NewBiz Alert Florida industry report
September 29, 2026 Professional Services new business activity in Florida
Published
By NewBiz Alert, from Florida business registration filings and Florida professional licensing boards. How we built this.
Professional services is a broad, office-based industry that registers new firms week after week. Every week new law firms, accounting and tax practices, consultants, engineers, architects, and marketing agencies register with the state. The moves below are all from the last 60 days, and they span law and engineering, so the news matches the breadth the counts show.
New professional firms are forming fastest in Southeast Florida. Every new professional firm needs a predictable set of businesses to get running. A new law, accounting, engineering, or marketing firm needs professional liability and errors and omissions coverage, IT and cybersecurity setup, a bookkeeper and a business banker, practice management and billing software, marketing and lead generation help, and commercial office space, signage, and staffing.
The counts below show where new professional firms are registering, by region, over the last 30, 90, and 365 days. Under them is the recent news these owners are watching, from new office openings to firm combinations and expansions, with the specific businesses each move creates work for. The state licensing rules and the boards and associations every new firm turns to live at the bottom, in Professional Services Resources.
New in last 30 days
6,572
New in last 90 days
23,832
New in last year
131,924
Counts as of September 29, 2026.
The numbers
Where it is happening, by region
New professional firms by region, over the last 30, 90, and 365 days. Regions are ranked by the last year.
| Region | 30 days | 90 days | 1 year | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast FloridaMost active | 2,373 | 8,614 | 51,632 | Steady |
| Tampa Bay | 1,378 | 5,021 | 24,018 | Steady |
| Central Florida | 972 | 3,629 | 20,747 | Cooling off |
| Southwest Florida | 330 | 1,074 | 6,534 | Steady |
| Northeast Florida | 298 | 1,101 | 6,044 | Cooling off |
| Northwest Florida | 228 | 749 | 4,170 | Steady |
| North Central Florida | 95 | 366 | 2,244 | Cooling off |
| Florida total | 6,572 | 23,832 | 131,924 |
Another 16,535 new businesses in the last year did not list a county, so they are counted in the Florida total but not placed in a region.
Which of these applies to you
- commercial movers: Womble Bond Dickinson opens its first Florida office in Jacksonville, Drummond Carpenter expands its Maitland headquarters and plans 30 jobs, Fox Rothschild opens a Fort Lauderdale office
- office furniture dealers: Womble Bond Dickinson opens its first Florida office in Jacksonville, Drummond Carpenter expands its Maitland headquarters and plans 30 jobs, Fox Rothschild opens a Fort Lauderdale office
- civil engineers: TMC acquires WBQ Design & Engineering to expand its Florida platform, Drummond Carpenter expands its Maitland headquarters and plans 30 jobs
- commercial cleaners: Womble Bond Dickinson opens its first Florida office in Jacksonville, Fox Rothschild opens a Fort Lauderdale office
- commercial interior designers: Womble Bond Dickinson opens its first Florida office in Jacksonville, Fox Rothschild opens a Fort Lauderdale office
- court reporters: Womble Bond Dickinson opens its first Florida office in Jacksonville, Fox Rothschild opens a Fort Lauderdale office
- IT and network installers: Womble Bond Dickinson opens its first Florida office in Jacksonville, Fox Rothschild opens a Fort Lauderdale office
- legal answering services: Womble Bond Dickinson opens its first Florida office in Jacksonville, Fox Rothschild opens a Fort Lauderdale office
- signage shops: TMC acquires WBQ Design & Engineering to expand its Florida platform, Drummond Carpenter expands its Maitland headquarters and plans 30 jobs
- business insurance agents: Diamond Law Firm and Laird A. Lile merge to form Diamond & Lile
- commercial interior contractors: Drummond Carpenter expands its Maitland headquarters and plans 30 jobs
- commercial printers: Diamond Law Firm and Laird A. Lile merge to form Diamond & Lile
- drafting and CAD services: TMC acquires WBQ Design & Engineering to expand its Florida platform
- environmental engineers: Drummond Carpenter expands its Maitland headquarters and plans 30 jobs
- IT consultants: Diamond Law Firm and Laird A. Lile merge to form Diamond & Lile
- land surveyors: TMC acquires WBQ Design & Engineering to expand its Florida platform
- legal assistants: Diamond Law Firm and Laird A. Lile merge to form Diamond & Lile
- low voltage cabling installers: Drummond Carpenter expands its Maitland headquarters and plans 30 jobs
- materials testing labs: TMC acquires WBQ Design & Engineering to expand its Florida platform
- paralegals: Diamond Law Firm and Laird A. Lile merge to form Diamond & Lile
- practice management software resellers: Diamond Law Firm and Laird A. Lile merge to form Diamond & Lile
- traffic engineers: TMC acquires WBQ Design & Engineering to expand its Florida platform
The news
Recent professional firm news in Florida
New developments professional firm owners are watching, with the real date of each and the specific businesses it creates work for. Every item below is dated inside the last 60 days, and they span law and engineering firms. Tampa Bay, Northwest Florida, and North Central Florida produced no local development from a primary source in that window, so those regions have no entry here this month.
- Northeast Florida· announced 2026-09-21
Womble Bond Dickinson opens its first Florida office in Jacksonville
Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP announced on September 21, 2026 that it opened its first Florida office in Jacksonville, led by Office Managing Partner Michael Waskiewicz, with partner Armando Nozzolillo and of counsel Robert Neilson from the firm's Finance, Bankruptcy & Restructuring practice group.
A national firm opening its first Florida office is a full setup job. The space has to be fitted out and furnished, the network and the case files have to move in, and local suppliers have to be lined up for everything a working office uses each week.
Who this helps
- commercial interior designers
- office furniture dealers
- IT and network installers
- commercial movers
- legal answering services
- court reporters
- commercial cleaners
Every out of state firm that opens a Florida office moves billable work and local hiring into the state.
- Central Florida· announced 2026-09-14
TMC acquires WBQ Design & Engineering to expand its Florida platform
TMC, a transportation engineering firm backed by Grovecourt Capital Partners, announced on September 14, 2026 that it acquired WBQ Design & Engineering, a Florida transportation engineering firm serving public sector clients including the Florida Department of Transportation.
An acquisition that folds a Florida engineering firm into a larger platform means rebranding, systems migration, and moving a whole client base onto new software and letterhead, plus the field and support work the combined firm's projects pull in.
Who this helps
- civil engineers
- traffic engineers
- land surveyors
- materials testing labs
- drafting and CAD services
- signage shops
A larger transportation engineering platform strengthens Florida's ability to deliver roadway and infrastructure projects.
- Southwest Florida· announced 2026-09-01
Diamond Law Firm and Laird A. Lile merge to form Diamond & Lile
The Florida Bar reported on September 1, 2026 that The Diamond Law Firm and Laird A. Lile PLLC merged to form Diamond & Lile, with offices in Naples and St. Petersburg, led by Sandra Diamond and Laird A. Lile.
A firm combination brings two client bases, two filing systems, and two sets of records onto one platform, and the merged practice has to staff and outfit both offices from day one.
Who this helps
- paralegals
- legal assistants
- practice management software resellers
- IT consultants
- commercial printers
- business insurance agents
Firms that combine in Florida markets keep legal services available in counties larger firms do not staff.
- Central Florida· announced 2026-09-23
Drummond Carpenter expands its Maitland headquarters and plans 30 jobs
Drummond Carpenter, a veteran-owned engineering firm, celebrated the expansion of its Maitland headquarters on September 23, 2026 with a 2,500 square foot addition at 630 N. Wymore Road, and it plans to create 30 high-wage jobs over the next five years.
A headquarters expansion is a fit out with a deadline, and the firm keeps running through it, so the vendors hired have to work around a live office while the new engineering and professional positions come on.
Who this helps
- commercial interior contractors
- office furniture dealers
- low voltage cabling installers
- commercial movers
- signage shops
- civil engineers
- environmental engineers
A growing engineering firm adding 30 high-wage jobs strengthens Central Florida's professional services base.
- Southeast Florida· announced 2026-07-31
Fox Rothschild opens a Fort Lauderdale office
The Florida Bar reported on August 1, 2026 that Fox Rothschild opened an office at 500 East Broward Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, led by Scott D. Knapp.
A new office in a downtown tower is a full setup job. The space has to be fitted out and furnished, the network and the case files have to move in, and local suppliers have to be lined up for everything a working office uses each week.
Who this helps
- commercial interior designers
- office furniture dealers
- IT and network installers
- commercial movers
- legal answering services
- court reporters
- commercial cleaners
Every out of state firm that opens a Florida office moves billable work and local hiring into the state.
So what
What it means for you
Professional services is a steady engine of new business in Florida. Law, accounting, engineering, architecture, consulting, and marketing firms register week after week, and each one buys the same starter kit: professional liability coverage, IT and cybersecurity, bookkeeping and banking, practice management software, and office space and signage on day one. That makes new professional firms one of the most consistent sources of new local demand in the state.
Two kinds of moves show up in the news below, and they pay different suppliers. An office opening or a firm combination is a one time setup job for fitters, movers, IT installers, and signage shops. An acquisition or a headquarters expansion, of the kind TMC and Drummond Carpenter announced this month, is a longer build that feeds surveyors, testing labs, and specialty consultants for years. Both show up in the counts above as the same thing, a new firm registering, and the regions where they cluster are where that demand is growing fastest.
Methodology
How we count
- We count each business by the date it registered with the state, so this shows new business formation, not the current number of firms.
- State records post about 2 weeks behind, so the last week or two will keep rising as more filings arrive.
- Florida licenses many professional fields through their own boards: certified public accountants through the Board of Accountancy, engineers through the Board of Professional Engineers, architects through the Board of Architecture and Interior Design, and attorneys through The Florida Bar. Consulting, marketing, and design work is not licensed statewide.
- Every development in the news section is dated inside the last 60 days and comes from a licensing board, an economic development group, or the firm's own announcement.
- Counts cover active Florida businesses and update daily.
Statewide license source: Florida Board of Professional Engineers, Licensure.
Frequently asked questions
- Where are the most new professional services businesses forming in Florida?
- This report ranks every Florida region by new professional firms and shows if activity is heating up or slowing down.
- What kinds of businesses count as professional services?
- Law firms, accounting and tax practices, management consultants, marketing, advertising, and public relations agencies, design and creative studios, engineering and architecture firms, photographers, and business coaches and trainers.
- What does it take to open a professional firm in Florida?
- It depends on the field. A CPA firm licenses with the Board of Accountancy, an engineering firm registers in the state Engineering Business Registry, an architecture firm registers with the Board of Architecture and Interior Design, and a law practice needs attorneys in good standing with The Florida Bar. Consulting, marketing, and design firms are not licensed statewide. Every new firm still needs insurance, software, banking, and office setup, which is the work new owners are shopping for.
- Where does this data come from?
- The formation counts come from official Florida business registration records. We pull every new filing, sort it by industry and region, and update daily. We count a business by the date it registered with the state. Licensing comes from the Florida professional boards and The Florida Bar.
- Can I see the actual businesses?
- Yes. You get the real filings, with business names, addresses, and officers, free for 7 days, with no credit card required. Start a free 7 day trial to see them.
Reference
Professional Services Resources
The standing resources for Florida professional firms, starting with the statewide licensing boards and associations that cover every field, then a local professional body for each region. This is the rulebook, not the news. Check it to see the resources a new firm uses, or share it with a new firm owner.
Statewide
Statewide rule: a Florida CPA firm must be licensed with the Board of Accountancy before it can offer public accounting. A newly licensed accounting firm needs a bookkeeper, tax prep software, professional liability insurance, and a payroll service to run its first busy season.
Florida Board of Accountancy (Department of Business and Professional Regulation)
Statewide rule: a Florida engineering firm must register in the state Engineering Business Registry and name a Florida licensed professional engineer as its qualifier before it offers engineering services to the public. A new engineering firm getting registered needs professional liability coverage, plan printing and reprographics, drafting software, and field survey equipment.
Florida Board of Professional Engineers, Engineering Business Registry
Statewide rule: to run a law practice in Florida, every attorney must be admitted to and in good standing with The Florida Bar. A new law office needs case management software, a legal answering service, trust account banking, and office space before it takes on clients.
- LicensingFlorida Board of Professional Engineers (FBPE)
Florida Board of Professional Engineers
A new engineering firm registers its business in the state Engineering Business Registry and names a Florida licensed professional engineer as its qualifier.
- LicensingFlorida Board of Architecture and Interior Design (Department of Business and Professional Regulation)
Florida Board of Architecture and Interior Design
A new architecture studio registers its firm here and confirms each architect holds a current Florida license before it takes design work.
- LicensingFlorida Board of Landscape Architecture (Department of Business and Professional Regulation)
Florida Board of Landscape Architecture
A new landscape architecture practice licenses here, since only licensed landscape architects may offer that work in Florida.
- AssociationFlorida Institute of CPAs (FICPA)
Florida Institute of CPAs (FICPA)
The statewide group new CPA firm owners join for continuing education, standards, and peer referrals.
- AssociationAmerican Council of Engineering Companies of Florida (ACEC-FL)
The statewide association for engineering companies, focused on business practice, advocacy, and firm to firm connections.
- AssociationFlorida Engineering Society (FES)
Florida Engineering Society (FES)
The statewide membership society for professional engineers, covering licensure support, ethics, and continuing education.
- AssociationAIA Florida (American Institute of Architects, Florida)
The statewide chapter architects join for design standards, continuing education, and local component chapters.
- AssociationFlorida Public Relations Association (FPRA)
Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA)
The statewide association for public relations, marketing, and communications professionals, with local chapters and accreditation programs.
Northwest Florida
- AssociationTallahassee Bar Association
The local association of attorneys in the Tallahassee and Capital region. It offers members continuing legal education, a lawyer referral service, and networking across the Panhandle and Big Bend.
North Central Florida
- AssociationEighth Judicial Circuit Bar Association
Eighth Judicial Circuit Bar Association
The local bar association for the Gainesville area and the surrounding Eighth Judicial Circuit. It gives area attorneys continuing legal education, a lawyer referral service, and local networking.
Northeast Florida
- AssociationAIA Jacksonville (a component of AIA Florida)
The Jacksonville component of AIA Florida for architects across Northeast Florida. It offers local architects continuing education, design awards, advocacy, and networking with area firms.
Central Florida
- AssociationAIA Orlando (a component of AIA Florida)
One of Florida's largest AIA chapters, serving architects across the Orlando area and Central Florida. It runs continuing education, design awards, and advocacy for the local design community.
Tampa Bay
- AssociationSt. Petersburg Bar Association
St. Petersburg Bar Association
A local association of attorneys serving Pinellas County and the St. Petersburg area. It offers members continuing legal education, a lawyer referral service, and networking across the Tampa Bay legal community.
Southwest Florida
- AssociationLee County Bar Association
The local bar association for the Fort Myers area, serving the Lee County legal community since 1949. It gives area attorneys continuing legal education, a lawyer referral service, and local networking.
Southeast Florida
- AssociationBroward County Bar Association
Broward County Bar Association
The local bar association for the Fort Lauderdale area and Broward County, founded in 1925. It offers members continuing legal education, a lawyer referral service, practice area sections, and networking.
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