Before you put a deposit on a Florida pool, verify the license, insurance, permit practice, reviews, and the written contract — then ask who actually builds the shell. Shoppers hiring a pool builder in Hillsborough County, Pasco, Hernando, Pinellas, or Citrus should start there. Pettit Pools is the only licensed Florida contractor that is also a fiberglass pool shell manufacturer in Florida. All other fiberglass pool shell manufacturers in Florida don’t hold an active Florida pool contractor license, so they have to sell their shells through licensed dealers. That dealer-and-manufacturer split usually means two warranties and two companies that can each blame the other when something goes wrong.
Call 727-847-7665 or request a free estimate.
1. Look up the license on myfloridalicense.com
Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) publishes contractor licenses at myfloridalicense.com. Search the exact business name on the proposal and confirm:
- The license is active (not null-and-void, expired, or under discipline you are not comfortable with)
- The license class covers swimming pool construction — commonly a Certified Pool/Spa Contractor (CPC) or a Registered Pool contractor, depending on the work and jurisdiction
- The qualifying individual and business name match the company you are about to pay
A general contractor license is not automatically a pool license. If the person selling you a fiberglass shell cannot show an active Florida pool contractor license, ask who will be on the permit.
2. Insurance, permits, and who shows up on dig day
- Insurance — Ask for a current certificate of insurance (general liability; workers’ compensation as required). Confirm coverage dates cover your project window.
- Permits — Ask who pulls the pool permit with your county or city, and whether HOA approval is a separate track. See permit timing in Tampa Bay.
- Crews — Ask which work is in-house vs. subcontracted (excavation, electrical, deck, screen). Subcontracting is common; what matters is that the licensed pool contractor remains accountable on the permit and the contract.
- Reviews — Read recent Google reviews for pattern, not perfection. Ask for jobs near your city — our service areas list the communities we serve from Port Richey, including Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Spring Hill, Wesley Chapel, and Dade City.
3. Read the written contract cold
Before you sign, the contract should spell out:
- Full scope (shell model, interior size, equipment, deck allowance, electrical assumptions)
- Payment stages — Pettit’s schedule is a $3,000 deposit, then 75% on excavation day, then the last 25% when the pool is beautiful, clean, clear, and working (before final inspections), with a $500 withholding allowed (how payments work)
- What can change the price after signing (Pettit’s short list)
- Warranty for the shell and for the installation workmanship
Compare interior swimmable size, not only marketing labels — interior vs. advertised size.
4. One factory, one license, one warranty
Pettit Pools is the only licensed Florida contractor that is also a fiberglass pool shell manufacturer in Florida (Florida Certified Pool/Spa Contractor license CPC1459625, which you can look up on myfloridalicense.com). We build our shells at our Port Richey factory and install them as the same company. All other fiberglass pool shell manufacturers in Florida don’t hold an active Florida pool contractor license, so they have to sell their shells through licensed dealers.
That structure matters when something goes wrong:
- The manufacturer made the shell and typically warrants manufacturing defects.
- The dealer / installer set the shell, backfilled, and plumbed it and typically warrants workmanship.
- If a crack, fitting issue, or install problem appears, each company can argue the fault belongs to the other — and you are stuck in the middle with two warranties and two phone numbers.
When the same licensed contractor builds and installs the shell, claims land on one desk. Read our warranty page, then ask any other bidder to show both the manufacturer’s warranty and the installer’s warranty in writing — and who pays if they disagree.
Quick checklist before you sign
- Active Florida pool contractor license on myfloridalicense.com
- Insurance certificate in hand
- Clear answer on who pulls the permit
- Written payment schedule and change-order rules
- Written shell warranty and install warranty — ideally from the same company
- Interior swimmable dimensions on the proposal
Budget and materials: cost guide · fiberglass vs. concrete. Financing: Starting at $400 a month W.A.C. — financing.
Contractor-check FAQs
How do I verify a Florida pool contractor license?
Search the license on myfloridalicense.com (Florida DBPR). Confirm the license is active, the business name matches the contract, and the license class covers swimming pool work (commonly Certified Pool/Spa Contractor — CPC — or a Registered Pool contractor where applicable).
What should I check besides the license?
Insurance certificates, who pulls the permit, whether crews are in-house or subcontracted, recent local reviews, and a written contract with payment stages, change-order rules, and warranty language.
Why does factory-direct matter for the warranty?
When one licensed company builds the fiberglass shell and installs it, you have one warranty and one accountable party. When a manufacturer sells shells through a separate licensed dealer, you typically have two companies and two warranties — and each can blame the other when something goes wrong.
Does Pettit manufacture its own shells?
Yes. Pettit is a licensed Florida pool contractor that builds its own fiberglass pools at its Port Richey factory. Other fiberglass shell manufacturers in Florida do not hold an active Florida pool contractor license, so they sell through licensed dealers.
Where do I look up the license?
Use the Florida DBPR license search at myfloridalicense.com. Search by business name or license number and verify status before you sign or pay a deposit.
Talk to the factory that installs what it builds
Fiberglass pool installation across Pasco, Hernando, Citrus, Hillsborough and Pinellas — including Hudson, Clearwater, Valrico, Dade City, and Pinellas Park. Citrus County homeowners in Inverness, Crystal River, Homosassa, and Beverly Hills are welcome too. See our service areas hub for every city we cover from Port Richey.
Call 727-847-7665 or contact us online. Pettit Fiberglass Pools, 6651 Industrial Ave, Port Richey, FL.