Find out whether WP Pro Painting is related to PaintPro South Florida, and how to vet any Florida painter by checking the license, business record, lead-safe certification and insurance before you sign.
Search results for "wp pro painting" lead to a company in Woburn, Massachusetts, so don't assume it is related to any Florida painter, including PaintPro South Florida. To vet any painter in Florida, look up the license on the state DBPR site, check the business name on Sunbiz, and ask for proof of insurance before you sign.
Is WP Pro Painting the same company as PaintPro?
No. The top results for WP Pro Painting describe a Woburn, Massachusetts company. PaintPro South Florida is a separate painting company in Fort Lauderdale. Similar names are common in painting, and two companies with "Pro" in the name can have no connection at all. The steps below settle that question for any pair of names.
How do you check a painter's license in Florida?
Use the DBPR license lookup and confirm the license is active, covers the work you need, and shows no suspension, revocation or complaints. Broward County's guidance on selecting a contractor says to verify the license first. It tells you to check state-licensed contractors with DBPR and to look for any complaints on file. Broward also lists county-licensed contractors separately, so a name missing from one search may appear in the other.
Once the license checks out, ask for references and look at finished work. Our guide on how to judge a painting contractor before you hire covers what to look for.
Certified or registered: how do you read the result?
A certified license works statewide, while a registered license is tied to the area that issued it. The DBPR construction FAQ explains that a contractor with a local license must apply for state registration and may only work in that county or city and adjoining places that accept it. A contractor who passes the state exam and is certified can work throughout Florida.
The business name matters too. DBPR's business information page says a company that is not a sole proprietorship must be qualified by a licensed individual, and the approved business name appears on that person's license. A solo operator shows the word "INDIVIDUAL" instead. If the name on the contract does not appear on the license, stop and ask why.
When can an unlicensed handyman legally paint?
It depends on the scope of the work. DBPR describes a contractor as someone who demolishes, builds or improves a building or structure for pay, and its examples center on construction, structural changes and trades like plumbing and air conditioning. Florida law also bars local governments from requiring a license for someone whose job scope does not substantially correspond to that of a contractor, according to the Senate's 2021 bill summary.
A single room of touch-up paint sits at one end of that range. A whole-house exterior with stucco repair, carpentry or other building work sits at the other. Some places also use a dollar threshold. Benjamin Moore notes that larger projects billing over $2,500 may require a license in some jurisdictions, though it frames that as an example, not a Florida rule. For a bigger scope, call DBPR or your city's building department and ask before you hire.
How do you tell whether a similarly named company is a separate business?
Search the name on Sunbiz, the state's business records site. Compare the registered owner, the address and any fictitious name filing, then match those details to the name on the DBPR license.
The Sunbiz fictitious name guide says you can search by partial name and that the closest matches list first. It also says filings expire five years from the date filed, so an old registration may have lapsed. Two companies are the same business only if the owner, address and license all line up. A Massachusetts company with a similar name will not show a Florida license or a Florida entity record.
Do you need a lead-safe certified painter for an older home?
Often yes. Under EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, anyone paid to disturb paint in housing built before 1978 generally must be certified. The rule has small-job exemptions: six square feet or less of paint per room inside, or 20 square feet or less on the exterior.
You can confirm a firm in EPA's lead-safe firm database. If it is not listed, EPA says to call the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323), since a certified firm may not be listed yet.
What insurance should a painter carry, and how do you confirm it?
Ask for a certificate of insurance showing general liability and workers' compensation. Have the insurer or the agent send it, rather than accepting a photocopy, and check that the policy dates are current. General liability covers damage to your property, and workers' compensation covers injuries to the crew on your ladder. The cheapest quote often comes from the painter who carries neither.
What drives painting cost in South Florida?
No verified South Florida price appears here, and any number quoted without seeing your walls is a guess. Prep drives the price most: pressure-cleaning, mildew treatment, crack filling, scraping and priming. Surface type matters next, since stucco takes more material and prep than smooth walls. Height, repairs and the number of coats finish the list.
Compare quotes line by line, not by the bottom number. Our room-by-room interior painting cost post breaks down the details.
What should a written estimate and contract include, and what are the red flags?
A good contract names the scope of work, the prep steps, the paint product, the license number, the warranty terms and the payment schedule. Surfaces and rooms should be listed, not summarized as "paint house."
Red flags are a license that doesn't match the company name, a large deposit and no written scope. In Broward, if a contractor receives more than 10% of the contract price at signing, the contractor must apply for permits within 30 days, and work must start within 90 days after all permits are issued.
Here is how each credential maps to a check:
| Credential | Where to check | What a mismatch means |
|---|---|---|
| DBPR certified or registered license | DBPR license lookup | Name or status does not match the contractor |
| Business record | Sunbiz entity or fictitious name search | Owner or address differs from the license |
| EPA lead-safe certification | EPA firm database | Firm not listed; call the lead information line |
| Certificate of insurance | Insurer or agent | Policy lapsed or sent by the painter only |
If you are near Davie, our Davie painters page shows our coverage there. We are PaintPro South Florida, a licensed and insured painting company in Fort Lauderdale, and we give free estimates. See how a quote is built in our cabinet painting cost guide to get started.