By Eli Goins · FL DFS #P159790 · Reviewed: · 1 min read
Short answer: Yes. In almost every Florida claim, you have the right to select your own contractor, and the carrier's preferred vendor network is not mandatory. The carrier can require that the work match the paid scope and that the contractor be licensed and insured, but it cannot force you to use a specific vendor or sign over the claim check.
What the carrier can require
- Scope of repair agreement (the work must match what's paid)
- Licensing and insurance (any Florida-licensed contractor meets this)
- Invoices and documentation to release RCV holdback
What the carrier cannot require
- Use of a specific vendor
- Rebates or kickbacks to the insured
- Sign-over of the claim check
Why the carrier pushes preferred vendors
Price. Carrier-network contractors often work to carrier-dictated Xactimate pricing, which can undercut actual Florida market rates.