How to Choose a General Contractor in Tampa Bay

Hiring a general contractor is one of the most consequential decisions you will make as a homeowner. The right contractor turns your vision into reality on time and on budget. The wrong one turns it into a nightmare that drags on for months and costs thousands more than promised.

Tampa Bay has hundreds of contractors. Some are licensed. Some are not. Some carry insurance. Some do not. Some pull permits. Some skip them entirely and hope nobody checks. Here are five things every homeowner should verify before signing a contract.

1. Verify the License

Florida law requires general contractors to hold a state-issued license. There are two levels: Certified General Contractor (CGC) and Registered General Contractor (RB). A CGC license allows the contractor to work anywhere in Florida. A registered contractor is limited to a specific county or municipality.

You can verify any contractor’s license in under two minutes at myfloridalicense.com. Search by name or license number. The listing will show you the license status, any disciplinary actions, and whether the license is current.

Drome Contracting holds license CGC1515971, a Certified General Contractor license issued by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. You can verify it right now. We encourage you to verify every contractor you talk to.

If a contractor cannot provide a license number, or if you search the number and it comes back inactive, revoked, or belonging to a different person, walk away. No exceptions.

2. Confirm Insurance Coverage

A licensed contractor without adequate insurance is a liability waiting to land on your doorstep. Two policies matter:

General Liability Insurance covers property damage and injuries that occur during construction. If a subcontractor damages your neighbor’s fence, or a delivery goes wrong and cracks your driveway, liability insurance pays for it. Without it, you pay for it.

Workers’ Compensation Insurance covers injuries to the workers on your property. If a roofer falls off your house and the contractor does not carry workers’ comp, you could be held financially responsible. This is not hypothetical. It happens.

Ask every contractor for a certificate of insurance. Verify the policy is current by contacting the insurance company directly. Drome Contracting carries $1 million in general liability coverage and maintains active workers’ compensation insurance. We provide certificates on request, and we encourage you to call the insurer and confirm.

3. Ask About Permits

Permits exist to protect you. A permitted project means the county inspects the work at critical stages: foundation, framing, electrical, plumbing, and final. An unpermitted project means nobody checked. When you sell your home, unpermitted work creates title issues, insurance problems, and negotiation headaches.

Tampa Bay spans four counties, and each has its own permitting office and process:

• Hillsborough County: Development Services, permits through HillsGovHub. City of Tampa has a separate Construction Services Division.
• Pasco County: Building Construction Services, permits through PascoGateway. Permits valid for 6 months.
• Pinellas County: Building Services, permits through Accela Citizen Access. Clearwater has its own city inspection office.
• Hernando County: Building Division, permits through the county online portal.

Your contractor should know exactly which office handles your property, how long plan review takes, and what inspections are required. If they suggest skipping permits to “save you money” or “speed things up,” they are putting your investment at risk.

Drome Contracting pulls every required permit on every project. We schedule every inspection. We do not consider a project complete until the final inspection is passed and documented.

4. Get a Line-Item Estimate

A lump-sum bid tells you nothing. “Kitchen remodel: $45,000” does not tell you what that number includes, what it excludes, or where your money goes. When something changes mid-project (and something always changes), a lump-sum contract gives the contractor cover to charge more with no accountability.

A line-item estimate lists every cost: demolition, framing lumber, drywall, paint, cabinets (brand and model), countertops (material and square footage), plumbing fixtures, electrical work, permit fees, and labor for each trade. Every dollar has a line.

Watch for “allowances.” An allowance is a placeholder. “Countertop allowance: $3,000” means the contractor budgeted $3,000, but if the countertop you select costs $5,000, you pay the difference. Allowances are how reasonable-looking bids balloon after signing.

We provide line-item estimates. Every material, every labor cost, and every permit fee is listed before you sign anything. If something changes during the project, we discuss it with you and document the change order before proceeding. No surprises.

5. Meet the Person Running Your Project

Many contracting companies send a salesperson to close the deal, then hand your project to a project manager you have never met, who oversees a crew you have never met. Communication breaks down. Decisions get made without your input. Problems get buried until they are too big to hide.

Ask the contractor directly: “Who will be on my job site every day? Who do I call when I have a question? Will I meet the person managing my project before signing the contract?”

At Drome Contracting, you meet the person running your project during the estimate. That same person manages the build and answers your calls. There is no phone tree, no dispatcher, no “I’ll have someone get back to you.” One point of contact from estimate to final walkthrough.

The Bottom Line

Choosing a general contractor comes down to five verifiable facts: valid license, current insurance, proper permits, transparent pricing, and direct communication with the person responsible for your project. Everything else is marketing.

If you are planning a project in Tampa Bay, we would like the chance to earn your business. Get a free instant estimate and see exactly what your project costs before talking to anyone. No pressure. No obligation. Just numbers.