Probably he was stuck with a low ball bid, that he would have loved to change to time and material so he could milk it for all he could get.
They've come a long way in Florida regarding unlicensed contractors, probably as a result of all the dirt bags who flocked to the state after some of our big hurricane years.
Now, if you are caught operating without a licesnse, the customer can get every penny of their money back, period.... even if all the work is done correctly and the customer is completely satisfied. It has helped quite a bit, but there are still some dirtbags and illegals out there undercutting those who do it the legal way.