- Irrigation installation that connects to drinking water, and any irrigation system with a backflow preventer on a drinking water supply.
Do you need a state license in Florida?
Florida licenses some landscaping work at the state level and leaves the rest alone. Which side of that line a job falls on decides whether you need the state license.
Irrigation installation that connects to drinking water, and any irrigation system with a backflow preventer on a drinking water supply.
Check with your county or city for a local business tax receipt or certificate of competency.
The Florida license for this work
There is one license to aim for here.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Certified irrigation specialty contractor | Installing, maintaining, repairing and, where allowed, designing irrigation systems anywhere in the state |
Steps to get licensed in Florida
- Decide which irrigation credential you will hold: local certificate of competency, plumbing license or state certified irrigation specialty.
- Check with your county and city for local rules.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
The license to apply for. Certified irrigation specialty contractor (optional), local irrigation certificate of competency, or plumbing license.
Florida landscaping exams
Trade exam. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Business and law exam. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
What it costs in Florida
We could not confirm the current fee schedule on an official page. Check with the board before you budget: Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Construction Industry Licensing Board.
Insurance and bond
Insurance. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Bond. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Reciprocity. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Good to know in Florida
- The state irrigation specialty license is optional. It does not create a mandatory licensing requirement.
- A certified contractor can work in any Florida city or county.
After you are licensed
The license lets you take the work. Getting the work is the next job.
- Register the business. If you work under a name other than your own, register it where your state asks (often the Secretary of State, sometimes the county), and keep the name the same on your license, your truck and your invoices.
- Claim your Google Business Profile. It is the listing people see when they search for a landscaper near them. Fill in your service area, hours and real photos of your work.
- Put up a website that shows the license. Customers look for it before they call. Koira builds a contractor website for you and keeps it current.
- See where you stand. The free Koira report checks how your business shows up in search and on maps against shops near you.
Where this comes from
Every fact on this page comes from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Construction Industry Licensing Board and the official pages below, checked October 9, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the board before you file.
More for your trade: how landscaping companies run on Koira.