November 1, 2026 · 10 min read · Tips
The short answer
Hire a roofer whose state license checks out, who pulls the permit under that license, and who gives you the full scope and price in writing before any work starts. Everything else on this page is how to confirm those three things, plus the paperwork that separates a professional from a guess. Use these ten questions on every contractor you interview in 2027, including us.
Molsbee Roofing works from our shop in Lake Worth Beach under Florida license CCC1327429. We see plenty of other contractors' proposals when homeowners ask us for a second look, so this is written from both sides of the table.
Ten questions to ask before you hire a roofer, with the answers
Question 1: What license do you hold, and where can it be checked?
A good answer: a license number you can look up on the state's license search at myfloridalicense.com, in the same company name that appears on the proposal, reading "Current, Active". A certified roofing contractor (CCC) can work anywhere in Florida; a registered contractor is limited to the local areas where the registration is held.
Our answer: Florida certified roofing contractor, license CCC1327429, on the state record since 2006. The permit is pulled under that license, never as an owner-builder permit in your name.
Question 2: Which office issues the permit for this address, and who books the inspections?
A good answer: the contractor names your office without looking it up. The county is split among many building departments: the City of Lake Worth Beach Building Division, Civic Access in West Palm Beach, eHub in Boca Raton, JCDS in Jupiter, ProjectDox in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach, and the county's ePZB portal for unincorporated areas.
Our answer: we file the permit, book every inspection and meet the inspector. We schedule the work around the inspections so the roof is dried in and ready each time.
Question 3: Will the new roof get a secondary water barrier?
A good answer: yes, and the scope names the method. The Florida Building Code sets secondary water barrier requirements on re-roofs and allows more than one method. It is the layer that keeps water out if wind strips the covering during a storm.
Our answer: we specify a self-adhered secondary water barrier over the deck, named by product on every re-roof proposal.
Question 4: Should this roof be repaired or replaced?
A good answer: it depends on the underlayment and the deck, not just the surface, and on Florida's one-quarter roof rule. When more than a quarter of a roof system or section is repaired, replaced or recovered within 12 months, the covering on that whole section generally has to be brought to current code. The exception in Fla. Stat. 553.844(5): if that section was built or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, only the repaired part has to meet current code.
Our answer: we tell you which side of that line your roof is on at the inspection. About half of the jobs we win are repairs, so we have no reason to push a replacement. Our 2027 Palm Beach County roofing guide explains the rule in more detail.
Question 5: What can your inspection see, and what can it not?
A good answer: an honest limit. An inspector can see tile, shingles, flashing, roof-to-wall joints, edge metal and penetrations, and the attic where it is accessible. The underlayment beneath intact tile and the deck beneath that are only fully known once the roof is opened.
Our answer: our roof inspection is free, and you get labeled photos of the findings so you can see each issue yourself.
Question 6: What happens if you find rotted wood during tear-off?
A good answer: the process is written into the proposal before work starts. Work pauses on that section, the damage is photographed and the repair is priced at a rate you already agreed to.
Our answer: every quote includes a set number of plywood sheets, and any extra is photographed and billed per sheet at the rate printed on the quote. You approve extra work from photos, not from a surprise on the final invoice.
Question 7: How is the roof fastened for this wind zone?
A good answer: the contractor knows your design wind speed. Palm Beach County runs from 150 mph inland to 160 mph across most of the mainland and 170 mph on the barrier islands and some waterfront strips, and the whole county sits in the wind-borne debris region. Fastening follows the product approval for that band.
Our answer: we check the parcel, not the ZIP code. In Palm Beach Gardens, for example, the city straddles the 160 and 170 mph lines.
Question 8: Does anyone besides the building department need to approve the roof?
A good answer: possibly. HOAs and architectural review committees often approve a re-roof before the permit. In historic districts such as Old Floresta in Boca Raton, El Cid in West Palm Beach or Lake Worth Beach's historic districts, a Certificate of Appropriateness comes first. On the island of Palm Beach, a change of material or appearance goes before the Architectural Commission.
Our answer: we identify these at the inspection and prepare the photos and material details the reviewer needs.
Question 9: How is the property protected during the job?
A good answer: specific steps, not a promise to be careful. Debris goes straight to a dumpster, the yard and driveway are cleaned at the end, and tile roofs are walked with care.
Our answer: our crews wear protective, safe footwear on tile roofs, and on sound clay barrel tile we can detach and reset: lift the tile, replace the underlayment and reset the same tile.
Question 10: What paperwork does the homeowner get at the end?
A good answer: more than a receipt. You should get the warranty documents, a closed permit with a passed final inspection, and your final scope.
Our answer: you get the manufacturers' product warranties and your workmanship warranty in writing, plus the final inspection record.
Read the proposal, not the pitch
Most roofers sound confident on the driveway. The difference shows up on paper. A proposal you can compare side by side names, at minimum:
- The roof covering, by manufacturer, product line and color
- The underlayment and the secondary water barrier
- Fastening for your wind band
- Flashing and edge metal, and whether they are new or reused. Near the Intracoastal and the ocean, the metal and fasteners should be specified for salt air.
- The permit, which office issues it and who meets the inspector
- The wood allowance and the rate for any extra
- Tear-off, disposal and cleanup
- The payment schedule and the warranty, in writing
A single total with no line items is not a proposal. It is a number.
Manufacturer credentials: check them on the manufacturer's own contractor locator, not just the logo on a website, and make sure the credential fits the job. A shingle credential tells you about shingle work, not tile or metal. Molsbee Roofing is an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor, and you can find us on Owens Corning's own Lake Worth contractor page.
Florida's contract rules (2024): a contractor may not offer gifts or cash in exchange for inspecting your roof, you should get a written, itemized estimate before authorizing work, and the 10-day right to cancel a roof contract without penalty now applies only to contracts signed within 180 days after a declared state of emergency for your area.
Check references and reviews
Read recent Google reviews and look for detail: neighborhoods, roof types and how problems were handled. Look at how many reviews there are and how recent they are, not just the stars. Ask the contractor for permit numbers on past jobs near you; permits are public records in each town's portal. In Lake Worth Beach, use the city's building permit search. And ask for a certificate of general liability coverage and a workers' compensation certificate (or exemption), with you named as the certificate holder.
Red flags
- Door-to-door offers right after a storm, with pressure to sign that day
- No permanent office address in the county
- A request that you pull the permit yourself
- A vague proposal with no named materials, underlayment or fastening
- Full payment or cash demanded up front
- A price far below the others with no explanation of what is different
- The contractor can't name your permit office or your wind band
Molsbee data
Original numbers from our own job records. Customer names and addresses are never included.
- On signed contracts, the final job value matched the signed proposal total on 48 of 48 jobs (Molsbee Roofing job records, Jun to Oct 2026, n=48).
- The median customer signed 3 days after receiving a proposal (Molsbee Roofing job records, Jun to Oct 2026, n=48).
- About half of the jobs we win are repairs: 279 repairs and 270 re-roofs (Molsbee Roofing job records, Dec 2024 to Oct 2026, n=549).
- Lake Worth Beach accounted for 39 of our 270 won re-roofs (Molsbee Roofing job records, Dec 2024 to Oct 2026, n=270).
Comparing roofers in Lake Worth Beach?
See our 2027 list of roofing contractors in Lake Worth Beach, with license numbers and review counts for each one.
Ask us all ten
Call (561) 318-8624 or request a free roof inspection, and bring this list. We will answer every question for your address, and put our proposal next to anyone else's line by line.
Molsbee Roofing, Inc. · Florida license CCC1327429 · Owens Corning Preferred Contractor
