Starting a service business in Florida

Form your business in Florida

File Articles of Organization online at Sunbiz, the Division of Corporations' site. On the Division's October 2026 fee list, the filing fee is $100 plus $25 for the registered agent designation, for $125 total; a certified copy ($30) and certificate of status ($5) are optional. Everything you put on the form becomes public record on the Division's website, so think twice before listing a home address.

Ongoing state filings

Every Florida LLC files an annual report with the Division of Corporations between January 1 and May 1. The fee is $138.75 as listed in October 2026. The Division is strict about the deadline: a report filed after 11:59 p.m. on May 1 (May 1, 2026 fell on a Friday) carries a $400 late fee, and mailed payments must be postmarked by May 1.

Using a business name (DBA)

Register a fictitious name with the Division of Corporations: $50 as listed in October 2026, valid for five years and expiring December 31 of the final year. Before you register, the name must be advertised at least once in a newspaper in the county of your principal place of business (Chapter 50, Florida Statutes). You certify the ad ran when you sign the application, and the Division does not ask for proof.

Not sure whether you need an LLC at all? Read LLC vs sole proprietor for contractors, then get your free EIN from the IRS.

Licensing for service trades

The Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) licenses contractors through the Construction Industry Licensing Board and the Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board. A certified contractor (license code starting with C) can work anywhere in Florida; a registered contractor (code starting with R) has met local competency rules and may contract only in those jurisdictions. Section 489.103(9) exempts casual, minor or inconsequential work under $2,500 in total labor and materials, but not if the job is part of a larger project, split to stay under the limit, or done by someone who advertises as a contractor. Under § 489.128, contracts entered into by an unlicensed contractor are unenforceable by that contractor, so an unlicensed job can leave you unable to collect. Counties and cities issue local business tax receipts and may license other trades.

• Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board (DBPR): Certified and registered construction contractors, including plumbing and air conditioning contractors
• Florida Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board (DBPR): Certified and registered electrical, alarm and specialty contractors

Workers' compensation

Florida's Division of Workers' Compensation splits the rule by industry. In the construction industry, coverage is required once you have a single employee, and owners who are corporate officers or LLC members count as employees. In non-construction businesses the threshold is four or more employees, again counting officers and LLC members. Non-construction sole proprietors and partners are not employees unless they choose to be covered and file form DWC-251. Business owners who meet the requirements can apply to the Division for an exemption for themselves. The Division publishes a list of the trades it considers construction, so check it before assuming you fall in the four-employee group.

More on coverage: business insurance for contractors.

Sales tax on services

Florida's 6% state sales tax applies to retail sales of tangible personal property and to a short list of services. Under § 212.05(1)(i), that list includes nonresidential cleaning and nonresidential building pest control services, so a janitorial route or commercial pest account is taxable while a house cleaning or residential pest service is not taxed under that paragraph. When one invoice mixes taxable and non-taxable services, the statute presumes the whole transaction is taxable unless the charges are separately stated. Counties may add a discretionary sales surtax. Register with the Florida Department of Revenue before your first taxable sale.

Recording business calls in Florida

Under Fla. Stat. § 934.03, intercepting a phone or in-person conversation is lawful only when all parties have given prior consent. Any business that records calls, including through an AI receptionist, needs a notice at the start of every call so callers consent by continuing; our call recording guide explains how to set that up.

See our guide to recording business calls before you turn on call recording or an AI receptionist.

How the seasons shape the work

Florida's service calendar runs on heat and hurricanes. Air conditioning, pool, lawn and pest work run year-round and peak in the long, wet summer, when afternoon storms and humidity drive mold, mildew and pressure washing demand. Hurricane season from June through November brings shutters, tree work, roof tarping and storm cleanup, and in the snowbird markets of South and Southwest Florida, seasonal residents arriving in fall and winter fill house watching, cleaning and turnover schedules.

Being unlicensed can cost you the whole invoice

Fla. Stat. § 489.128 says contracts entered into by an unlicensed contractor are unenforceable in law or in equity by that contractor. A business organization counts as unlicensed if it lacks a qualifying agent for the scope of work. If a job crosses the $2,500 line or needs a license for its scope, get the license or sub it to someone who has one before you sign.

Then set up the back end that gets you hired

The paperwork makes you legal. Customers still have to find you, reach you and pay you. Before your first job, set up a business phone number, email on your own domain, a Google Business Profile, a simple website, and a way to send quotes and take card payments. The launch checklist lays out the order.

Florida questions