Storm recovery: Hurricane Isaias

What happened

Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, on Friday, October 9, 2026, as a Category 2 hurricane, according to the National Weather Service office in Mobile/Pensacola.

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) filed Emergency Order 2026-01, as amended by Emergency Order 2026-02, for Hurricane Isaias. DBPR's emergency page lists what the order does. For contractors, DBPR says it:

• lets certified or registered general, building, or residential contractors do roofing work for the repair or installation of any roof type without subcontracting it;
• lets registered contractors, and registered electrical and alarm system contractors, work outside their geographic scope limits, subject to the order's other requirements;
• requires those registered contractors to give the local jurisdiction where they work their state registration, proof of compliance with workers' compensation requirements, and liability and property damage insurance;
• clarifies that installing non-permanent emergency tarps to relieve Hurricane Isaias damage falls within the exemptions in section 489.103(6), Florida Statutes. Local permit and inspection ordinances still apply.

Read the order itself before you rely on it. This page does not say whether the order covers your company or your job.

The 30 counties in the DBPR emergency order

Each county opens the Florida calculator with that county picked. The lien rules in chapter 713 are the same in every Florida county; the county sets the clerk and the permit office.

• Baker
• Bay *
• Calhoun *
• Citrus
• Columbia
• Dixie
• Escambia *
• Franklin *
• Gadsden *
• Gilchrist
• Gulf *
• Hamilton
• Hillsborough
• Holmes *
• Jackson *
• Jefferson *
• Lafayette
• Leon
• Levy
• Liberty *
• Madison
• Okaloosa *
• Pasco
• Pinellas
• Santa Rosa *
• Suwannee
• Taylor
• Walton *
• Wakulla *
• Washington *

* One of the 15 counties for which Florida requested federal Public Assistance in its Major Disaster Declaration request, per the Governor's office. A request is not an approval.

Storm job checklist: read these sources

• Notice to Owner, 45 days. If you are not in privity with the owner (for example, a subcontractor or supplier), the notice must be served before you start, or not later than 45 days after you start, to furnish labor, services, or materials. Failing to serve it, or to serve it on time, is a complete defense to enforcement of a lien. Fla. Stat. § 713.06(2)(a) · Notice to Owner form explained · Want us to fill it in for you? Florida Notice to Owner prep
• Unlicensed contracting. Under § 489.127(2)(c), an unlicensed person who violates § 489.127(1) during a state of emergency declared by executive order of the Governor commits a felony of the third degree. Fla. Stat. § 489.127
• No lien for an unlicensed contractor. A contract made by an unlicensed contractor is unenforceable by that contractor, and no lien or bond claim exists in that contractor's favor. Fla. Stat. § 489.128
• Residential roof contracts. Section 489.147 sets required notices for contracts to repair or replace a residential roof, including a cancellation notice in bold type of at least 14 points for contracts signed during a declared state of emergency, and an insurance-coverage notice. It also lists prohibited practices and fines of up to $10,000 per violation. Read the exact wording in the statute. Fla. Stat. § 489.147
• The emergency order. DBPR EO 2026-01 (PDF) · DBPR EO 2026-02 (PDF) · DBPR emergency page
• Local permits. Permit and inspection rules come from the county or city building department. The Florida calculator links each county to its permit pages.

Rules for storm work are different in every state. These are Florida rules only and do not apply in Alabama, Georgia, or any other state.