The checks that separate a licensed kitchen contractor from a cabinet installer with a truck: licence, contract, deposit, permits and the questions to ask before you sign. Updated October 2026.
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Verify the licence on the Florida DBPR search before anything else, then judge the paperwork: a written, itemised estimate with permit fees shown separately; a contract that carries the two notices Florida requires over $2,500; a deposit you understand against the 10% permit rule; and a contractor who pulls the permit in its own name, because the $7,500 exemption excludes the electrical and plumbing work almost every kitchen involves. A showroom can sell you cabinets; only a licensed contractor can open the wall, move the slab plumbing and close the permit.
| Check | What to look for | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | A current Florida contractor licence under the company's name on the DBPR search; the number printed on the proposal and the contract. | F.S. 489.119 requires the number on every bid, contract and advertisement. |
| Estimate | Written and itemised by trade, permit and engineering fees shown separately, allowances stated for anything not yet chosen. | Our own standard; see what the estimate includes. |
| Contract | Scope, price, payment schedule, timeline, change-order terms, and the Recovery Fund notice and lien-law disclosure when the job is over $2,500. | F.S. 489.1425 and 713.015. |
| Deposit | A deposit over 10% obliges the contractor to apply for the permit within 30 days and start within 90 days of issue. | F.S. 489.126. |
| Permit | The contractor pulls it in its own name; the $7,500 exemption never covers electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical or gas work. | F.S. 553.79 (HB 803, 2026). |
| Notice of Commencement | Recorded and posted before the first inspection when the contract is over $5,000. | F.S. 713.135. |
Go to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation licence search at myfloridalicense.com and search the company name or the licence number the contractor gave you. Read three things: the licence type, the status (it should say current and active) and the expiry date. Florida law requires the number on every offer of services, proposal, bid, contract and advertisement, so a proposal without one is a problem before you have read the price.
Ours is CGC1539321 — a certified general contractor licence held by Right Image Inc, the Florida corporation behind Right Image Builders. It is on every page of this site and every estimate we send. A kitchen remodel that opens a wall, moves plumbing or adds circuits is contractor work under Florida law; the owner-builder exemption exists for owners who personally supervise and sign the permit for their own home, which is a different job from hiring someone.
Our planning ranges, updated October 2026: cabinet and counter refresh $15,000 – $30,000; full kitchen remodel $30,000 – $70,000; layout change or wall removal $60,000 – $100,000+. A written estimate from any contractor should let you see where your kitchen lands inside a range like that and why; the kitchen remodel cost guide explains what moves the number.
Florida does not cap the deposit, but it ties a large one to the permit. Under F.S. 489.126, a contractor who takes an initial payment of more than 10% of the contract price for residential work must apply for the necessary permits within 30 days and start the work within 90 days after the permits are issued, unless there is just cause or a written agreement to a longer period. For a kitchen, a reasonable schedule follows the work: a deposit when the contract is signed, a payment when cabinets are ordered (they are the long-lead item), progress payments at rough-in and at cabinet install, and the balance after the final inspection and walkthrough.
Be wary of a cash price offered to skip the permit, of a deposit that covers most of the job before anything is ordered, and of a contractor who wants you to pull the permit as an owner-builder — that makes you responsible for the work and the inspections.
Almost always. Since July 1, 2026, Florida law (HB 803, F.S. 553.79) lets a single-family owner request an exemption from a building permit for work valued under $7,500, but the exemption excludes any electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical or gas work and any property in a flood hazard area. New doors and hardware on existing cabinets can qualify; a kitchen that moves a sink, adds a circuit for a range, opens a wall or relocates a gas line does not. The permit comes from the city when the address is inside city limits (City of Orlando Permitting Services, the City of Oviedo Building Division, and the building divisions of Winter Park, Lake Mary, Longwood and the other cities we serve) and from the county when it is unincorporated; who issues your permit lists every office.
The contractor pulls the permit under its own licence and schedules the inspections — rough plumbing and electrical before the walls close, framing where a wall came out, and the final. When the contract is greater than $5,000 the permit office must also have a copy of the Notice of Commencement before the first inspection, recorded and posted on the site; we prepare it with the permit paperwork. A permit that is never closed shows up at resale, so ask how and when the contractor closes it.
The difference shows the moment the layout changes. A refresh in the same footprint can be bought from a showroom with an installer; a full remodel with new wiring and plumbing, and any layout change, is general-contractor work with a permit behind it. We work from your showroom's cabinets as readily as from our own suppliers; what we add is the structure, the mechanical work, the permit and one accountable schedule.
| Cabinet showroom | Handyman | Licensed general contractor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabinets and counters | Yes — its core product | Install only | Yes, supplied or from your showroom |
| Opening a load-bearing wall | No | No | Yes — engineered beam, structural permit |
| Moving plumbing or gas in a slab | No | No | Yes — permitted and inspected |
| Electrical circuits and lighting | Usually referred out | Not permitted work | Yes — on the permit |
| Pulls the permit | Rarely | No | Yes, in its own name |
| One contract and one schedule | Cabinets only | Task by task | Yes |
Quoted word for word from our Google Business Profile (Oct 2026). Reviewers name the work; we add nothing.
Thank you, Right Image Inc., for our new roof, stucco, and bathroom remodel! Our home looks refreshed, and we’re very happy with the results. Vladimir and his team were helpful throughout the project and took care of the details. We appreciate your hard work and highly recommend your services!
Right Image Inc. built my ADU and installed a new roof, and I’m very pleased with how everything turned out. Vladimir and his team were easy to work with, answered my questions, and paid attention to the details. Thank you for helping bring this project to life!
Excellent service at a reasonable price! They repaired a roof leak around a pipe vent, and I’m very happy with the work. I appreciate their help and would highly recommend them to anyone needing a roof repair.
Sources (primary sources, checked 2026-10-16): DBPR · F.S. 489.119 · F.S. 489.1425 · F.S. 713.015 · F.S. 489.126 · F.S. 553.79 · F.S. 713.135 · F.S. 489.103. This page explains rules in general terms; it is not legal advice, and the building department for your address has the final word.
Call (407) 993-6889 or send your project details — we’ll get right back to you.