Florida Construction Law

Drywall work falls under the Jim Walter exemption, Section 489.117, Fla. Stat., that allows the drywall contractor to be unlicensed provided that it is supervised by a licensed contractor.   Trenton H. Cotney Florida Bar Certified Construction Lawyer Trent Cotney, P.A. 1211 N Franklin St Tampa, FL 33602 (813) 579-3278 www.trentcotney.com

Under Section 489.128, Florida Statutes, "the critical dates for determining when a contractor was unlicensed are 1) the effective date of the original contract, 2) the date the last party to the contract executed it, or 3) the first date upon which the contractor provided services, labor or materials under the contract."   Austin Building Company v. Rago, Ltd ., 2011 WL 1563797 (Fla. 3d DCA 2011). Trenton H. Cotney Board Certified in Construction Law Trent Cotney, P.A. 1207 N Franklin St, Ste 222 Tampa, FL 33602 (813) 579-3278 www.trentcotney.com

If the scope of work an unlicensed contractor provides an owner does not require a license and that the contract does not specifically require that a licensed contractor perform the work, the owner cannot use Section 489.128 to nullify a contract because the contractor is unlicensed.  A-1 Quality Corp. v. Oak Park Terrace, Inc ., 32 So.3d 166 (Fla. 4th DCA 2010).   Trenton H. Cotney Board Certified in Construction Law Trent Cotney, P.A. 1207 N Franklin St, Ste 222 Tampa, FL 33602 (813) 579-3278 www.trentcotney.com