It happens at every meeting and in every inbox: "Does anyone know a good roof cleaner?" Board members want to help, so they share the company that did their own house. Usually that's fine. But when a recommendation goes wrong, residents tend to remember who sent them there.
Before your board recommends a vendor, formally or informally, ask these five questions.
1. Are they properly licensed for this work?
Licensing requirements vary by trade and by county. Some services need a state license, others a county or local business license, and some need both. Ask for the license number and check it yourself. For state-licensed trades, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) has an online lookup.
A company that hesitates to share its license number is giving you your answer.
2. Do they carry real insurance, and is it current?
This is the most important question. Ask for a certificate of insurance showing:
- General liability, which covers damage to the property or injury to others
- Workers' compensation, or a valid exemption, which covers their crew if someone gets hurt on the job
Check the policy dates. A certificate from two years ago doesn't help anyone. For exterior work on roofs, ladders, or multistory buildings, insurance isn't a detail. It's the whole point.
3. Who is the contract with?
Make sure everyone understands that the agreement is between the resident and the vendor. The association should not be a party to the job, the payment, or the warranty. When a board "arranges" work, residents can reasonably assume the board is responsible if something goes wrong.
A simple line helps: "This is a resource for residents. Service agreements are between you and the vendor."
4. What do other residents say?
References from people in your own community are worth more than online reviews. Ask:
- Did they show up when they said they would?
- Was the final price what they quoted?
- Did they clean up and protect landscaping?
- Would you hire them again?
Collecting this feedback over time gives your board a much clearer picture than any one recommendation.
5. Are they fair to everyone?
If a vendor gets the board's recommendation, residents should get consistent pricing and service. Watch for vendors offering special deals to board members or managers. Even if it's innocent, it can look like a conflict of interest.
Many associations have conflict-of-interest rules in their governing documents. When in doubt, check with your manager or association attorney.
A simpler way to handle it
Answering these questions for every vendor, every time a resident asks, is a lot of volunteer work. That's why Trusted Home Vendors exists.
Every vendor in the portal is screened for license and insurance before residents can see them. Residents book and pay the vendor directly, so the association isn't a party to the work. Ratings from residents keep quality visible over time. And community rates are the same for every household.
Your board gets to say "here's where to look" instead of "here's who I'd call," and that's a better answer for everyone.
