There is no My Safe Florida Home approved contractor list. As of late August 2026, the program's own FAQ states that it no longer maintains a list of authorized contractors. You may hire any Florida contractor whose DBPR license is certified or registered as a General, Building, Residential, Specialty, or Roofing Contractor. The program verifies that license before approving your grant, then stays out of everything else, including selection, construction, and payment.
That one rule reshapes how you contract for the work. The state checks a license number; you carry the rest of the decision. Matching grants also pay as reimbursement: $2 for every $1 you spend, up to a $10,000 state contribution, released after a final inspection. That means the contractor you pick determines who carries the project cost until the check arrives.
We install impact windows and doors across South Florida, and this guide covers what we hear from homeowners holding a fresh inspection report. It walks through who can legally do the work, what the program checks and what it leaves to you, how reimbursement sequencing should shape your contract, and what to ask a bidder. The payoff is real. In Florida DFS program data, 49% of grant recipients report insurance discounts after their upgrades, averaging about $981 a year.
The MSFH Approved Contractor List Is Gone
Plenty of advice online still describes a roster of participating contractors. The current rule is simpler. The program's FAQ page says it plainly: the MSFH Program no longer maintains a list of authorized contractors and is not involved in contractor selection, construction, or payment. The homeowner is solely responsible for choosing and managing the contractor.
The program disclaimer goes further. The Department of Financial Services provides no warranties or guarantees on the work, and any dispute must be resolved between you and your contractor. By accepting the grant, you agree to hold the program harmless for anything your contractor does.
Inspections and construction follow opposite rules. You cannot pick your own wind mitigation inspector; the program assigns a licensed inspector it contracts with. You must pick your own contractor. The state controls the diagnosis, and you control the cure.
Which Contractors Can Do My Safe Florida Home Work
Florida Statute 215.5586 sets the floor: all mitigation performed under the program "must be performed by properly licensed contractors" and "must be based upon the securing of all required local permits and inspections." The portal narrows the license requirement to five DBPR categories, certified or registered:
| DBPR license category | Where it fits on MSFH work |
|---|---|
| General Contractor | Broadest scope, including opening protection and roof work |
| Building Contractor | Opening protection and roof work within the license's reach |
| Residential Contractor | Same scopes, limited to residential structures |
| Specialty Contractor | The named specialty only, such as window and door installation |
| Roofing Contractor | Roof deck, roof-to-wall, and secondary water resistance work |
The license has to match the trade being performed. A roofing license does not cover window installation, and a window specialty license does not cover a re-roof.
Timing matters: your grant application must include the name and state license number of the contractor who will perform the work, and the program verifies that license before approving the grant. You choose your contractor before approval, not after. The portal steps and priority phases are covered in our MSFH application walkthrough, so we will not repeat them here.
What You Still Check, Because the Program Does Not
The program's license verification answers one question: does this license number exist in good standing. It says nothing about workmanship, insurance, permit habits, or whether the crew that shows up matches the company on the contract. The portal itself tells homeowners to verify the license before entering it; treat that as the minimum.
- Run the license at MyFloridaLicense.com and confirm the status reads Current and Active, the category fits the work, and the name connects to the company on your written quote. Our license is CBC1270699, and we would rather you check it than take our word.
- Confirm who pulls the permit. Grant-funded work requires all local permits and inspections by statute, and your reimbursement paperwork requires those permits to be approved and closed. A bidder who suggests skipping the permit is volunteering to disqualify you from your own grant.
- Treat urgency scripts as a warning. Grant money attracts the same operators who canvass neighborhoods after storms; our guide to post-storm contractor scams covers the patterns, and every one of them applies to a homeowner with an approved grant.
Who Fronts the Money: Reimbursement and Your Contract
Matching grants are reimbursement grants. Per the portal, the sequence runs:
- Your official grant approval notice arrives. Beginning any construction before this disqualifies you from reimbursement, full stop.
- The work is completed, and every permit is approved and closed.
- You request the Final Inspection through your portal account. You get exactly one request.
- You submit a Draw Request: the summary, the original contractor invoice, proof of payment in full, proof of insurance discounts, and your disbursement details.
- A check arrives by mail.
The program's own impact-window examples show what the 2-for-1 match does:
| Project cost | State reimbursement | Homeowner's share |
|---|---|---|
| $9,000 | $6,000 | $3,000 |
| $15,000 | $10,000 (max) | $5,000 |
| $20,000 | $10,000 (max) | $10,000 |
Notice what "paid in full" means for your cash flow: under a matching grant, you front the entire project cost, and the state's share comes back after the final inspection and Draw Request clear. Low-income grants work differently, covering up to $10,000 with no match and no paid-in-full invoice requirement; our eligibility breakdown covers who qualifies for which tier.
Two clocks run alongside the money. Construction and the final-inspection request must happen within 18 months of grant approval, or the application is deemed abandoned and the funds revert to the state. And the disbursement check follows Draw Request approval by mail, so build slack into your budget rather than counting on a date.
The program's contractor resource page also lists a bridge-funding service, GovBridge, that pays the contractor directly and waits on the grant disbursement. Whether bridge funding, savings, or financing covers the gap, settle the plan before signing, and make the contract's payment schedule match it.
Questions to Ask Any Bidder About Grant Paperwork
A contractor who has been through the program will answer these without checking. A contractor who has not will be learning the rules on your 18-month clock.
- What license number goes on my grant application? It should match the company name on your contract, and it should check out at MyFloridaLicense.com in one search.
- Have you completed MSFH-funded jobs and their Draw Requests before? Real answers name real paperwork.
- Will your quote follow my inspection report line for line? Only improvements recommended in your Initial Inspection Report and observed at the Final Inspection are eligible for funding. Anything outside the report is yours to pay in full.
- Will you hold ordering and scheduling until my written grant approval? The only acceptable answer is an unconditional yes.
- Who pulls the permits, and who closes them? Your Draw Request needs them approved and closed, not just issued.
- Can you finish inside my 18-month window? Get lead times and the schedule in the contract.
- Will your final invoice be itemized and marked paid in full? The Draw Request requires the original invoice, and matching-grant homeowners need it to show full payment.
Where Impact Windows Fit in the Grant
Opening protection is Improvement 1.0 on the program's list, and the statute names windows, exterior doors, garage doors, and skylights as grant-eligible alongside three roof improvements. Impact windows can cover every opening the inspection flagged in one project. Read your Initial Inspection Report before collecting quotes and hand it to every bidder, because only recommended improvements get funded. For how the program fits together, start with our My Safe Florida Home program guide.
Next Steps
If your Initial Inspection Report recommends opening protection, get bids from installers who can answer every question above without looking anything up. We install impact windows and doors across South Florida under license CBC1270699, and we will build your quote around the inspection report and the Draw Request paperwork from the first visit. Request a free estimate and bring your inspection report to the appointment.
