How to Choose a Civil Contractor: A 12-Point Vetting Checklist
Twelve questions that separate professional civil contractors from the rest, licensing, bonding, self-perform ratio, safety record, and the references that actually matter.
Licensing and bonding
1. Florida Certified General Contractor or Underground Utility license, verified on MyFloridaLicense.com.
2. $2M minimum general liability and statutory workers comp.
3. Surety bonding capacity that matches your project size.
4. Active in your county's permit system, see Miami-Dade permitting.
Crew, safety, and self-perform
5. Self-perform percentage above 60% (means they own the schedule).
6. EMR under 1.0 (workers comp safety score).
7. OSHA 30-hour certified superintendents on every job.
8. Documented quality program, real curing protocols, third-party testing on every pour.
References that mean something
9. Three completed projects of comparable scope in the last 24 months.
10. References from owners, not just GCs.
11. A current portfolio with verifiable addresses, not just renderings.
12. See Bedrock's recent projects and request a reference list directly.
Frequently asked questions
Almost never. Low bids usually reflect missing scope, undersized crews, or inexperience that costs more in change orders.
30 days is industry standard; longer holds are fine for VIP repeat clients.
10% mobilization, monthly progress draws based on completed work, 5 to 10% retainage held until punch-list close-out.
Get a free quote from Bedrock.
Residential and commercial. Licensed, bonded, insured.