Bigfoot Roofing Reviews: Licenses, Red Flags & What Matters

The Real Problem

Why “Great Reviews” Aren’t Enough in South Florida

A five-star rating tells you a customer was happy. It doesn’t tell you the roof was permitted, the materials were NOA-approved, or the contractor holds a Florida state license.

If you’re researching Bigfoot roofing reviews — or evaluating any roofing company in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach — you’re doing the right thing. But most homeowners stop at the star average and miss the questions that matter most in a High-Velocity Hurricane Zone market.

South Florida is one of the most demanding roofing environments in the United States. The Florida Building Code imposes requirements that simply do not exist in most other states. A roofer who does excellent work in Georgia or Texas may be operating far outside their competence — or even outside the law — if they show up after a hurricane in Miami-Dade without the right licenses and material approvals.

This article is not a self-promotional review page. It’s a buyer’s guide: what to look for when reading any roofing company’s reviews in South Florida, and what credentials and documentation to verify before you sign anything.

South Florida Context

HVHZ, the Florida Building Code, and Why They Change Everything

Miami-Dade and Broward counties sit in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone — the strictest residential building-code jurisdiction in the United States.

The High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) designation under the Florida Building Code means every roofing material, fastener pattern, underlayment system, and installation method must meet standards developed specifically for sustained 150+ mph wind events. A roofing product that carries a Florida Product Approval (FPA) is tested and approved for use statewide. But only products that hold a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) have passed the more rigorous HVHZ-specific testing required for use in Miami-Dade and Broward.

This distinction matters when you read reviews. A homeowner in Tampa who raves about a roofer’s work has no way of knowing whether that contractor’s materials or installation methods would pass a Miami-Dade inspection. When a roofing job in the HVHZ is done with non-approved materials or without required permits, the Miami-Dade County Building Department can order the roof stripped and replaced — at the homeowner’s expense.

After major storms — including post-hurricane-season demand surges that have hit South Florida repeatedly — out-of-state and unlicensed contractors flood the market. Many of them accumulate five-star reviews from customers who do not know their permits were pulled improperly, their underlayment was wrong, or their materials did not carry an NOA. The problems surface two or three years later, when the homeowner files an insurance claim or tries to sell the house.

Buyer’s Education

How to Evaluate Any Roofing Contractor’s Reviews and Credentials

Five checkpoints that go beyond the star average — and tell you what a review can’t.

1. Verify the Florida Roofing License (CCC Prefix) Through DBPR

Any contractor performing roofing work in Florida must hold a state-issued roofing contractor license. The license type for a standalone roofing contractor begins with CCC. A Certified General Contractor (CGC prefix) or Certified Residential Contractor (CRC prefix) may also perform roofing work within their scope, but no license at all is an absolute disqualifier — not a red flag, a hard stop.

You can verify any Florida contractor license in seconds at the Florida DBPR online license lookup. Search by license number or business name. Confirm the license is active and matches the name on your contract. A contractor who hesitates to give you their license number is telling you something.

Darryl Henry Rosenbaum, doing business as Bigfoot Windows and Roofing, holds an active Florida Certified Roofing Contractor (CCC1333168) license, verified through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). Florida licensed: CGC1531370 · CRC1331693 · CCC1333168 · SCC131153098.

2. Ask for the NOA or Florida Product Approval Number on Every Material

A reputable roofing contractor operating in the HVHZ should be able to tell you — before installation — the NOA or Florida Product Approval (FPA) number for the shingles, tile, metal panels, underlayment, and fasteners they plan to use. These numbers are public record. You can look them up at the Miami-Dade County product control search or at the Florida Building Commission product approval database.

If a contractor cannot provide these numbers, or says “our materials are approved, don’t worry about it,” that is a meaningful red flag — regardless of how many five-star reviews they have.

3. Confirm a Permit Was Pulled and Inspected

Roofing work in Miami-Dade and Broward requires a permit. Period. There is no such thing as an exempt routine replacement. A permit creates a documented record that an inspector verified the installation met code. Without a permit, you have no independent confirmation the work was done correctly — and your homeowner’s insurance carrier may deny a future claim on work it cannot verify was code-compliant.

You can check permit history through the Miami-Dade County Building Department or Broward County permitting portals. Ask your contractor for the permit number before work starts — not after.

4. Read Reviews for Permit and Inspection Specifics, Not Just “Great Job”

The most informative roofing reviews mention specifics: the inspector passed on the first visit, the permit was closed on time, the crew cleaned up nails with a magnet sweep, the project manager communicated about the schedule. Generic “great job, would recommend” reviews tell you the homeowner was satisfied at the time — they do not tell you the job was done to code.

Conversely, reviews that mention permit delays, failed inspections that were resolved, or material substitutions mid-job are actually informative in a positive direction — they tell you the contractor operates within the permitting system rather than around it.

5. Watch Post-Storm Review Surges with Extra Scrutiny

After a significant storm affects Miami-Dade or Broward, roofing review counts for local companies can spike dramatically. Some of those reviews reflect genuine work. Others reflect pressure-signed contracts and rushed installations by crews brought in from out of state under a Florida contractor’s license number — a practice called “license lending” that is illegal under Florida law but difficult for a homeowner to detect from a Google listing.

During and after a post-hurricane demand surge, the most important questions are not about reviews — they are about who is physically doing the work, whether that person is supervised by the license holder, and whether the license holder has Miami-Dade County certification to work in the HVHZ.

Side-by-Side Comparison

What Separates a Credential-Verified Roofer from a Review-Only Choice

Stars measure satisfaction. These criteria measure compliance and accountability in an HVHZ market.

When Reviews Alone May Be Enough

If you are hiring a roofer for a repair — not a full replacement — in a non-HVHZ Florida county, and the job value is modest, the review-focused approach carries less risk. The stakes are lower, the permitting complexity is reduced, and the material approval requirements are less stringent than in Miami-Dade or Broward. Even so, verifying the license through DBPR takes about 60 seconds and costs nothing.

Roofing Systems We Install

Products That Carry the Right Approvals for South Florida

Every system we recommend has documented Florida Product Approval or Miami-Dade NOA credentials relevant to the HVHZ.

When evaluating roofing reviews for any South Florida contractor, it helps to know which product systems are appropriate for HVHZ conditions. Here is how the systems Bigfoot installs are positioned:

One note specific to GAF: Bigfoot holds GAF Silver Plus certification and can offer the System Plus warranty (50 years, non-prorated, covering shingles, labor, tear-off, and accessories). We are not yet GAF Master Elite and do not offer the Golden Pledge warranty — we will say so plainly rather than overstate our certification level.

For all roofing systems and services Bigfoot installs in South Florida, including metal roofing options for HOA-restricted communities under Florida SB 293, see the full roofing services overview.

What the Process Looks Like

From Estimate to Final Inspection: How a Compliant Roofing Job Works

Understanding the process helps you evaluate whether a contractor’s reviews reflect a real, compliant workflow — or a shortcut.

1. Site assessment and scope documentation — We measure, photograph existing conditions, and document any structural or substrate issues before quoting. A proposal without a site visit is a guess.
2. Written proposal with material specs and NOA/FPA references — Every proposal names the specific products and their approval numbers. You should be able to look them up.
3. Permit application — We pull the permit before any work starts. You receive the permit number. Work does not begin until the permit is issued.
4. Installation with documented fastener patterns and underlayment — HVHZ installations require specific fastener spacing, underlayment types, and clip or adhesive specifications. These are documented for the inspector, not improvised on site.
5. Inspection and permit close-out — The Miami-Dade County Building Department inspector reviews the completed installation. We do not consider a job finished until the permit is closed and you have a copy of the inspection record.
6. Warranty documentation — You receive the manufacturer warranty registration and our workmanship warranty in writing before we leave the job.

If a contractor’s reviews do not mention inspections passing or permits closing, ask them directly where that step lives in their process. Silence on permits is informative.

Homeowners considering roofing financing options in South Florida should know that PACE financing (paid through your property tax bill) is available for qualifying projects. Roofing and windows must be separate PACE applications. For any tax implications, consult your CPA — we do not give tax advice.

Who We’re Not the Right Fit For

Bigfoot is not the right roofing contractor for every homeowner in South Florida. Here is an honest picture of situations where we are likely not the best match:

1. You need the lowest possible bid and are comfortable handling permit follow-up yourself. Bigfoot quotes compliant, fully-permitted work with documented material approvals. If you are primarily price-shopping and the permit process feels like overhead you’d rather skip, we are not aligned. We will not do unpermitted work.
2. You want same-week installation with no site visit. We do not quote roofs without an in-person assessment. If a contractor is willing to give you a firm price from satellite imagery alone and start immediately, they may be a faster fit — though we’d encourage you to verify their license and NOA documentation regardless.
3. You prefer a large regional roofing chain with a dedicated showroom. Bigfoot operates as a focused contractor, not a franchise. If you want the brand recognition and infrastructure of a multi-location chain, that’s a reasonable preference and there are licensed options in Miami-Dade that fit that profile.
4. Your project is entirely outside Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach counties. We are licensed to work statewide, but our active operations and crew familiarity are concentrated in South Florida. A roofer with stronger local relationships may serve you better if you’re significantly outside this region.