How to start a pet sitting business in Florida (2026)

1Pet sitting demand in Florida

About 56% of Florida households own at least one pet. Florida's sitting demand comes from travel in every direction. PortMiami, Port Everglades and Port Canaveral send cruise passengers away for a week at a time, and Orlando's theme parks and hotels employ many shift workers who need flexible visit times. Military families at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Naval Air Station Jacksonville and Eglin Air Force Base in the Panhandle book longer sits during deployments. In Southwest Florida, retirees in Naples and Sarasota often head north for the summer.

The biggest markets: Miami / Fort Lauderdale, Tampa Bay, Orlando, Jacksonville.

2Can you board pets at home in Florida?

Sitting in the client's home needs no special permit in Florida. For boarding at your own home, no state law requires a boarding kennel license; regulation is left to counties and cities, and only some have specific kennel rules. Miami-Dade County is one of the stricter ones: it allows four dogs on residential property under one acre, and keeping more takes a county kennel license. Palm Beach County also regulates kennels. Elsewhere you may need only a local business tax receipt and zoning approval. HOAs and condo associations often ban running a business from a unit, so read your covenants and ask your county's animal services and zoning offices before you take boarders.

3Set up your business in Florida

• File an LLC. $125 one-time filing with the Florida Sunbiz (Department of State). It separates your personal assets from the business, which matters when you hold clients' keys.
• Recurring entity cost: $138.75/year, annual report due to the Florida Department of State by May 1 each year — late filings get hit with a $400 penalty.
• Get an EIN from the IRS. It is free and takes about 10 minutes online.
• City or county business license: typically $25-100/year. Check your city's revenue or business services site.

Florida-specific: Miss the May 1 annual report deadline by even a day and Florida automatically tacks on a $400 late fee. Set a calendar reminder for April 1 every year.

4Taxes for Florida pet sitters

Sales tax: Florida sales tax applies only to specifically enumerated services and the sale of tangible goods. Dog walking, drop-in visits, and pet sitting are not on the taxable services list. If you sell branded merch or treats, those are taxable and you'd register with the Florida Department of Revenue.

State income tax: None, a real take-home advantage.

Other taxes worth knowing: No state income tax. No personal property tax on most small business assets if you stay under the $25k assessment threshold.

Official source: Florida Department of Revenue — Sales Tax →

5Insurance and bonding in Florida

A Florida sitter policy should pair general liability with care, custody and control coverage for the pets in your care, plus key or lockout coverage and a janitorial-style bond if clients ask. Hurricanes are the planning issue. Before June, collect each client's evacuation zone, a supplies and carrier checklist, and written permission to take pets to your home or a pet-friendly shelter if an evacuation is ordered. Many counties ask residents to pre-register for pet-friendly shelters.

• General liability with care, custody and control covers harm to the pets in your care and damage in the client's home.
• Key and lockout coverage pays to rekey a home if you lose a client's key.
• A bond covers theft claims and is a cheap way to reassure new clients.

Workers' comp once you hire: Workers' compensation is required for any non-construction employer with 4 or more employees (full or part-time). Solo operators and shops with 3 or fewer employees are exempt. 1099 contractors don't count toward the 4-employee threshold, but Florida courts scrutinize the relationship — set it up correctly. Florida Division of Workers' Compensation →

6What to charge in Florida

Typical Florida bands for 2026:

• Drop-in visit (30 min): $22 to $35
• Overnight in the client's home: $65 to $100 per night
• Additional pet: +$5-10 per visit

Overnights and peak dates: Florida overnights usually run about $65 to $100 a night, and long-established homes in Naples, Boca Raton and Sarasota can command $120 or more. Peak dates are the Christmas to New Year stretch, spring break in March and Thanksgiving, with a summer bump when local families travel north. Add a clause covering storm days and rebooking during hurricane season.

Check your numbers with the pet sitter rates calculator and the holiday rate calculator.

7Hiring sitters in Florida

Florida follows the common-law test for worker classification, similar to Texas. 1099 contractor relationships are defensible if sitters control their schedules. The 4-employee workers' comp threshold makes Florida favorable for staying lean — three W-2 sitters is fine, four triggers comp.

Florida's reemployment tax division audits classification, but the bigger Florida-specific risk is the 4-employee workers' comp threshold. Hire a fourth sitter without buying comp and an on-the-job injury can result in the state shutting down your business pending coverage, plus personal liability for the medical claim.

8FAQ