Florida Certified Irrigation Contractor: Qualifying a Business
By Gabriel Giner · Editorial standards
Florida’s CILB 6-AC application is for a certified irrigation contractor qualifying a business. This guide covers that application route; DBPR has separate forms for an individual license and for qualifying an additional business.
against the official sources cited below. .
Use the form for your business arrangement
DBPR lists CILB 5-AC for an individual certified irrigation contractor, CILB 6-AC for qualifying a business, and CILB 7-AC for an additional business. Choose the form based on who will enter contracts and whether you already qualify another company. An application with the wrong business arrangement can leave the intended entity outside the approval requested.
For scope questions, use the current rules in Chapter 61G4-15. The official chapter lists the old irrigation rule, 61G4-15.035, as repealed on May 5, 2024, and lists 61G4-15.100 for certified specialty contractors. Some older DBPR material still points readers to the repealed number. Follow the current chapter instead of treating an archived reference as current law.
Official sources: Florida DBPR: construction applications and renewal; Florida Administrative Code: current Chapter 61G4-15 rules.
Document the experience route you actually meet
The standard CILB 6-AC route requires four years of qualifying experience, including at least one year as a foreman. The form also provides combinations of college education and experience, plus provisions for eligible military applicants. Match your evidence to one listed route rather than adding unrelated employment years together.
Use the employment and project sections to show your role, dates, and relevant work. If relying on education credit, assemble the academic evidence requested by the form. Keep copies of what the experience verifier receives so your dates and job descriptions remain consistent throughout the application.
The application also contains an examination-exemption route for certain applicants who held a qualifying local license or certificate of competency as of June 30, 2021. It includes disciplinary-history and Board examination-equivalency conditions. It is not an exemption for anyone who has ever held a local registration. Applicants who do not meet the exemption must take and pass the Florida examination, as Section IV and the application instructions specify.
Official sources: Florida DBPR: CILB 6-AC irrigation contractor qualifying a business.
Prepare personal and business financial evidence
The form requires personal credit information with a FICO-derived score and public-record searches, along with the required business credit report. An applicant with a score below 660 must complete an approved 14-hour financial-responsibility course under the application instructions. The credit score does not replace the review of liens, judgments, and business records.
Electronic fingerprints are a separate requirement. Order reports and fingerprint services using DBPR’s instructions so they can be matched to the correct applicant. If a report shows a resolved obligation as outstanding, prepare the evidence of satisfaction rather than assuming the reviewer will infer that it has been paid.
Official sources: Florida DBPR: CILB 6-AC irrigation contractor qualifying a business.
Use the application’s filing window when calculating the fee
| CILB 6-AC filing period | Application charge |
|---|---|
| May 1 of an even year through August 31 of an odd year | $245 |
| September 1 of an odd year through April 30 of an even year | $145 |
For example, an October 2026 filing falls in the $245 window. These are application charges, not the combined cost of examinations, fingerprints, credit reports, education, or insurance. List those items separately when comparing your own quotes.
The application specifies at least $100,000 public liability and $25,000 property-damage coverage for categories other than general, building, and residential contractors. It also addresses workers’ compensation coverage or an applicable exemption. Give the insurer the form so the business name and coverage evidence match the application.
Official sources: Florida DBPR: CILB 6-AC irrigation contractor qualifying a business.
Maintain certification and the qualified business
Certified contractor renewal falls on August 31 of even-numbered years. DBPR lists a $205 renewal fee plus $50 for each qualified business. Its irrigation continuing-education requirements call for 14 hours, including the specified advanced building-code module, workplace safety, workers’ compensation, business practices, and laws and rules subjects.
Keep the individual certification, qualified business details, insurance evidence, and education record in the same renewal file. Review the current DBPR renewal instructions before the cycle closes, especially if the business arrangement has changed since the original application.
Official sources: Florida DBPR: construction applications and renewal.
Primary Sources
- Florida DBPR: construction applications and renewal
- Florida Administrative Code: current Chapter 61G4-15 rules
- Florida DBPR: CILB 6-AC irrigation contractor qualifying a business
The requirements above come from the cited agencies and official rules. Examples, budgeting distinctions, and document-organization suggestions are editorial guidance, not additional agency requirements.
Found a discrepancy? Send a correction with the page address and the official source.