How to check a pool contractor's license in Florida
Sarasota Pool Refinishing is a guide run by Terragroupe, LLC. We do not resurface pools or do any pool work, and we are not taking requests yet. A licensed pool contractor does this work, and we are lining one up.
Ask the contractor for their state license number, then look it up on the state licensing site before you sign 1. Florida's contractor law lists interior refinishing in the pool and spa servicing scope 2. It also says a contractor's number must appear in each offer of services and advertisement 3.
As of October 19, 2026
Sarasota Pool Refinishing is a guide run by Terragroupe, LLC. We do not resurface pools or do any pool work, and we are not taking requests yet. A licensed pool contractor does this work, and we are lining one up.
Last reviewed October 18, 2026 against the cited sources. A guide, not legal, tax or engineering advice.
Updated . Sources
Why the license matters for a resurface
Florida's contractor law defines pool and spa contractor scopes in section 489.105 2. The servicing scope names interior refinishing and draining a pool for repair or renovation. The residential and commercial pool scopes include interior finishes.
The same law says a contractor's registration or certification number must appear in each offer of services, bid, contract and advertisement (section 489.119) 3. An offer with no number on it is a reason to ask questions.
This is general information about the law, not legal advice.
Look it up, step by step
- Ask for the number. Get the license number and the name on the license, not just the company name.
- Search the state site. Use the state license search 1. It lets you search by name, license number, city or county, or license type 1.
- Match the name. The person or business on the record should match who you are hiring.
- Read the license type. Look for a pool or spa contractor class, not an unrelated trade. The next section lists the pool classes.
- Check the status and dates. Note whether it is current and when it expires.
- Write it down. Keep the number, the type and the date you checked with your paperwork.
Which pool license classes exist
The state's list of license codes shows these pool license types. CPC is Certified Pool/Spa Contractor, and RP is Registered Pool/Spa Contractor 4. Each comes in three classes: A for commercial, B for residential and C for pool/spa contractor service 4.
The list also shows certified specialty classes. PFC is Swimming Pool Finishes Specialty Contractor, PLL is Plaster and Lath Specialty Contractor, and RPS is Residential Pool/Spa Servicing Contractor 4. Other pool specialties on the list cover piping, structural work, trim, decking, excavation and layout 4.
The code list names the classes. It does not say what each class may legally do, and it does not explain what certified and registered mean 4.
What the law says about interior work
Section 489.105(3)(j) and (k) describe commercial and residential pool and spa contractors 5. Their scopes cover building, repairing and servicing pools and installing interior finishes 5.
Section 489.105(3)(l) describes the pool and spa servicing contractor 5. That scope covers repair and servicing, names interior refinishing, and names substantially or completely draining a pool for repair or renovation 5. It leaves out direct sanitary-sewer and potable-water connections 5.
Whether a PFC or PLL license alone covers a pool resurface is not settled in anything we have read, so we do not answer it here. Confirm that the class on the license covers interior refinishing. Ask the contractor to show you which class they hold and why it fits your job. If the answer is unclear, ask the state licensing board.
This is general information about the law, not legal advice.
Certified or registered
A certified contractor may contract anywhere in Florida 2. A registered contractor may contract only where they met the local rules, and only for the work covered 6.
The licensing board's page explains that certified license codes begin with C and registered ones with R 7. The code list does not say what the two terms mean 4. If the license is registered, ask which cities or counties it covers.
Who is actually in your yard
Not everyone who works on your pool must hold a license. The law lets people without a pool license do pool work when a certified or registered pool contractor supervises them and is responsible for the work (section 489.117) 6.
So ask: who is the licensed contractor responsible for my job, and will they be on site? Put that name in the written scope.
The plastering question
One part of the law lists plastering among trades that a local government may not license (section 489.117) 6. Another names pool interior refinishing as a licensed pool scope 2. How the state treats a plasterer working on a pool interior is not settled in anything we have read.
Our advice is simple: ask for a pool license number and check it. Do not hire on the idea that pool plaster needs no license.
Insurance and paperwork
Ask for a certificate of insurance that names the contractor's company, and check the dates. Florida law lets local governments fine someone who claims to be insured without a policy that covers the work (section 489.119) 3.
Get the scope, the price, the warranty and the license number on the same signed document.
Facts used in this guide
As of October 18, 2026
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Florida s. 489.105(3)(l) defines the Swimming Pool/Spa Servicing Contractor scope to include interior refinishing and substantially or completely draining a pool for repair or renovation. | interior refinishing is in the servicing scope | [5] 2026 (2026 Florida Statutes online edition) |
| Under s. 489.105(3)(j) (commercial) and (k) (residential) pool/spa contractors may build, repair and service pools, including installing interior finishes, and everything in the servicing scope. Direct sanitary-sewer and potable-water connections are excluded. | resurfacing is within scope of all three pool categories | [5] 2026 (2026 Florida Statutes online edition) |
| Section 489.117(4)(a)1 lists 'plastering' among job scopes a local government may not license, while 489.105(3)(l) names pool interior refinishing as a licensed pool scope. | possible overlap: plastering vs pool interior refinishing | [8] 2026 (2026 Florida Statutes online edition) |
| Section 489.103(7) lets an owner act as own contractor on a one- or two-family home for the owner's own use, with a one-year sale presumption. The subsection does not mention pools; whether it covers interior pool refinishing is not stated. | no explicit pool language | [9] 2026 (2026 Florida Statutes online edition) |
| DBPR's 'Understanding DBPR Codes' page lists CPC as Certified Pool/Spa Contractor (occupation code 0607) and RP as Registered Pool/Spa Contractor (0621), each with classes A (Commercial Pool/Spa Contractor), B (Residential Pool/Spa Contractor) and C (Pool/Spa Contractor Service). It does not explain what 'certified' and 'registered' mean for a license. | CPC (certified) and RP (registered); classes A, B, C | [4] undated (retrieved October 19, 2026)As of October 19, 2026 |
| DBPR's code list also shows certified specialty contractor (0612) classes PFC (Swimming Pool Finishes Specialty Contractor), PLL (Plaster and Lath Specialty Contractor), RPS (Residential Pool/Spa Servicing Contractor), PPC (piping), PSC (structural), PTC (trim), PDC (decking), PEC (excavation) and PLC (layout). | PFC = pool finishes specialty; RPS = residential pool/spa servicing | [4] undated (retrieved October 19, 2026)As of October 19, 2026 |
| In the 2026 Florida Statutes, s. 489.105(3)(j) (commercial) and (k) (residential) pool/spa contractors cover building, repairing and servicing pools and installing interior finishes; (l) the swimming pool/spa servicing contractor covers repair and servicing, names 'interior refinishing' and substantially or completely draining a pool for repair or renovation, and excludes direct sanitary-sewer and potable-water connections. Installing or replacing permanently attached water treatment or cleaning equipment needs a license; chemical-only water treatment and cleaning that does not affect structural integrity do not. | (j),(k) interior finishes; (l) interior refinishing and draining | [5] 2026 (2026 Florida Statutes online edition)As of October 19, 2026 |
| DBPR's online license search at www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp lets anyone search by name, license number, city or county, or license type. | search by name, number, city/county or type | [1] undated (retrieved October 19, 2026)As of October 19, 2026 |
Pool Surface Condition Check
Look at the pool on a bright day with the pump off, then answer each question. The result shows a stage and the answers that counted most. It is a starting point, not a price and not a diagnosis.
Start the Pool Surface Condition CheckSarasota Pool Refinishing is a guide run by Terragroupe, LLC. We do not resurface pools or do any pool work, and we are not taking requests yet. A licensed pool contractor does this work, and we are lining one up.
Questions people ask
Does a PFC or PLL license cover resurfacing a pool?
That is not settled in anything we have read, and we do not answer it. Confirm that the class on the license covers interior refinishing, and ask the contractor to show you where. The classes are listed by the state 4.
What if a contractor's ad shows no license number?
Ask for it. Florida law says the number must appear in each advertisement and offer of services (section 489.119) 3. Then look it up before you go further.
Does Sarasota Pool Refinishing hold a pool license?
No. We are a guide and do not do pool work. When we name a licensed pool contractor, their legal name, license number and license type will be shown on this site.
Sources
- Florida DBPR, Verify a License (license search), October 19, 2026
- The Florida Senate, 2026 Florida Statutes, section 489.105 (definitions), 2026
- The Florida Senate, 2026 Florida Statutes, section 489.119 (business organizations; advertising), 2026
- Florida DBPR, Understanding DBPR Codes, October 19, 2026
- Online Sunshine, Florida Statutes, section 489.105 (definitions), 2026
- The Florida Senate, 2026 Florida Statutes, section 489.117 (registration; specialty contractors), 2026
- Florida DBPR, Construction Industry Licensing Board, October 18, 2026
- Online Sunshine, Florida Statutes: s. 489.117, 2026 (2026 Florida Statutes online edition)
- Online Sunshine, Florida Statutes: s. 489.103, 2026 (2026 Florida Statutes online edition)