Pressure washing in Florida: license rules and storm drains
As far as the state’s license list shows, Florida has no license for pressure washing. What matters more is where the dirty water goes.
Does it need a license in Florida?
There is no state license for pressure washing, as far as the license list of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) shows.
Local rules can still apply. Brevard County, for example, lists “Pressure Washing and Cleaning” among its “unregulated specialty trades” and points those businesses to the county Tax Collector’s office for a local Business Tax Receipt. Ask your city or county what applies where you live.
A license does matter if the same company offers other work. In Florida, roofing, plumbing and electrical work for pay each need a state license.
How to check
There’s no state pressure-washing license to look up, so check the rest:
- Other work: if they also offer roof, plumbing or electrical repairs, ask for the license number and look it up on myfloridalicense.com. Roofing licenses start with CCC or RC, plumbing with CFC or RF, and electrical with EC or ER.
- Local paperwork: ask your city or county whether a business like this needs a local Business Tax Receipt.
- The water plan: ask how they’ll keep the wash water out of the storm drains (see below).
Our license guide explains the license search step by step.
Do you need a permit?
The rules are local. Charlotte County, for example, lists pressure washing among the commercial jobs that need no permit; its list for homes doesn’t mention it. If you’re not sure, call your city or county building department.
Before you hire
Keep the wash water out of the storm drain
In Pinellas County, storm drains carry water straight into creeks, lakes, Tampa Bay and the Gulf, without any treatment. And in some places, letting pressure-washing water run into a storm drain is against the law:
- City of Indian Rocks Beach (Pinellas County): its 2024 flyer says this is prohibited by law, and breaking the city’s storm-water ordinance can bring fines of up to $5,000 per day.
- Okaloosa County: its ordinance bans putting anything other than rainwater into the storm-drain system, with limited exceptions.
Ask your city or county what the rule is where you live. A careful pressure washer sends the wash water onto your lawn or plants, with your permission, where it won’t run off to a drain. Ask how they’ll do that before they start.
Other questions to ask
- Which soap or chemicals will you use? As the Indian Rocks Beach flyer warns, “biodegradable” doesn’t mean non-toxic.
- What exactly is included? The driveway, the walkways, the pool deck, the walls? Get the price in writing.
- Weed killer for the pavers too? That’s a different job, with its own state rules. See our lawn care page before you say yes.
For warning signs like cash-only deals or pressure to decide on the spot, see our hiring guide.
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Sources
- Florida DBPR: the professions it licenses
- Brevard County: handyman work and unregulated trades
- Florida DBPR: verify a license
- Florida DBPR: what the license codes mean
- Florida Statutes §489.105: roofing and plumbing contractors
- Florida Statutes §489.505: electrical contractors
- Charlotte County: permit requirements
- City of Indian Rocks Beach: power washing and storm drains (PDF, 2024)
- Okaloosa County: storm-water ordinance (PDF, 2011)
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules change and differ from city to city, so check the official links and ask your city or county.
