General Construction
in Southwest Florida

Yes - Pro GC and Restoration holds an active Florida State Certified General Contractor license (verifiable through the DBPR license search), which permits unlimited residential and commercial construction work statewide. We also carry the workers compensation and general liability coverage that Florida requires for licensed contractors. License and insurance certificates are available on request and routinely provided to insurance carriers, building departments, condo and HOA boards, and commercial property managers as part of pre-construction documentation. Verifying any Florida contractor's license through the DBPR public lookup before signing a contract is something we encourage every client to do.

GC fees in SWFL typically run 10-20 percent of the project cost on standard residential work, with the percentage decreasing on larger projects and increasing on smaller, more management-intensive ones. That fee covers project management, scheduling, subcontractor coordination, permit handling, inspections, supplier coordination, jobsite supervision, and warranty work. On insurance-funded reconstruction, the fee is built into the Xactimate estimate as Overhead and Profit (typically 10 percent O and 10 percent P, the carrier-recognized standard for jobs with three or more trades). For renovation and ground-up work we quote a fixed fee or fee-plus-cost structure depending on scope clarity.

For any project involving structural changes, multiple trades, permits, or insurance funding - yes. A GC manages the sequence (demo, structural, MEP rough-in, drywall, finishes, final), pulls and closes the permits, coordinates trade scheduling so trades are not blocking each other, handles inspections, and carries the liability if anything goes wrong. Smaller single-trade jobs (interior repaint, a single window replacement, a flooring swap) often do not need a GC. The break-even is roughly the point where the time you would spend coordinating exceeds the GC fee, which usually means anything over $25,000 or anything touching structural, MEP, or permits.

Permits and inspections, structural and MEP design coordination, subcontractor selection and management, materials procurement and delivery scheduling, jobsite supervision and safety, schedule and budget management, change-order documentation, client and adjuster communication, and warranty work post-completion. On insurance reconstruction we also handle Xactimate scoping, supplements when concealed damage is discovered during demo, and direct coordination with the carrier's adjuster and any independent IA. The GC is the single point of accountability - if a trade misses a deadline, fails an inspection, or damages something, that is the GC's problem to fix, not the homeowner's. ADU additions, post-disaster rebuild, and V-zone elevation work are all within scope.

We do this regularly across SWFL, particularly post-Ian on Lee and Collier county properties. Insurance reconstruction work involves a different workflow than retail renovation: scope is built in Xactimate against the carrier's current pricelist, demolition often reveals concealed damage that requires supplements, FEMA 50 percent rule analysis may apply on substantial-damage properties in flood zones (especially V-zones requiring elevation), and the rebuild has to satisfy current Florida Building Code 7th Edition even when the original was older. We work with Citizens, Florida Peninsula, Tower Hill, NFIP, and most private carriers, billing the carrier directly with deductible collected from the owner.

Schedules vary widely with scope. A single-bath remodel typically runs 3-5 weeks; a kitchen remodel 6-10 weeks; a whole-house cosmetic renovation 3-6 months; a major addition or substantial-damage rebuild 6-12 months. Permitting timelines through SWFL building departments add 2-8 weeks on the front end depending on jurisdiction and project complexity. Supply-chain lead times on impact windows, custom cabinetry, and HVAC equipment can drive critical-path schedule even when the construction work itself is fast. We build the schedule with realistic float for inspections and material lead times rather than the unrealistic best-case version some contractors quote to win work.

A general contractor holds the contract with the owner, pulls the permits, manages the schedule, and is liable for the whole project. Subcontractors are specialty trades (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing, drywall, tile, etc.) hired by and paid by the GC to execute specific scopes. Florida law requires that certain trades be licensed independently of the GC (master electrician, plumbing contractor), and the GC verifies those licenses and insurance before the trade starts work. Hiring trades directly without a GC means the homeowner takes on the coordination, scheduling, inspection, and liability burden themselves - which is feasible on single-trade work but breaks down quickly on anything larger.

Yes - permit pulling, inspection scheduling, and permit closeout are all part of the GC scope. SWFL building departments (Lee County, Collier County, Charlotte County, plus the various municipalities) each have their own submittal requirements, fees, and review timelines. Most reconstruction work, structural changes, MEP modifications, roofing, window replacement in wind-borne debris zones, and additions all require permits and inspections. Working permitted is non-negotiable: unpermitted work creates problems at resale, can void insurance coverage on related future claims, and exposes the homeowner to code-enforcement action. We document the permit number, inspection sign-offs, and CO (where applicable) in the project closeout package.