Electrical work is the trade where hiring badly carries the highest hidden cost — bad work doesn't just underperform, it hides in your walls as a hazard. Florida gives homeowners real vetting tools; most people just don't know they exist.
Here's the checklist we'd give a family member — and yes, it's designed so you can run it on Top Flight Electric too.
The vetting framework
License first: Florida electrical contractors are licensed through the state DBPR, and every license is verifiable online in about two minutes at myfloridalicense.com. Look for a current, active electrical-contractor license (EC number) held by the business or its qualifier — not 'we work under a friend's license,' which is a structure with your name on the risk.
Insurance second: liability insurance and workers' compensation protect you if anything goes wrong on your property. A legitimate contractor produces certificates on request without friction.
The quote is the character test: a trustworthy quote is written, itemized enough to understand, priced before work begins, and explicit about permits. Vague verbal numbers, prices that firm up 'once we're in there,' and permit avoidance ('we can skip it and save you money') each predict exactly the experience they suggest.
Questions that make any contractor show their cards
- 01 'What's your license number?' — then actually look it up. The reaction to the question is itself data.
- 02 'Is this quote flat-rate, and can I have it in writing before work starts?' — hourly open-ended billing on defined jobs shifts all risk to you.
- 03 'Does this job need a permit, and who pulls it?' — panel changes, new circuits, and service work do; the contractor should pull it under their license.
- 04 'Who exactly is coming to my home?' — employees vs subcontractors, background checks, and whether the person quoting is the person working.
- 05 'What warranty covers this work — parts and labor, and for how long?' — get it in writing with the quote.
Red flags that predict bad outcomes
- Unlicensed or 'handyman electrical' work on anything beyond a fixture swap — in Florida, most electrical work legally requires licensure, and unpermitted work follows the house.
- Cash-only, today-only pricing, or pressure tactics around 'dangerous' findings without documentation you can keep.
- Quotes that omit permits on jobs that plainly need them.
- No physical address, no reviews history, or a company name that changes year to year.
- The lowest bid by a wide margin — in electrical work, someone is always eating that difference, and it's usually the parts of the job you can't see.
Run this checklist on us
- License: Top Flight Electric operates under Florida electrical-contractor license EC13005699 — verifiable at myfloridalicense.com right now.
- Pricing: flat-rate, in writing, approved before work begins, with $0 service fees — the quote structure this guide tells you to demand.
- People: family-owned since 2017; technicians are licensed and background-checked, and the team page shows you real names and faces.
What should you do next?
Verify the license of anyone you're considering — including us — then compare written flat-rate quotes on identical scope. If you'd like Top Flight in that comparison, the estimate costs nothing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I verify a Florida electrical license? +
Go to myfloridalicense.com, choose 'Verify a License,' and search the license number or business name. You'll see status, expiration, and any discipline history. Two minutes, free, and the single highest-value vetting step available.
Is a big company safer than a one-truck operation? +
Neither size guarantees quality. What matters is the license, insurance, quote quality, and who actually shows up. Small shops can be excellent; large ones can be excellent — the checklist doesn't care about fleet size.
What if I already have unpermitted work in my home? +
It's common and fixable. A licensed electrician can evaluate the work, correct anything unsafe, and advise on after-the-fact permitting where it matters (usually at sale time). What you shouldn't do is stack new unpermitted work on top of it.