Contractor License Violation Miami-Dade Hearing Process

The Real Problem

Why Homeowners Get Confused — and Left Unprotected

Two separate enforcement tracks, one complaint — and most homeowners don’t know the difference.

If a roofer installed your new roof without pulling a permit, skipped the required secondary water barrier, or used fastening patterns that don’t meet Miami-Dade’s High Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) standards, you have been harmed by more than shoddy workmanship — you may be living under a roof that will fail in the next named storm. The challenge is knowing where to turn.

Most online guides either lump the Miami-Dade CTQB and the state DBPR into one vague “file a complaint” instruction, or they skip the hearing process entirely and jump straight to “sue your contractor.” Neither approach helps you understand what actually happens after you file — or what you are allowed to do once the hearing date is set.

South Florida Context

Miami-Dade, HVHZ, and Why the Stakes Are Higher Here

The strictest residential building code in the United States means violations carry real consequences.

Miami-Dade and Broward counties sit inside the High Velocity Hurricane Zone — the only U.S. jurisdiction where the Florida Building Code applies its most stringent residential construction standards under FBC Chapter 44. Every roofing system, every impact window installation, and every structural modification must meet HVHZ-specific requirements. Products must carry either a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) or a current Florida Product Approval covering HVHZ use before they can be legally installed.

That regulatory context matters when a contractor cuts corners. A roofer who installs a system without the correct NOA, skips the required inspection steps, or uses clip hardware that does not meet the stamped specification is not just doing bad work — they are violating FBC Chapter 44 in a jurisdiction that inspects heavily and enforces aggressively. Miami-Dade Code Chapter 10 (Contractors) governs local enforcement, while Florida Statute 489 governs the state licensing layer.

Because so much is at stake — structurally and financially — understanding the enforcement process gives you real leverage.

How It Works

Two Tracks: Miami-Dade CTQB vs. Florida DBPR — Which One Handles Your Complaint?

The answer depends on how the contractor is licensed.

This is the most important distinction most guides skip:

If the contractor holds a state-issued Certified Roofing Contractor (CCC) license, your complaint goes to DBPR. If they hold only a Miami-Dade Certificate of Competency — a locally issued credential — the CTQB is the correct venue. Many homeowners file with one and wonder why nothing happens, not realizing they filed with the wrong body. You can file with both simultaneously if you are unsure; the agencies coordinate when jurisdiction overlaps.

The Miami-Dade CTQB Hearing Officer: Role and Process

The Construction Trades Qualifying Board is a body appointed under Miami-Dade Code Chapter 10 to handle disciplinary matters involving locally licensed contractors. When a complaint is filed with the Miami-Dade Contractor Licensing Section, staff investigators conduct a preliminary review. If the complaint has merit and the contractor cannot resolve the matter informally, the case is referred to a hearing.

A hearing officer — typically an attorney or administrative officer appointed by the county — presides over the formal hearing. The hearing officer’s role is quasi-judicial: they facilitate the proceeding, rule on evidentiary matters, and issue a recommended order. That recommended order goes to the CTQB board for a final vote. The board requires a quorum of members to conduct business; decisions are by majority vote of those present.

Key procedural points homeowners often do not know:

• You have standing to appear. As the complaining party, a homeowner can attend the hearing, submit documentary evidence (photos, contracts, inspection records, paid invoices), and give sworn testimony.
• The burden is on the county to prove the violation by a preponderance of the evidence — but your evidence directly supports that burden.
• The contractor will also appear and has the right to counsel and to cross-examine witnesses, including you.
• This is not civil court. You are not suing for damages here. The hearing determines whether the contractor’s license should be disciplined. A separate civil claim in county or circuit court is the path for monetary recovery.

Step by Step

How to File a Complaint and What Happens Next

One important note: filing a complaint does not pause the contractor’s license while the investigation is pending, unless the county or DBPR issues an emergency suspension based on imminent danger to public safety. Emergency suspension is reserved for serious, documented safety threats — not every bad installation qualifies.

Because Bigfoot holds a Certified General Contractor license (CGC1531370) in addition to our Certified Roofing Contractor license (CCC1333168), we handle structural scope — hurricane strap upgrades, header modifications, code-driven structural corrections — under one permit and one contractor of record. That single point of accountability matters: when there is only one licensed party responsible for the full scope, the complaint and enforcement process is cleaner for a homeowner if something ever does go wrong. Multiple subcontractors under a GC-less arrangement create jurisdictional confusion that benefits no one except a contractor trying to avoid accountability.

HVHZ-Specific Violations

How Improper Roofing Installation Triggers Elevated Scrutiny in the HVHZ

In Miami-Dade, roofing violations frequently involve one or more of the following:

• No NOA-compliant attachment system. Using clip hardware that does not match the NOA specification — or installing a standing-seam metal roof with nail-strip instead of clip-float attachment — is a direct FBC Chapter 44 violation. Inspectors in Miami-Dade look for stamped Englert-type clips at the correct spacing; unapproved substitutes fail inspection and expose the contractor to discipline.
• Missing secondary water barrier. The 2024 Florida Building Code permits direct-to-deck peel-and-stick underlayment. A contractor who installs 30-lb felt on a shingle roof in the HVHZ and omits the required secondary water barrier is in violation — and the homeowner loses a potential insurance discount.
• No permit pulled. Every residential roof replacement in Miami-Dade requires a permit. A contractor who collects payment and begins work without pulling a permit may be violating Miami-Dade Code Chapter 10 — and if they also lack a valid license, Florida Statute 489.127 addresses unlicensed contracting as a separate matter.
• Improper tile adhesive rating. Poly-set foam adhesive tile attachment is rated to 180 mph in South Florida conditions (per Bigfoot Windows & Roofing warranty documentation). A contractor who substitutes mechanical fasteners in a wind-uplift-sensitive application without the engineer-of-record sign-off may be out of specification for the NOA.

Each of these scenarios is documentable. Photos with timestamps, your permit search on the Miami-Dade permit portal, and the inspector’s field notes (public record) all become evidence at a CTQB or DBPR hearing. Gather them before filing — a well-documented complaint moves faster than a vague one.

If you are evaluating a new roofing project in South Florida and want to understand what proper HVHZ installation looks like, requesting a copy of the proposed NOA and the permit application before signing a contract is entirely reasonable.

Post-Hearing Outcomes

What Penalties Actually Look Like — and What They Mean Mid-Project

If the CTQB or DBPR finds a violation, the available remedies under Miami-Dade Code Chapter 10 and Florida Statute 489 include:

• Civil fine: DBPR may impose civil fines per count of violation under the penalty schedule established in Florida Statute 489 — consult the statute or a licensed attorney for current amounts. The CTQB has its own fine schedule under Miami-Dade Code Chapter 10.
• License suspension: A fixed period during which the contractor cannot pull permits or contract for new work. An ongoing project mid-suspension is a problem the contractor must resolve — typically by having a licensed contractor take over as contractor of record, or by completing permitted work already underway under the original permit.
• License revocation: The most serious outcome. The contractor loses their license and must reapply (often with additional requirements) to resume practice. Under Florida Statute 489, a revoked contractor is prohibited from acting as a qualifying agent for any company.
• Probation and restitution: A contractor may be placed on probation with conditions, and CTQB can order restitution to the homeowner as part of the disciplinary order.
• Dismissal: If evidence does not support the violation, the case is dismissed. This is why documentation quality matters.

What a disciplinary order does NOT do: it does not automatically repair your roof or return your money. For financial recovery, you need a separate civil action — small claims court, county court, or circuit court depending on damages — or a claim against the contractor’s surety bond. Florida Statute 489 requires licensed contractors to maintain a surety bond or equivalent; that bond is specifically designed to compensate homeowners for contractor failures.

Learn more about what Florida-licensed contractors are required to carry before work begins on your property.

Related Reading

More From Bigfoot Windows & Roofing

Who We’re Not the Right Fit For

• Homeowners wanting the fastest possible start date. Bigfoot pulls every permit and schedules every required inspection. If your priority is a contractor who starts tomorrow without pulling a permit, we are not that contractor — and that approach is exactly what this article describes as a violation.
• Projects requiring electrical, HVAC, or plumbing scope. Our four licenses cover general contracting, residential, roofing, and glass & glazing. We do not hold electrical, mechanical, or plumbing licenses and will refer those scopes to the appropriate licensed trade.
• Homeowners seeking the absolute lowest bid. Proper HVHZ-compliant installation — correct clip systems, NOA-matched products, permitted inspections — costs more than a cash-only, no-permit job. If the lowest number on the page is the only decision driver, we will likely not be the lowest quote.
• Commercial or high-rise buildings requiring specialized window glazing. Our Mr. Glass Series 350 windows are rated for residential use only. Commercial or high-rise glazing scope requires products and engineering outside our residential line.