FL Civil PE to provide services: inc, LLC, or just the name?

Hello

I want to provide signed & sealed wind uplift calculations for roof membrane fastening for profit. South Florida requires this for new roofs, re-roofs, or recovers.

per section 471.023 of the Florida Statutes, a professional engineer can practice engineering in his or her own given name, and by doing so, they are not required to obtain a certificate of authorization.

I had planned on starting an LLC for this, but now am thinking that I don't need to.

Can anyone steer me in the right direction?

I highly recommend you spend the money and talk to an attorney for an hour ... typically $300/hr rate. Get some legal advise on how to shelter yourself from liability.

The LLC is for your personal protection and your family's (if you have kids). If you operate as a "personal business" that is not "limited liability" or incorporated they (litigants) could go after your personal assets and not just your "business" assets. Not worth the risk of losing your house for less than $1000 of legal paperwork and research.

At a minimum ...

* Consult with LegalZoom.com, see what type of shelter works for your "company"

* Get some professional liability insurance (per project or umbrella coverage)

* Spend an hour researching the legal business structures in your state and their protections.

Don't let it be an after thought.

Thanks

The way I remember it from grad school:

Incorporation is the safest but you are essentially double taxed (revenue going into the corporation is taxed and then your salary is taxed).

"Going it alone" avoids the double taxation but then you have little protection of personal assets.

LLC is a compromise of the two.

But yeah, checking with an attorney is money well spent in this case.