Requirements for an Irrigation License in Florida
- You begin by submitting an application to the licensing division or board at the county building department. Application fees range from about $100 to over $300. Some counties require approval of the application before you register to take the examination. Background questions usually deal with education, positions held, credit, personal references and criminal history. Most counties mandate a year of experience in the irrigation trade. Some specify that the experience must be as a supervisor or foreman and some allow experience in plumbing to substitute for irrigation. A current or former employer with a license must sign a statement attesting to your experience.
- A uniform Irrigation Sprinkler examination is administered at testing sites throughout Florida by the Prometric testing service (see References). You must submit the application by mail after a county licensing official signs it. The testing fee of $160 as of June 2011 may be paid by credit card, money order or cashier's check. There are two sections of the open-book, multiple-choice exam. The three-hour section contains 50 questions related to irrigation divided into five categories: general, design, pumps, electrical and water reuse/reclamation. The two-hour section poses 50 questions on business practices and law that apply to all types of contractors. A majority of test candidates enroll in a classroom or online exam preparation course, but it is also possible to prepare through independent study. Prometric posts a list of sources of reference materials and study guides on its website. Counties may require either a 70 or 75 percent passing score on each section of the exam. Scores are sent to your sponsoring county after about two weeks.
- You must submit proof of insurance to your county after other licensing requirements have been met. Most all counties require business liability and workers' compensation coverage, although the minimum liability limits vary. Some also require a code compliance bond, which is a form of surety bond. Certain counties, such as Miami-Dade, require a business irrigation license that you must apply for after obtaining your personal irrigation license. Miami-Dade's charge for the business license is $315, on top of the $315 fee for the personal license.
- After receiving a license from one county, you may apply for licenses in other counties under a streamlined process called reciprocity. You need to provide a statement of good standing from your home county and complete an abbreviated application. While you generally would not need to take another examination, applying in a county with a 75 percent exam passage threshold means you must document that you scored that high even if your original licensing county had a 70 percent threshold. Most counties require licenses to be renewed every two years. Some charge as much for a renewal as the original license, while others have lower fees. Some counties have a continuing education requirement that must be met and documented before each renewal.