 1, so for a large project, check the current statute or ask a Florida construction attorney.

The contract checklist at a glance

The notices Florida law requires

Construction lien law notice

For a direct contract over $2,500 on a home with one to four units, section 713.015 requires a specific lien law notice in at least 12-point, capitalized, boldface type, on the front page of the contract or on a separate page that you sign and date. For an oral or implied contract, the notice goes in a document that refers to it. It explains the lien risk, says the law is complex and recommends that you talk to an attorney.

The current statute still uses the $2,500 threshold; a 2025 bill that would have rewritten the notice (HB 893) didn't become law. For how Notices to Owner and releases work, see Florida's construction lien law.

Recovery Fund notice

Section 489.1425 requires every contract to repair, restore, improve or build a home to include a written statement of your rights under the Florida Homeowners' Construction Recovery Fund, unless labor and materials total $2,500 or less. It must be substantially in the statute's form and be followed immediately by the Construction Industry Licensing Board's address and phone number. The board can fine a contractor up to $500 for a first violation and must fine $1,000 for each later one. Payment limits and claims are covered in our Recovery Fund guide.

Roofing contracts

Section 489.147 requires residential roofing contracts to include a notice about prohibited insurance-claim practices, such as offering to pay your deductible in exchange for a roof inspection or claim. If the notice is missing, you can void the contract within 10 days after signing. A 2025 change added a second right: if you sign a roofing contract within 180 days after a state of emergency is declared for your area, you can cancel within 10 days after signing or before the official start date, whichever comes first. See roof insurance claims in Florida.

Contracts signed at home

Florida's home solicitation sale law (section 501.025) lets a buyer in a qualifying sale cancel until midnight of the third business day after signing. Whether yours qualifies depends on how the sale was made, so read the cancellation section and ask if you're unsure. If you cancel, do it in writing and keep proof of when you sent it.

Who you're contracting with

The contract should show the contractor's legal business name, address and state license number, and the name should match the license record or the business the license qualifies. Add the property address and the person who will supervise the job day to day. Run the checks in how to check a contractor before hiring before you sign.

On the Space Coast, local registration can affect the start date you agree to. Palm Bay requires state-licensed contractors to register with the city before they pull permits there. Brevard County's Licensed Contractor Search lists a contractor only when an active license, general liability insurance and workers' comp (or an exemption) are on file. If a contractor still has a step like this to finish, allow for it in the schedule. See hiring a contractor in Melbourne.

Scope of work, products and exclusions

Vague scope is a common source of disputes. Put these in writing:

• The work, area by area, with drawings or a plan for anything structural.
• Each product's brand, model, color and size, or a dollar allowance for items you haven't chosen yet.
• Approval numbers for exterior products. Windows, doors, shutters, garage doors and roofing need a Florida product approval or a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance. For windows and doors, add the design pressure. See hurricane code and product approval.
• Fastener and connector materials near salt water. For the most exposed metal, FEMA points to Type 316 stainless steel or thick hot-dip galvanized steel (G185 or heavier). See salt-air corrosion on the Space Coast.
• Exclusions, such as painting, appliance hookup, landscaping repair or drywall patching after electrical work.
• Lead paint and asbestos in older homes. Under EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, anyone paid for work that disturbs painted surfaces in a home built before 1978 generally must be certified. EPA also recommends testing suspect asbestos materials before a renovation disturbs them. Say who arranges testing and what happens if it comes back positive.

If two quotes describe the job differently, line them up first; see why contractor quotes differ.

Price, deposit and payments tied to inspections

State the total price, what it includes (such as permit fees, disposal and materials), each allowance and how the deposit counts toward the price.

Florida doesn't cap deposits. But a contractor who receives more than 10% of the price as an initial payment must apply for permits within 30 days and start work within 90 days after all permits are issued, unless you agree in writing to a longer period (section 489.126). If you pay more for special-order items such as impact windows or roof tile, tie that payment to the order confirmation. More in how much to pay a contractor up front.

After the deposit, pay for stages an inspector has passed, not dates on a calendar. Your permit card lists the inspections your job needs, so the stages vary. A typical structure:

Local permit rules show why the stages matter. West Melbourne's roof permit application says no shingles may go on before the dry-in inspection and asks for a roof nail affidavit, and the city's window and door permits need a buck affidavit on site at the final inspection. Ask which inspections and affidavits your permit needs, and get copies.

The final payment affidavit states that everyone has been paid or lists who hasn't, which helps you avoid paying twice. See building inspections in Florida for the usual stages.

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Schedule, hurricane season and storm delays

Include an expected start date and a substantial completion date, and say how either can change. In condos and many HOA communities, add the allowed working hours and rules on parking, deliveries and elevators.

Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and a storm can stop work and keep crews and building departments busy afterward. A contract for work in those months should answer these questions:

• What counts as a weather or storm delay? The contractor should notify you in writing and give a revised date.
• Who secures the site when a storm is forecast? That means drying in or tarping open roof sections, closing window and door openings, and securing materials, dumpsters and portable toilets.
• Who pays for storm damage to unfinished work and stored materials? Ask what the contractor's insurance covers during construction, and ask your insurer or agent how your policy treats a home under renovation.
• What if the crew is pulled onto emergency repairs elsewhere? Set how long work can stop before you can end the contract.
• Is the price fixed? If it can rise when material costs jump after a storm, ask for a cap and proof of the higher cost.

If a storm pushes the start past the 90-day window in section 489.126, put any extension in writing. See the best time to renovate in Florida and how long renovations take.

Permits and the Notice of Commencement

The contract should say who applies for each permit (normally the licensed contractor), who pays the fees, that no work will be covered before it passes inspection, and that the contractor will get the final inspection and close the permit. Your address decides the office: Brevard County covers unincorporated areas such as Viera, Suntree and Merritt Island, and cities and towns issue permits inside their limits. See our Brevard County building permit guide. Be wary of a contractor who asks you to pull an owner-builder permit for work the contractor will do.

Notice of Commencement

When the direct contract is over $5,000, the permit applicant must give the building department a certified copy of the recorded Notice of Commencement, or a notarized statement that it has been filed for recording, before the first inspection. Air conditioning repair or replacement under $15,000 is exempt. You sign the notice in front of a notary, and in Brevard it's recorded with the Clerk of Courts. The contract should say who prepares and records it, who pays the recording fee and that its expiration date covers the whole project.

Brevard County's current fence permit page and Rockledge's permit requirements use the $5,000 figure, but an April 2020 county document checklist still shows $2,500. Go by the current statute and your building department's instructions. See our Notice of Commencement guide.

Small jobs under $7,500

Since July 1, 2026, Florida's HB 803 lets an owner or contractor ask in writing to skip the building permit for some work valued under $7,500 on a single-family home. Electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas and structural work still need permits, and property in a flood hazard area doesn't qualify. The contract matters here: the City of Melbourne's exemption request includes a notarized form, a copy of the signed owner–contractor contract and a review fee, and work shouldn't start until the city approves the request in writing. State the full scope and price, because splitting a job to get under $7,500 isn't allowed. Other offices may handle requests differently. See the $7,500 permit exemption.

HOA approval and flood zones

Get HOA approval in writing before you sign, or make the contract conditional on it with a deadline; see HOA approval in Florida. If the home is in a flood zone, ask before you sign whether the project could trigger the 50% substantial improvement rule, which Brevard's guidance applies by comparing the cost of the work with the building's market value before construction starts. See the FEMA 50% rule in Florida.

Change orders and hidden damage

Every change should be a written change order, signed by both of you before the extra work starts, showing the price and the effect on the schedule. The contract should also:

• list unit prices for likely extras, such as a price per sheet of roof decking or per linear foot of fascia
• say how hidden rot, termite damage, failed drain lines or mold will be handled: work stops, you're shown photos, and a change order follows
• say how allowance overages and savings are settled
• note that a change to permitted work may need a permit revision

Examples are in change orders and hidden damage, and a renovation contingency covers the surprises.

Insurance and warranties

Require general liability and workers' compensation coverage (or a valid exemption) for the whole job, with certificates sent to you by the contractor's insurance agent before work starts and again if a policy renews mid-project. Subcontractors need their own coverage. See contractor insurance in Florida.

Get the workmanship warranty in writing: how long it lasts, what it covers and excludes, how to report a problem, and whether it transfers if you sell. For products:

• Manufacturer warranties. Register them in your name where possible, and have the contract say products will be installed to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Coastal terms. Some window and hardware warranties exclude salt damage, shorten coverage near salt water or require regular cleaning. Get those terms in writing for each product.
• Closeout documents. Ask for product approval numbers, warranties, manuals and the closed permit record. A wind mitigation inspection after a new roof or new openings relies on this kind of documentation.

Cleanup, disposal and protecting your property

Spell out who provides and pays for the dumpster or haul-away and where it sits; daily cleanup and a final cleaning before the last payment; protection for floors, landscaping, pool screen enclosures, pavers and the driveway, and who pays for damage; a magnetic nail sweep after roofing; and access, parking, bathroom use and any HOA rules on dumpsters and work hours. See how to prepare your house for a renovation.

Ending the contract and resolving disputes

The contract should say how either side can end it, how much notice and time to fix a problem each side gets, and what's owed for work done and materials ordered. It should also say whether disputes go to mediation, arbitration or court; read any arbitration clause before you sign. If a contractor takes a deposit and doesn't start, the first step is a written demand; see contractor deposits. If a licensed contractor causes you a financial loss, the Recovery Fund may help after you've pursued the contractor.

Common mistakes

• Signing a proposal as the contract when it has a signature line but no lien law or Recovery Fund notice.
• Mixing up the thresholds. The contract notices apply over $2,500; the Notice of Commencement applies over $5,000.
• Allowances with no dollar amount, or products listed only as "to be selected."
• Agreeing to changes by text or phone without a signed change order.
• No storm clause for a roof or exterior job scheduled in summer.
• Making the final payment before the final inspection, the closed permit and the final payment affidavit.

Next steps

1. Ask for the full contract, including the required notices, before you pay a deposit.
2. Check the license at MyFloridaLicense.com and, for Brevard work, the county's Licensed Contractor Search.
3. Confirm which office issues your permit and who will record the Notice of Commencement.
4. For a large project or unusual terms, have a Florida construction attorney review the contract.
5. Keep a project file with the contract, change orders, permit records, Notices to Owner, lien releases and receipts.

For the whole hiring process, see how to choose a contractor in Florida.