Start with the details on your paperwork
Use the latest written quote. Copy the company name exactly, including its entity suffix, and the full license number, including letters. Ask for the legal company that will sign the contract, its business address, and its Sunbiz document number when applicable.
Keep the quote and records open together. Do not silently replace one name with a similar one. This small worksheet makes gaps easier to explain:
| Compare | Where to look | Question to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Contracting company | Quote and proposed contract | Which exact legal entity will sign? |
| Business identity | Selected Sunbiz filing | Do the name, document number, and address identify that entity? |
| License association | Official DBPR record | Which business is associated with the license holder? |
Understand the possible reasons for a difference
A quote may omit an entity suffix or use a trading name. An individual’s name may appear as a license holder. Two unrelated companies can also have similar names. These are possibilities to investigate, not explanations to assume.
For a trading name, ask for the legal business behind it and check the Sunbiz fictitious-name records as appropriate. A DBA search and a corporation search serve different purposes.
For an individual license holder, follow DBPR’s business-verification guidance to inspect the business associated with that person. Ask the contractor to show the connection in the official record.
Records can also differ after a business update. Sunbiz notes that changes filed with its office do not update other agencies’ records. Request evidence for the explanation and confirm it with the relevant source.
Make sure you have the right kind of number
A company document number, officer registration, and contractor license number are different identifiers. DBPR’s code list distinguishes QB business-information records and FRO financial-officer records from contractor classifications such as CGC.
If the supplied number is a registration category, ask for the contractor trade license for the quoted work. Do not infer project authority from the appearance of a number alone. Use DBPR and the local building department to clarify scope or local requirements.
Questions to send before moving ahead
- Which exact legal business will sign my contract?
- Why does that name differ from the quote or license record?
- Can you provide the company’s document number and business address?
- Can you show the current DBPR record connecting the business and qualifying contractor?
- Which license applies to the work described in this quote?
Keep the written answers with the quote. If the explanation remains unclear, return to the official source instead of guessing that two records belong together.
Use Check My Quote to organize the comparison
The free Check My Quote tool needs no signup. Enter the company name, choose the exact Sunbiz filing, then enter the license number. It shows aligned details, differences, or connections that available records cannot establish.
“Names align” describes the identity evidence checked. “Not confirmed” may reflect ambiguity or missing records. A source outage means the comparison could not complete. None of those results guarantees current licensing, insurance, or workmanship.
The tool searches imported DBPR records, and their last import date is unverified. Confirm current details with DBPR. It does not determine whether the quoted price is fair, review contractual terms, or judge whether the work scope is sufficient.
Official sources
Use the issuing source to confirm time-sensitive information. A guide’s review date is not the date a contractor’s records were retrieved.