Florida roofing questions, answered

It depends on five things you can check: the roof's size and pitch, the material, how many old layers come off, how much rotten decking turns up, and the code work every Florida re-roof carries. That code work includes re-nailing the deck to Table R908.7.1.2, a secondary water barrier, and drip edge at the eaves and gables (2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, R908.7 and R905.2.8.5). Two quotes can be far apart when one leaves those items out. The honest number is a written, itemized quote after someone measures your roof. To start one, use the quote form or call 407-242-2840.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Ch. 9 Roof Assemblies (R901, R903, R905, R908), read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

Line the quotes up item by item, because the total alone tells you little. Each one should name the same scope: a full tear-off or not, the underlayment method (Florida's code allows three, from a fully adhered membrane to two layers of felt), deck re-nailing, how rotten wood is priced, flashing and drip edge, the permit and its inspections, and debris removal. A low total often means something on that list is missing, and a high one should show where the money goes. If the work is tied to an insurance claim, Florida law requires the contractor to give you a good-faith, itemized estimate of services and materials before you sign.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Ch. 9 Roof Assemblies (R901, R903, R905, R908), read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

A repair is priced by what failed and how much has to come apart to reach it, so averages say little. Most leaks start where Florida's code requires flashing: where a roof meets a wall, where the slope changes, and around vents and other openings. Storm repairs often mean hips, ridges and ridge vents, the damage FEMA teams documented most after recent hurricanes. Soft decking under a leak adds wood work, and a tile repair depends on finding tile that matches. A repair quote should name the part being fixed, the materials, and whether your building department wants a permit for it.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Ch. 9 Roof Assemblies (R901, R903, R905, R908), read Oct 4, 2026

There is no set price, because the word covers different jobs. An insurer may ask for a 4-point inspection, a roof condition form or a wind mitigation form, and each takes different time on the roof and in the attic. Under Florida's 15-year roof rule, the homeowner pays for the inspection that shows how much life an older roof has left (Fla. Stat. 627.7011(5)(c)). The state's My Safe Florida Home program advertises wind mitigation inspections at no cost to eligible homeowners, so check mysafeflhome.com before you pay for one.

Source: Fla. Stat. 627.7011, Homeowners' policies; roof age (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

Gutter prices follow the length of the runs, the size and profile, the metal, how many downspouts the roof needs, and whether the fascia behind the gutter needs repair first. Size matters here because Florida rain comes hard and fast. At the same slope, a 6-inch half-round gutter carries about 49 percent more water than a 5-inch one, 110 against 74 gallons a minute in the Florida plumbing code's table, and NOAA's 5-minute rain rates at ten Florida points run from 8.71 to 11.3 inches an hour. Bigger gutters and more downspouts cost more and overflow less.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Plumbing, 8th ed., Ch. 11 Storm Drainage (1106, Tables 1106.3 and 1106.6), via UpCodes, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

The system you pick moves the price most. Standing-seam panels, held by clips with hidden fasteners, cost more than exposed-fastener panels screwed through the face, and the cheaper panel asks for more upkeep because its screws back out as the metal moves. Near the coast, the metal and its fasteners have to suit salt air. Every panel needs Florida product approval. The old roof matters too: Florida's Building Code lets a complete, separate standing-seam system that carries its own loads go over an existing roof without a tear-off.

Source: Standing Seam vs. Exposed Fastener Metal Roofing, read Oct 5, 2026

A tile re-roof is priced on three big items: the underlayment, the tile and how the tile is fastened. The Tile Roofing Industry Alliance says the underlayment, not the tile, acts as the water barrier in most cases, so its condition often decides the job. Florida's code lets salvaged tile go back only if it matches in material and profile, never cracked or broken pieces. Tile can be set with nails, screws, clips, foam or mortar, and foam and mortar both need Florida product approval. One major maker lists its Florida concrete tiles at about 770 to 970 pounds per 100 square feet installed, so switching to tile starts with the framing.

Source: Post-storm event considerations for repairing damaged concrete and clay roofing tiles (Technical Brief), read Oct 5, 2026

A commercial roof is priced from the deck up: the membrane system, the insulation, whether the old roof must come off, the edge metal, the drains and whatever sits on the roof. Florida's Building Code bars a recover over a water-soaked roof or one that already carries two coverings, which forces a tear-off. Edge metal on membrane roofs must be wind-tested to ANSI/SPRI ES-1 or RAS 111. Rooftop units have to be brought to current code only if they are replaced or moved during the work and do not comply. In Broward and Miami-Dade, every roofing job needs an HVHZ permit application with product approvals attached.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Ch. 15 Roof Assemblies and Rooftop Structures (1504-1525), via UpCodes, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Commercial roofing

The main reason is that Florida builds every roof to one statewide code written with hurricanes in mind. After Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the state judged its patchwork of local codes inadequate, and the first Florida Building Code replaced them on March 1, 2002. A re-roof here brings code work with it: deck re-nailing, a secondary water barrier, drip edge nailed tighter in high wind, and roofing products that carry state product approval. In Broward and Miami-Dade, the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone adds its own permit rules, inspections and Miami-Dade product acceptances.

Source: Senate staff analysis of 2026 SB 808, pp. 3-4 (history of the Florida Building Code), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

It gets replaced before the new roof goes on. Nobody can see the decking until the old roof is off, and Florida's code bars laying a new covering over a deck that is water-soaked or too deteriorated to hold it. Replacing damaged sheathing or fascia during the job is part of a roofing contractor's scope under Fla. Stat. 489.105(3)(e). Because the amount of bad wood is unknown when you sign, a good contract says how wood replacement is priced, by the sheet or by the foot, and that you will hear about it before extra wood goes in.

Source: Fla. Stat. 489.105, Definitions (roofing contractor) (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

Yes, with limits. Florida's My Safe Florida Home program, run by the Department of Financial Services under Fla. Stat. 215.5586, offers wind mitigation inspections and matching grants. When the inspection recommends them, grants can go toward roof-to-wall connections, stronger roof-deck attachment, secondary water resistance and a new roof covering. Inspections are for site-built, owner-occupied single-family homes with a homestead exemption. Grants add more conditions, including a build date before January 1, 2008 and a cap on the home's insured value. The statute says the program creates no entitlement, and funding windows open and close, so check mysafeflhome.com for its status.

Source: Fla. Stat. 215.5586, My Safe Florida Home Program (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

It can help pay for one, but it is a matching grant, so you cover a share. Fla. Stat. 215.5586 lists a new roof covering among the improvements a grant can go toward, together with stronger roof-deck attachment, secondary water resistance and roof-to-wall connections, when the program's own inspection recommends them. The home has to qualify first, and the statute states that the program creates no entitlement. Funding windows open and close. Read the current rules on mysafeflhome.com before you plan a re-roof around a grant, and keep your written estimate ready for the application.

Source: Fla. Stat. 215.5586, My Safe Florida Home Program (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

Apply through the state's My Safe Florida Home program. Its website advertises wind mitigation inspections at no cost to the homeowner, and Fla. Stat. 215.5586 sets who can get one: site-built, owner-occupied single-family homes with a homestead exemption. The program's site did not say whether applications were open when this page was written, so check mysafeflhome.com first. The inspection is also the first step toward the program's matching grants, which go only to improvements the inspection recommends, such as roof-deck attachment and secondary water resistance.

Source: Fla. Stat. 215.5586, My Safe Florida Home Program (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

Be wary of anyone who promises it. Florida law bars a roofing contractor from offering anything of value, including a deductible waiver, a rebate or cash, for letting it inspect your roof or for making a roof claim (Fla. Stat. 489.147). The Tile Roofing Industry Alliance warns that promises of a free replacement roof spread after storms, pushed by people chasing the money a storm can bring. Your policy sets what a covered loss pays, and the deductible stays yours. The state's My Safe Florida Home grants are matching grants for eligible homes, so they cut the cost of certain upgrades without erasing it.

Source: Fla. Stat. 489.147, Prohibited property insurance practices (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

It is a limit on insurers. Under Fla. Stat. 627.7011(5), an insurer may not refuse to issue or renew a homeowner's policy solely because the roof is less than 15 years old. Once a roof is 15 or older, the insurer must let you have it inspected by an authorized inspector, at your expense, before it requires a replacement. If that inspection shows at least 5 years of useful life left, the insurer may not refuse or non-renew the policy for roof age alone. It reaches homeowner's policies issued or renewed from July 1, 2022 onward.

Source: Fla. Stat. 627.7011, Homeowners' policies; roof age (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

Not for age alone, if the roof still has life in it. Florida's 15-year rule says the insurer must allow an inspection by an authorized inspector, paid for by you, before it requires a new roof, and it may not refuse or non-renew solely for age when that inspection shows 5 or more years of useful life. The rule covers age alone; the inspection itself still records condition, including leaks and damage. Senate staff note that the section does not apply to mobile home policies. Citizens also keeps its own roof-age lines, covered further down this section.

Source: Fla. Stat. 627.7011, Homeowners' policies; roof age (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

An authorized inspector. Fla. Stat. 627.7011(5)(a) defines that as someone your insurer accepts who is also one of these: a home inspector licensed under s. 468.8314, a building code inspector certified under s. 468.607, a general, building or residential contractor licensed under s. 489.111, a roofing contractor, a professional engineer, an architect, or another person the insurer recognizes as qualified. Ask your insurer which inspectors and which form it accepts before you book anyone, because the report goes to the insurer and has to meet its requirements.

Source: Fla. Stat. 627.7011, Homeowners' policies; roof age (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

From the last date the whole roof was built or replaced. For the 15-year rule, Fla. Stat. 627.7011(5)(d) counts roof age from the last date on which 100 percent of the roof's surface area was built or replaced. Partial jobs work differently: when a roof was replaced in sections, its age runs from the first partial replacement once the later work brings the total to 100 percent. Keep your permit and final inspection records. Citizens' 4-point form asks for the date of the last roofing permit and whether that replacement was full or partial.

Source: Fla. Stat. 627.7011, Homeowners' policies; roof age (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

Citizens draws two lines by roof type. Soft roofs, such as shingle, older than 25 years, and hard roofs, such as tile, slate, clay, concrete or metal, older than 50 years, need documentation showing at least five years of remaining useful life. If the roof has less than five years left, Citizens asks for proof of a full roof replacement before it writes the policy. Florida's own 15-year statute uses a single age line for every roof type, so the material matters for Citizens' rule, not the statute's. Citizens updated its inspections page on March 17, 2026; check it before you act.

Source: Inspections (roof age, 4-point and roof inspection rules), updated March 17, 2026, read Oct 4, 2026

It is a check of four systems in a home: the roof, electrical, plumbing, and heating and air conditioning. Citizens requires one for property owner, dwelling and mobile home applications on properties more than 20 years old. The roof section records the covering, its age and remaining useful life, the date of the last roofing permit, whether that replacement was full or partial, the overall condition and a damage list. Citizens accepts that roof section, with a photo of every slope, in place of its standalone Roof Inspection Form. Private insurers write their own inspection rules; your agent can tell you which apply.

Source: Inspections (roof age, 4-point and roof inspection rules), updated March 17, 2026, read Oct 4, 2026

The inspector records what is on the roof, and the insurer decides what it will accept. The damage items Citizens' 4-point form asks about are cracking, cupping or curling, excessive granule loss, exposed asphalt, exposed felt, missing, loose or cracked tabs or tiles, soft spots in the decking, visible hail damage, and visible leaks in the attic or on interior ceilings. Low remaining useful life is the other common trouble spot, because the form asks for it. Repairing a leak or a soft spot before the inspection changes what gets written down.

Source: 4-Point Inspection Form, sample Insp4pt 03 25, read Oct 4, 2026

It is an inspection recorded on Florida's uniform form, OIR-B1-1802, that lists a home's wind-resistance features so insurers can apply their wind discounts. The current version, Rev. 04/26, took effect April 1, 2026. It asks for the building code era, the wind region for your address, the roof slope and covering, how the roof deck is attached, how the roof is tied to the walls, the roof's shape, whether the deck is sealed against water, and how windows and doors are protected. Insurers must offer discounts for features like these under Fla. Stat. 627.0629.

Source: Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26), read Oct 4, 2026

Up to five years. The state form, OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26), says the verification stays valid for up to five years as long as no material changes are made to the structure and no inaccuracies are found on the form. Replacing a roof changes several things the form records, such as the deck attachment, the covering and secondary water resistance, so ask your insurer whether it wants a fresh form after a re-roof. Keep the old report with your house papers either way; it shows what was there before.

Source: Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26), read Oct 4, 2026

It can, but nobody can promise it. A new roof resets the age insurers look at, and a Florida re-roof adds features the wind mitigation form records, such as stronger deck nailing and a secondary water barrier. Insurers must offer credits for features like these. The state's consumer notice adds three cautions: wind discounts apply only to the hurricane-wind portion of a policy, they are not calculated cumulatively, and securing the roof and protecting windows are the two most cost-effective measures. Before you budget around a discount, have your agent list the features your own insurer credits.

Source: Notice of premium discounts for hurricane loss mitigation, form OIR-B1-1655, read Oct 5, 2026

Not for being metal, as far as the state's own documents show. The wind mitigation form lists metal as a covering type, but the state's discount notice has no metal-specific credit. Metal helps on age instead: Citizens treats it as a hard roof, so its documentation line sits at 50 years rather than the 25 for shingle. The credits that move a premium come from how the roof is attached and sealed: deck nailing, roof-to-wall connections, roof shape and a secondary water barrier. Ask your agent which of those your insurer credits.

Source: Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26), read Oct 4, 2026

One year for a new claim. Fla. Stat. 627.70132 bars a new or reopened property insurance claim unless notice reaches the insurer within 1 year after the date of loss, and a supplemental claim must be noticed within 18 months. For a hurricane, the date of loss is the date the storm made landfall. Your policy can set duties of its own after a loss, so read it, and take questions about your claim to your insurer or agent. Photos taken soon after the storm help show what the damage looked like.

Source: Fla. Stat. 627.70132, Notice of property insurance claim (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

It is a separate deductible for hurricane losses, and it can be a percentage of your dwelling coverage instead of a flat amount. Before issuing a personal residential policy, Florida insurers must offer hurricane deductible options that include 2 percent, 5 percent and 10 percent of the policy's dwelling limits, plus a flat-amount option set in the statute (Fla. Stat. 627.701). Your declarations page shows which one you have. A roofer cannot tell you how your deductible applies to a claim; your insurer or agent can.

Source: Fla. Stat. 627.701, Deductibles (2026), read Oct 5, 2026

Florida lets insurers include a roof deductible in a personal residential policy. By law it can be no more than the lesser of 2 percent of the dwelling (Coverage A) limit or 50 percent of the cost to replace the roof, and it must come with a premium credit. It does not apply to hurricane roof losses, a tree falling through the roof deck, a total loss, or repairs to less than 50 percent of the roof (Fla. Stat. 627.701). Check your declarations page to see whether your policy carries one, and ask your agent how it works.

Source: Fla. Stat. 627.701, Deductibles (2026), read Oct 5, 2026

Not on newer policies. For residential and commercial property policies issued on or after January 1, 2023, Fla. Stat. 627.7152(13) says a policyholder may not assign any post-loss insurance benefit, in whole or in part, and any attempt is void, invalid and unenforceable. That keeps your contract with a roofer and your claim with your insurer separate, and the claim stays yours. If a contractor hands you an assignment form on a newer policy, ask your insurer or agent about it before you sign anything.

Source: Fla. Stat. 627.7152, Assignment agreements (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

Only within limits. Under Fla. Stat. 489.147, a roofing contractor may not interpret your policy, advise you about coverage or adjust a claim on your behalf unless it is also a licensed public adjuster. What a roofer can tell you is what is physically wrong with the roof and what the repair involves. Every residential roof contract must also say, in bold type on the signature page, that you should contact your insurer to check coverage, claims, deductibles and policy terms before signing. The claim itself stays between you and your insurer or agent.

Source: Fla. Stat. 489.147, Prohibited property insurance practices (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

It depends on your policy and on what caused the leak, and only your insurer or agent can tell you how your policy applies. Florida law bars a roofing contractor from interpreting your policy or advising you on coverage unless it is a licensed public adjuster. A roofer can tell you where the water gets in and why, such as failed flashing at a wall, a lost ridge vent or worn shingles. Note when the leak started, take photos inside and out, and read your policy's duties after a loss.

Source: Fla. Stat. 489.147, Prohibited property insurance practices (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

They answer different questions. A 4-point inspection looks at the age and condition of four systems, the roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC, and Citizens requires one on homes more than 20 years old. A wind mitigation inspection, on state form OIR-B1-1802, records how well the house resists wind: roof-deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections, roof shape, secondary water resistance and opening protection. The first speaks to whether an older home can be written; the second feeds discounts on the hurricane-wind portion of a premium.

Source: Inspections (roof age, 4-point and roof inspection rules), updated March 17, 2026, read Oct 4, 2026

The law names them. Fla. Stat. 627.0629(1) requires insurers to offer discounts, credits or deductible reductions for wind uplift prevention, roof strength, roof covering performance, roof-to-wall strength, wall-to-floor-to-foundation strength, opening protection, and window, door and skylight strength, and since October 1, 2023 each insurer must describe its hurricane mitigation discounts on its website. The state lists ranges of credits on forms OIR-B1-1699 and OIR-B1-1700 and sends consumers to their insurer or agent for their own numbers.

Source: Fla. Stat. 627.0629, Windstorm mitigation discounts (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

No. Florida law bars a contractor from offering to waive your insurance deductible, or offering a rebate, gift card, cash or anything else of value, in exchange for inspecting your roof or for making a roof insurance claim (Fla. Stat. 489.147). A contractor who knowingly pays, waives or rebates a deductible with intent to defraud commits insurance fraud, a third-degree felony, and the statute sets fines for each violation. Every residential roof contract must carry a notice of this rule; if it is missing, you can void the contract within 10 days.

Source: Fla. Stat. 489.147, Prohibited property insurance practices (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

It caps how much of a roof can be patched. The Florida Building Code says no more than 25 percent of a roof, or of one roof section, may be repaired, replaced or recovered in any 12-month period unless the whole roof or section is brought to the current code (Residential R908.1.1; Building 1511.1.1). The big exception: if the existing roof was built, repaired or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or a later edition, only the part being worked on must meet today's code. State law, Fla. Stat. 553.844(5), bars local governments from amending that exception.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Ch. 9 Roof Assemblies (R901, R903, R905, R908), read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

Yes. The exception in Fla. Stat. 553.844(5) reaches only roofs built, repaired or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or a later edition. An older roof section still falls under the plain rule: repair or replace more than a quarter of it within 12 months and the whole section has to be redone to current code. The 2007 code's original version took effect March 1, 2009, so a roof permitted before then was most likely built to an earlier edition. Your city or county building department keeps the permit history that shows the date.

Source: Fla. Stat. 553.844, Windstorm loss mitigation; roof requirements (2026), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

Yes. The Florida Building Code requires a permit to construct, alter, repair or demolish a building in ways the code regulates, and a re-roof is regulated work (Building Code 105.1). Re-roofs skip plan review, but the permit brings at least two inspections: one of the sheathing and dry-in, and one of the finished roofing, which checks dry-in, insulation, coverings and flashing (110.3). In Broward and Miami-Dade, the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone requires a permit for all roofing work, repairs and maintenance included. Your city or county building department issues it.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Ch. 1 Scope and Administration (102.8, 105, 107, 110.3), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

It depends on the repair and on your building department. A permit is required to repair a building in ways the code regulates, but the Florida Building Code lets ordinary minor repairs go ahead without one when the building official approves (Section 105.2.2). So whether a small repair needs a permit is the local office's call. Two rules push the other way. In Broward and Miami-Dade, every roofing repair needs a permit. And anywhere in the state, patching more than 25 percent of a roof section built before the 2007 code means bringing that whole section up to code.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Ch. 1 Scope and Administration (102.8, 105, 107, 110.3), read Oct 5, 2026

Yes, in two narrow cases. As an owner-builder, you may improve your own one- or two-family home for your own use if you personally supervise the work (Fla. Stat. 489.103(7)(a)1.). You may also repair or replace wood shakes or asphalt or fiberglass shingles on a one-, two- or three-family home after damage from an event covered by a Governor's state-of-emergency order (489.103(7)(a)2.). Either way, the building permit and its inspections still apply. Your building department explains its owner-builder paperwork before you start.

Source: Fla. Stat. 489.103, Exemptions (owner-builder, minor work) (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

More than new shingles or tile. When a covering is removed and replaced on a wood deck, the deck attachment must meet R908.7.1, which means staples, 6d nails or widely spaced 8d nails get supplemental ring-shank nails at no more than 6 inches apart, and a secondary water barrier is required (R908.7.2). Shingle roofs need drip edge at the eaves and gables, flashing goes at walls, slope changes and openings, and rusted or damaged flashing and edge metal may not be reused (2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, R905 and R908).

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Ch. 9 Roof Assemblies (R901, R903, R905, R908), read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

Yes, on a re-roof of a home with a wood deck. Residential Code R908.7.2 requires one whenever the covering is removed and replaced, installed by one of the three underlayment methods in R905.1.1: a fully adhered membrane, taped deck seams under the underlayment, or two layers of felt-type underlayment. A continuous roof system on a slope under 2:12 is treated as meeting the rule. New homes use the same three methods at dry-in. The wind mitigation form counts it too, though standard underlayment or hot-mopped felt alone does not qualify there.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Ch. 9 Roof Assemblies (R901, R903, R905, R908), read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

Ring-shank nails, sized by the job. On a re-roof, supplemental nails must be ASTM F1667 RSRS-01 ring-shank nails with a 0.113-inch shank and a 0.280-inch full round head, at least 2-1/4 inches long, spaced no more than 6 inches apart where the old fastening falls short (Table R908.7.1.2). New construction calls for RSRS-03 nails, 2-1/2 inches by 0.131 inch, with RSRS-01 or RSRS-04 allowed on sheathing 15/32 inch or thinner. At higher wind speeds, spacing tightens to 4 or 3 inches within 4 feet of edges, ridges and hips (Table R803.2.3.1).

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Ch. 9 Roof Assemblies (R901, R903, R905, R908), read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

Often not, and the code lists when it cannot. Residential Code R908.3 requires removing every existing layer when the roof is water-soaked or too deteriorated to be a base, when the old covering is wood shingle or shake, slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile, when there are already two or more coverings, when blisters are not cut and secured, or when the old covering cannot meet the new roof's fastening rules. The 2023 code's re-cover sections read Reserved, so ask your building department whether it accepts an overlay. The Building Code does let a complete, separate standing-seam metal system carry its own loads over an existing roof.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Ch. 9 Roof Assemblies (R901, R903, R905, R908), read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

It is Broward and Miami-Dade counties, as the Florida Building Code defines it, and roofs there follow stricter rules. The residential roof chapter does not apply as written: HVHZ buildings follow Chapter 44 of the Residential Code and Sections 1512 through 1525 of the Building Code. Every roofing job, repair and maintenance included, needs a permit through an HVHZ Uniform Roofing Permit Application with the product approvals and detail drawings attached, and inspectors check the work before the attachment is covered. Miami-Dade County's Product Control Section issues Notices of Acceptance for products meant for the zone.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Ch. 9 Roof Assemblies (R901, R903, R905, R908), read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

A Notice of Acceptance is Miami-Dade County's acceptance document for a building product, issued by its Product Control Section. Each NOA carries a number and an expiration date, and the County says it is not valid after that date. It accepts the product for use in Miami-Dade and in other areas where the local building official allows it. A copy of the full NOA must be available at the job site if the building official asks for it. The County also warns that using an NOA as an endorsement in sales or advertising terminates it.

Source: Notice of Acceptance No. 26-0204.02 (used for standard NOA wording only), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

Florida product approval is statewide; an NOA comes from Miami-Dade County. Roofing is one of the product categories that must carry statewide approval under Fla. Stat. 553.842(5), and you can look any approval up by its FL number, maker or code version on the Florida Building Commission's search at floridabuilding.org. The same law bars marketing a product as hurricane or windstorm protection unless it is approved. A Miami-Dade NOA is the County's own acceptance, used in Miami-Dade and wherever a local building official allows it. In the HVHZ, the roofing permit application lists the numbers.

Source: Fla. Stat. 553.842, Product evaluation and approval (2026), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

Every three years. State law has the Florida Building Commission adopt an updated code on that cycle, built from the latest International Codes with Florida changes (Fla. Stat. 553.73). The 8th edition, the 2023 code, took effect December 31, 2023. Miami-Dade County's notice says the 9th edition, the 2026 code, takes effect December 31, 2026, and that permit applications submitted on or after that date must comply with it. In practice, a roof is built to the edition in force when its permit application went in.

Source: Fla. Stat. 553.73, Florida Building Code (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

Only tiny jobs. Florida's exemption covers work "of a casual, minor, or inconsequential nature" below a low price limit set in Fla. Stat. 489.103(9). It does not apply when a bigger job is split up to stay under the limit, or when the person advertises as a contractor. Roofing as a trade belongs to roofing contractors: the law defines their scope as all kinds of roofing, including roof-deck attachments and any sheathing or fascia replaced during the work. Check any roofer's license on the state's DBPR site before you hire.

Source: Fla. Stat. 489.103, Exemptions (owner-builder, minor work) (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

Usually not without a roofing license. Fla. Stat. 489.113(3) says a contractor must subcontract roofing work unless it holds a state certificate or registration in roofing. The one carve-out lets a general, building or residential contractor install asphalt, fiberglass or wood shingles on a new building of its own construction. A general contractor certified after 1973 also may not advertise as a roofing contractor unless it is certified or registered as one. On a re-roof, the company doing the roofing should hold the roofing license.

Source: Fla. Stat. 489.113, Qualifications for practice; restrictions (2026), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

State law sets several items. The contractor's license number goes on every contract, bid and ad (Fla. Stat. 489.119(5)(b)). Every contract to repair or replace a home's roof must carry a notice that the contractor may not offer a rebate, gift, cash, deductible waiver or anything of value for a roof inspection or claim; without it, you can void the contract within 10 days. It must also say, in bold 14-point type on the signature page, to check coverage with your insurer before signing if the work relates to a claim. Contracts signed after a declared emergency need cancellation language too.

Source: Fla. Stat. 489.119, Business organizations; license number on contracts and ads (2026), read Oct 5, 2026

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Often, yes. If you signed a roof repair or replacement contract within 180 days of an event covered by a Governor's state-of-emergency declaration, and your home is in the declared area, Fla. Stat. 489.147(6) lets you cancel without penalty within 10 days of signing or by the official start date, whichever comes first. The contract must state that right in 14-point bold type before the signature line. Mail the cancellation by a method that gives you proof of mailing, as the statute asks, and keep a copy.

Source: Fla. Stat. 489.147, Prohibited property insurance practices (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

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Here are the recent changes, by date. Homeowner's policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2022 fall under the 15-year roof rule in Fla. Stat. 627.7011(5). Property policies issued on or after January 1, 2023 cannot assign post-loss benefits to a contractor. A revised wind mitigation form, OIR-B1-1802 Rev. 04/26, took effect April 1, 2026. The 9th edition Florida Building Code applies to permit applications on or after December 31, 2026. And a 2026 bill to widen the 15-year rule, SB 808, died in committee on March 13, 2026.

Source: Fla. Stat. 627.7011, Homeowners' policies; roof age (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

Often it can, within the 25 percent rule. Florida's code lets you repair up to 25 percent of a roof or roof section in 12 months; past that, a roof built before the 2007 code needs the whole section redone, while a roof built under the 2007 code or later can have just the damaged part rebuilt to current code. Tile roofs are repairable in most cases, the Tile Roofing Industry Alliance says, sometimes by moving tiles from a hidden slope to the street side. The same group adds that no tile, new or reused, should go over compromised underlayment.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Ch. 9 Roof Assemblies (R901, R903, R905, R908), read Oct 4, 2026

Check before you choose anything. If your home is in a community with a homeowners association, read its covenants and architectural review rules before you pick a roof material or color, and get any approval in writing before work starts. The building permit is a separate step: your city or county building department issues it under the Florida Building Code, whatever the association decides. The Design Studio can help you show a board the color you have in mind before anyone signs.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Ch. 1 Scope and Administration (102.8, 105, 107, 110.3), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

June 1 to November 30. NOAA's National Hurricane Center puts the statistical peak of the Atlantic season on September 10, with most activity between mid-August and mid-October. A typical season in the 1991 to 2020 record brought 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes. For a roof, that makes late spring the time to look for loose shingles, cracked tiles, lifted flashing and clogged gutters, while there is still time to fix them before the busiest weeks arrive.

Source: Tropical Cyclone Climatology, read Oct 5, 2026

Yes. NOAA's Hurricane Research Division says about 40 percent of all U.S. hurricanes hit Florida, and from 1851 through 2024 the state took 121 direct hurricane hits, 38 of them major. That record shaped the rules your roof is built under. After Hurricane Andrew, Florida replaced its local codes with one statewide building code, and state law makes insurers offer discounts for wind-resistant features such as roof-deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections and secondary water resistance.

Source: Hurricane FAQ: landfalling hurricanes by state, direct hits 1851-2024, read Oct 5, 2026

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Damage can start at hurricane strength. NOAA's Saffir-Simpson scale says a Category 1 hurricane, with 74 to 95 mph sustained winds, can damage the roof, shingles, vinyl siding and gutters of well-built frame homes. Category 2, at 96 to 110 mph, can cause major roof and siding damage, and Category 3, at 111 to 129 mph, can remove roof decking and gable ends. Shingles are tested for this: the ASTM D3161 Class F fan test runs at 110 mph, and ASTM D7158 Class H covers design wind speeds up to 194 mph.

Source: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, read Oct 5, 2026

The edges and the high points. After Hurricane Ian, FEMA's assessment team found the most common damage was to hips and ridges, on newer and older roofs alike. University of Florida researchers found asphalt shingles tend to come partly unsealed after about four years, especially at exposed corners, which gives wind a place to lift. After Hurricane Michael, FEMA saw ridge vents and soffits torn away, opening attics to wind-driven rain. Florida's code answers at the edge: drip edge is nailed every 4 inches where the design wind reaches 110 mph (Vasd).

Source: Hurricane Ian in Florida: A Mitigation Success Story for Building Codes (Building Safety Journal, Feb. 7, 2024), read Oct 5, 2026

Stay safe first, and stay off the roof. Take dated photos of the damage inside and out, and keep receipts for anything you buy to keep water out. Read your policy for your duties after a loss, and give your insurer notice within Florida's deadline: 1 year from the date of loss for a new claim. Before you hire anyone, look up the license on the state DBPR site, and walk away from anyone who offers to pay or waive your deductible, which Florida law bars. If you sign within 180 days of a declared state of emergency, you may be able to cancel within 10 days.

Source: Fla. Stat. 627.70132, Notice of property insurance claim (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

Protect the inside and stay off the roof until the storm passes. Move belongings, catch the water, and if a ceiling sags with water, keep people out from under it. FEMA documented ceilings collapsing in a house where the only roof damage was a lost ridge vent and ridge shingles, so a small opening up top can still do real harm. Take photos and note the time, then have the roof checked once it is safe. Wet insulation and walls lead to algae and mold, FEMA found, so drying out quickly matters as much as the repair.

Source: Hurricane Michael in Florida, Recovery Advisory 2: Best Practices for Minimizing Wind and Water Infiltration Damage (June 2019), read Oct 5, 2026

Focus on the parts that fail first and on keeping water out when they do. The upgrades with the strongest sources behind them are a sealed roof deck, which FEMA says can significantly cut water entry when the covering is lost; ring-shank deck nails in an enhanced pattern, which IBHS says nearly doubles a roof's strength against wind; stronger edges; roof-to-wall connectors such as clips or wraps; and coverings tested for high wind. Florida's wind mitigation form records the same features, and insurers must offer discounts for them.

Source: Hurricane Michael in Florida, Recovery Advisory 2: Best Practices for Minimizing Wind and Water Infiltration Damage (June 2019), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

FORTIFIED is a voluntary construction standard from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) that goes beyond the building code. For roofs it calls for stronger edges, a sealed roof deck, ring-shank nails in an enhanced pattern, and coverings that pass strict wind tests; shingles, for example, must carry ASTM D3161 Class F or ASTM D7158 Class H. There is an optional hail supplement. FEMA notes that the three sealed-deck methods it recommended after Hurricane Michael were tested by IBHS and qualify for FORTIFIED.

Source: FORTIFIED Roof, read Oct 5, 2026

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It is a second line of defense under the roof covering. The joints between sheets of roof decking are sealed, with a self-adhering membrane over the whole deck or tape and membrane strips over every seam, so rain cannot pour into the attic if wind strips off the shingles, metal or tile. FEMA's Hurricane Michael advisory says a secondary sealing strategy can significantly reduce water infiltration when the primary covering is lost. Florida's code requires a secondary water barrier on every re-roof of a wood-deck home.

Source: Hurricane Michael in Florida, Recovery Advisory 2: Best Practices for Minimizing Wind and Water Infiltration Damage (June 2019), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

No covering wins on every count, and installation matters as much as material. After Hurricane Michael, FEMA found metal roof coverings appeared to perform better than others on buildings built to the Florida Building Code, though some were damaged. Tile rarely breaks from wind alone; flying debris breaks it, the tile industry's alliance says. Shingle failures traced back to unsealed shingles and fasteners in the wrong place. After Ian, newer roofs generally did better than older ones. Pick a covering rated for your design wind speed, over a sealed deck.

Source: Hurricane Michael in Florida, Recovery Advisory 2: Best Practices for Minimizing Wind and Water Infiltration Damage (June 2019), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

The Hurricane Ian evidence says yes. FEMA's assessment team, as summarized by the International Code Council, found that newer roof coverings generally performed better than older ones, and it saw no wind-related structural damage to any home built after the Florida Building Code was adopted. Age weakens shingles in a specific way: University of Florida researchers found they tend to come partly unsealed after about four years. And state law has required re-roofs on site-built homes to include a secondary water barrier and stronger deck attachment since the 2007 rules.

Source: Hurricane Ian in Florida: A Mitigation Success Story for Building Codes (Building Safety Journal, Feb. 7, 2024), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

Yes. The National Weather Service office for Tampa Bay says hail, damaging winds and waterspouts are common from late May through June, when severe thunderstorms are most likely. Roof products carry impact ratings for it: metal panels can carry a UL 2218 Class 4 rating, tile is tested to FM 4473, and IBHS publishes its own hail ratings for shingles. Insurers' 4-point forms list visible hail damage among the roof items an inspector checks, so photograph any marks on the roof or gutters after a hailstorm.

Source: Florida Thunderstorm Season (rainy season), read Oct 5, 2026

No. The Metal Roofing Alliance calls that one of the most common myths about metal roofs. A metal roof does not make a strike more likely; a building's location, height and size and the land around it are what matter. What protects a building from lightning is a properly designed lightning protection system, whatever the roof is made of. With Florida's summer thunderstorms, it is a fair question, and the answer does not change between a metal roof and a shingle one.

Source: Other Weather Performance, read Oct 5, 2026

On new homes, roof-to-wall connectors are checked at the framing inspection, which the Florida Building Code lists as covering framing, trusses, bracing and connectors. On existing homes, a re-roof can trigger them: state rules require improved roof-to-wall connections at re-roof for site-built homes in the wind-borne debris region above a set value, but only when the work at gable ends or corners can be done for 15 percent of the roof replacement cost. The wind mitigation form grades whatever connection you have, from toenails up to double wraps.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Ch. 1 (105.4, 110.3 inspection list), via UpCodes, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

When they fail, wind-driven rain gets into the attic. FEMA says soffits have historically performed poorly in hurricanes, and after Hurricane Michael it found failed soffits often led to significant water intrusion. The 2007 Florida Building Code began requiring soffits to resist the same wind loads as walls. FEMA's minimum practice is to fasten soffit panels at the wall and at the fascia, and to install fascia covers by the maker's instructions. Fascia work done alongside a roof job falls inside a roofing contractor's scope under Fla. Stat. 489.105(3)(e).

Source: Hurricane Michael in Florida, Recovery Advisory 2: Best Practices for Minimizing Wind and Water Infiltration Damage (June 2019), read Oct 5, 2026

It depends on the address. Florida's code ties roof rules to the site's ultimate design wind speed from ASCE 7-22, and the state wind mitigation form points inspectors to the ASCE hazard tool, sorting homes into the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, Region 1 (140 mph or more), Region 2 (130 to 139) or Region 3 (under 130). The speed drives the details: shingle wind classes, drip-edge nailing, and metal caps on underlayment nails at 170 mph or more. After Hurricane Ian, a St. James City home built to a 161 mph design speed came through without visible damage.

Source: Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26), read Oct 4, 2026

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Fix leaks when they happen; plan a full re-roof for the drier months if you can. The National Weather Service office for Tampa Bay dates the rainy season from about May 25 to October 10 for most of west-central Florida, and May 15 to October 15 in southwest Florida, with near-daily thunderstorms. Hurricane season sits on top of that, June 1 through November 30, with its peak near September 10. A roof opened for tear-off needs dry hours, so late fall through spring usually schedules more easily.

Source: Florida Thunderstorm Season (rainy season), read Oct 5, 2026

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It depends on the material, and the published numbers disagree. As a baseline, NRCA's consumer guidance puts the useful service of most new roofs at about 20 years. InterNACHI's Florida chart, which runs shorter than its national one, lists 10 to 12 years for 3-tab shingles, 15 to 20 for architectural shingles, 17 to 20 for metal and 80 or more for clay or concrete tile. Industry groups claim longer: the Metal Roofing Alliance says metal roofs often last 40 to 70 years, and the Tile Roofing Industry Alliance puts tile at 50 to 100 years or more. Heat, storms, installation and upkeep decide where a given roof lands.

Source: Florida life-expectancy chart for home components, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

Published figures for Florida run from about 10 to 20 years. InterNACHI's Florida chart lists 10 to 12 years for 3-tab shingles and 15 to 20 for architectural shingles, against 20 and 30 years on its national chart, so a shingle sold as a 30-year product rarely sees 30 Florida summers by that measure. NRCA lists the factors that decide it: local climate, proper design, material quality and suitability, proper installation and adequate maintenance. Ventilation, nailing and how many storms the roof takes all move the number.

Source: Florida life-expectancy chart for home components, read Oct 5, 2026

Heat, sun and wind work on them all year. InterNACHI says hot climates drastically reduce asphalt shingle life, and its Florida chart runs years shorter than its national one. Sunlight dries shingles out, and once the granules wash off, the asphalt underneath ages faster and turns brittle, a shingle maker explains. University of Florida researchers found shingles tend to come partly unsealed after about four years, especially at the corners, which lets hurricane winds get under them. Humidity adds algae streaks, which a maker calls mostly a looks problem.

Source: Florida life-expectancy chart for home components, read Oct 5, 2026

Thickness and layers. The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association describes strip shingles as about three times as long as they are wide, and the most common strip shingle is the three-tab. Laminated shingles contain more than one layer of tabs for extra thickness, and they are also called three-dimensional or architectural shingles. In Florida the gap shows up in life expectancy: InterNACHI's Florida chart gives architectural shingles 15 to 20 years against 10 to 12 for 3-tab. Either kind must carry the wind class your area's design speed calls for.

Source: Types of Asphalt Roofing, read Oct 5, 2026

The one your home's design wind speed calls for, set by Florida's Residential Code Table R905.2.6.1. Up to 116 mph, shingles may be ASTM D7158 Class D, G or H, or ASTM D3161 Class D or F. At 129 mph, D7158 G or H or D3161 D or F. At 142 and 155 mph, D7158 G or H or D3161 F. At 168 mph and above, D7158 Class H or D3161 Class F. Class H covers design speeds up to 194 mph, and the wrapper must show the class. Class 3 and Class 4 are something else: impact ratings under UL 2218.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Ch. 9 Roof Assemblies (R901, R903, R905, R908), read Oct 4, 2026

Usually algae. The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association says the most common species is Gloeocapsa magma, carried by the air, and that the streaking is most widespread in the Gulf States and other warm, humid areas, which describes most of Florida. It shows most on light-colored roofs. A major shingle maker says it has seen no evidence that algae deposits affect how asphalt shingles perform and calls the streaking more of a looks problem. Moss and lichen are different: the same maker lists them among the signs of an aging roof.

Source: Algae Discoloration of Roofs (Technical Bulletin, revised June 2024), read Oct 5, 2026

Do not pressure wash an asphalt shingle roof. ARMA warns that high-pressure washing is likely to damage it, and a shingle maker says it strips granules and shortens the roof's life. Both say a bleach-and-water mix can lighten the streaks for a while; one suggests equal parts, left 10 to 20 minutes and then rinsed. Expect the streaks to return, and remember that a wet roof is slippery. Algae-resistant shingles, made with copper-lined granules, hold off regrowth. For concrete tile, the tile alliance says low-pressure professional washing can be done.

Source: Algae Discoloration of Roofs (Technical Bulletin, revised June 2024), read Oct 5, 2026

It can, by a measurable amount. In side-by-side tests of matched houses in Fort Myers, the Florida Solar Energy Center found three white reflective roofs, white metal among them, would cut cooling energy use by 18 to 26 percent and peak demand by 28 to 35 percent compared with dark shingles. Under the dark shingles, the attic ran 40°F hotter than the outside air at the peak summer hour. Terra cotta tile saved 3 to 9 percent. Those are test-house results from one study, not a promise for any one home.

Source: Measured Energy Savings of Reflective Roofing Systems in Florida (FSEC-CR-1220-00), read Oct 5, 2026

Look for wear you can see from the ground and from the attic. A shingle maker's list includes curled or cupped shingles, bald spots where granules have washed off (with granules piling up in the gutters), cracks from sun exposure, faded color, dark streaks, moss and lichen, and simple age. The damage items on Citizens' 4-point form add exposed felt, missing or loose tabs or tiles, soft spots in the decking, and stains or drips in the attic or on ceilings. NRCA's guidance is to look a roof over each fall and spring.

Source: 3 Signs That It's Time to Replace Your Roof, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

It has real strengths here, and a few Florida caveats. After Hurricane Michael, FEMA found metal coverings appeared to perform better than others on code-built buildings. White metal was among the reflective roofs that cut cooling energy 18 to 26 percent in Florida Solar Energy Center tests. Citizens counts metal as a hard roof, with a 50-year age line. The caveats: exposed-fastener panels need more upkeep than standing seam, metal near the ocean needs materials suited to salt air, and published life spans run from 17 to 20 years on InterNACHI's Florida chart to 40 to 70 by the Metal Roofing Alliance's count.

Source: Hurricane Michael in Florida, Recovery Advisory 2: Best Practices for Minimizing Wind and Water Infiltration Damage (June 2019), read Oct 5, 2026

On exposed-fastener panels, it is the screws. One metal maker explains that fastening panels straight down without clips restricts expansion and contraction, so fasteners back out as the metal moves and leaks follow; it puts upkeep at up to twice a year, with sun wearing out the rubber washers. Standing-seam panels on clips avoid most of that but cost more. Near salt water, corrosion is the other issue: FEMA says it is most pronounced within 3,000 feet of the ocean, and Florida's code requires fasteners compatible with the panel metal.

Source: Standing Seam vs. Exposed Fastener Metal Roofing, read Oct 5, 2026

Not much louder than other roofs, according to the Metal Roofing Alliance. The group says rain and hail on metal make little more noise than on other materials, and that the noise indoors is comparable to asphalt shingles. Metal changes the heat inside more than the sound: in Florida Solar Energy Center tests, a white metal roof cut cooling energy about 24 percent over three summer weeks against dark shingles on a matched house.

Source: Other Weather Performance, read Oct 5, 2026

Weight, breakage and matching. Concrete tile is heavy: one major maker lists its Florida tiles at about 770 to 970 pounds per 100 square feet installed, so the framing has to carry it. Walking on it takes care, and that maker advises that only licensed professionals walk a tile roof. In storms, wind alone rarely breaks tile; flying debris does. Many older profiles are discontinued, so repairs may not match exactly. And the underlayment beneath, which the tile alliance calls the water barrier, wears out on its own schedule.

Source: Concrete tile technical specifications (installed weights, Florida products), read Oct 5, 2026

Not necessarily, but check before you switch. The Tile Roofing Industry Alliance says many homes need little or no added reinforcement for tile. Florida's code requires the roof structure to carry its covering and installation loads, and tile goes only over solid sheathing unless the system is tested otherwise. One major maker lists its Florida concrete tiles at about 770 to 970 pounds per 100 square feet installed. Moving from shingle to tile should start with a look at the framing by someone qualified to judge it.

Source: Tile roofing FAQs, read Oct 5, 2026

The tile is close to it: clay and concrete roof tiles are noncombustible and carry a Class A fire rating, the highest class, the Tile Roofing Industry Alliance says. But the alliance also notes that a tile roof does not make a whole home fireproof, since the rest of the house can still burn. Florida's Building Code ties roof coatings to the same fire classification section as coverings (Sections 1505 and 1509), so a coating sold for a roof has to meet it too.

Source: Tile roofing FAQs, read Oct 5, 2026

No single covering wins everywhere. IBHS notes that shingles, metal and tile are the most common roof covers and that each has pros and cons in cost, durability, weathering and longevity; any of them can be part of a FORTIFIED roof if the product passes its wind tests. In Florida the trade-offs look like this: shingles have the shortest published lives in the heat, metal reflects heat and did well in Hurricane Michael but needs salt-air care near the coast, and tile lasts longest on paper but is heavy and breaks under debris.

Source: FORTIFIED Roof, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

It is the water-resistant layer between the roof deck and the shingles, metal or tile, and the backup when the covering is damaged. Florida's Residential Code R905.1.1.1 allows three methods for shingle and metal roofs: a self-adhering polymer-modified bitumen membrane (ASTM D1970) over the whole deck; a 3-3/4-inch strip of that membrane or tape over every deck joint with underlayment over the roof; or two layers of felt-type underlayment fastened 12 inches apart in the field and 6 at the laps with cap nails, using metal caps where the design wind speed reaches 170 mph.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Ch. 9 Roof Assemblies (R901, R903, R905, R908), read Oct 4, 2026

A drip edge is metal edge flashing at a roof's eaves and gables that carries water off the edge. Florida's Residential Code requires it on shingle roofs (R905.2.8.5): pieces overlap at least 3 inches, the eave edge reaches half an inch below the sheathing and 2 inches back onto the roof, it goes over the underlayment with at least 4 inches of roof cement over the flange, and nails go no more than 12 inches apart, tightened to 4 inches where the design wind is 110 mph (Vasd) or more or the roof is over 33 feet high.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Ch. 9 Roof Assemblies (R901, R903, R905, R908), read Oct 4, 2026

The code requires them when your eaves are short. Florida's Residential Code R318.5 says gutters with downspouts are required on buildings whose eaves stick out less than 6 inches, except at gable-end rakes or on a roof above another roof, and the downspouts must discharge at least 1 foot from the wall. Homes with wider overhangs are not required to have them under that section. The water is real either way: the USGS figures one inch of rain on a 40-by-70-foot roof at 1,743 gallons, and a Florida insurer's guide links neglected gutters to water damage, mold and foundation problems.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Ch. 3 (R318.5 gutters and downspouts), via UpCodes, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

Twice a year is the floor, and homes under oaks or pines need more. A Florida home insurer's guide says experts recommend spring and fall, and more often with overhanging trees or frequent storms. Florida's trees set the calendar. UF/IFAS says pollen season runs January to June and peaks in March and April, with oaks among the big producers, and that pine needle fall peaks September through November. Under oaks and pines, that points to a cleaning after the spring leaf and pollen drop, one before the June storm season, and one after the autumn needle fall.

Source: How Often Should You Clean Your Gutters? (Mar. 20, 2025), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

It depends on how much roof drains into each run and how hard rain falls where you live. Florida's plumbing code table rates a 5-inch half-round gutter at 74 gallons a minute and a 6-inch at 110 at the same 1/8-inch-per-foot slope, about 49 percent more. Florida rain is intense: NOAA's 5-minute, 10-year rates at ten points run from 8.71 inches an hour at Orlando to 11.3 at West Palm Beach. On a large or steep roof section, the bigger gutter, with enough downspouts, keeps a summer cloudburst in the trough.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Plumbing, 8th ed., Ch. 11 Storm Drainage (1106, Tables 1106.3 and 1106.6), via UpCodes, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

By matching the gutter's flow capacity to the water coming off the roof. Florida's plumbing code says horizontal gutters are sized on the flow rate from the roof surface, and storm drainage is designed on the 100-year hourly rainfall rate or approved local data. The math turns roof area into flow: 96.15 square feet under 1 inch an hour of rain makes 1 gallon a minute, with steeper roofs counted larger. The basis chosen matters: at The Villages, a 6-inch half-round gutter serves about 2,671 square feet on the hourly basis but only about 1,107 on a 5-minute burst.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Plumbing, 8th ed., Ch. 11 Storm Drainage (1106, Tables 1106.3 and 1106.6), via UpCodes, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

Between about 44 and 67 inches at the ten stations in our research. NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals put Miami International at 67.41 inches, West Palm Beach at 61.75, Fort Lauderdale at 60.95, Ocala at 51.64, Orlando at 51.45, Melbourne at 50.79, Tampa at 49.48, Sarasota-Bradenton at 49.05, Gainesville at 48.31 and Leesburg at 43.78. Most of it falls in summer: June through September brings about 57 percent of Orlando's total. Orlando gets roughly 12 inches a year more than Seattle.

Source: U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, annual and seasonal precipitation, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

At least 1 foot. Florida's Residential Code R318.5, with the same rule in Building Code 1503.7, says downspouts must discharge at least 1 foot (305 mm) away from the building's sidewall, whether by underground piping, tail extensions or splash blocks. Florida files that rule under termite protection, not drainage. Downspout size matters too: the plumbing code rates a 2-by-2-inch leader at 30 gallons a minute, a 2-1/2-by-3-inch or 3-inch round at 92, and a 3-by-4-1/4-inch or 4-inch round at 192.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Ch. 3 (R318.5 gutters and downspouts), via UpCodes, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

Seamless gutters are formed on site from one continuous piece, cut to the exact length of each run, so there are no seams along the run to leak. Sectional gutters are pieced together from shorter lengths that overlap at joints. Either way, Florida's Residential Code R903.4.2 requires gutters and leaders of metal or approved plastic with lapped, soldered or caulked joints, fastened to the house with corrosion-resistant fasteners of a compatible material. Corners and downspout outlets are still joints on a seamless system, so that is where to look for drips.

Source: Cost to Install Seamless Gutters (used for the definition only), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

It depends on the metal. InterNACHI's Florida life-expectancy chart lists aluminum gutters and downspouts at 15 to 35 years or more, copper at 40 or more, galvanized steel at about 15, and vinyl at 20 or more. Salt air near the coast and mismatched fasteners shorten those numbers, and Florida's code requires gutter fasteners of a compatible, corrosion-resistant material. A 20-year-old aluminum system can still have life in it; check for sagging runs, dripping joints and soft fascia before you decide.

Source: Florida life-expectancy chart for home components, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

Partly. Consumer Reports' 2010 tests found fine-mesh screens outperformed screens with larger holes, inserts did poorly, and even the top-scoring screen was only middling at containing a severe downpour. Maintenance did not go away: some guards still needed brushing in high-pollen areas, and Florida's pollen season runs from January into June. Guards cut cleaning; they do not end it. In a state where 5-minute rain bursts reach 8.71 to 11.3 inches an hour, how a guard handles a downpour matters as much as how it handles leaves.

Source: Gutter guards and leaf blowers (press release, Aug. 3, 2010), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

Watch them during a hard summer rain, then look closely once it stops. Water spilling over at corners or mid-run points to a clog or a gutter too small for Florida's rain rates. Sagging runs or pulled hangers mean the fastening is giving out. Drips at joints mean laps or caulk have opened. Stained or soft fascia behind the gutter means water is getting behind it. Downspouts that dump against the wall, or less than a foot out, break the code's discharge rule. Heavy shingle granules in the gutter point to an aging roof, NRCA notes.

Source: NOAA Atlas 14, Volume 9, version 2, point precipitation frequency (West Palm Beach point; partial-duration series), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

Your local building department makes that call, so ask it before work starts. Florida's Building Code requires a permit to construct, alter or repair a building in ways the code regulates, and it lets ordinary minor repairs go ahead without one when the building official approves. Gutters are regulated work: the code says when they are required, what they are made of and how far downspouts discharge. When gutters go on as part of a re-roof, fascia repaired during the roof work falls within a roofing contractor's scope under Fla. Stat. 489.105(3)(e).

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Ch. 1 Scope and Administration (102.8, 105, 107, 110.3), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

Florida's licensing rules name gutters in a contractor's scope. Rule 61G4-15.015 of the Florida Administrative Code lists "siding, soffit, fascia and gutters" in the specialty structure contractor's work, and a roofing contractor's scope under Fla. Stat. 489.105(3)(e) covers fascia repair or replacement during roof work. Whether your county or city also requires a local license for gutter-only work is a question for its licensing or building office. Either way, look up the installer's license on the state DBPR site before you sign.

Source: Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G4-15.015 (specialty structure contractor scope), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

Florida's Building Code names the main systems and the standard each must meet. Single-ply membranes include TPO (ASTM D6878), EPDM rubber (ASTM D4637) and PVC (ASTM D4434); in the 2023 Florida code they all sit in Section 1507.12. Modified bitumen sheets must meet one of several ASTM standards, including D6164 for SBS and D6222 for APP. Built-up roofing, sprayed polyurethane foam and liquid-applied roofs round out the list. On new work, every one of them needs at least a quarter inch of slope per foot for drainage.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Ch. 15 Roof Assemblies and Rooftop Structures (1504-1525), via UpCodes, read Oct 5, 2026

TPO is thermoplastic polyolefin, a single-ply roofing membrane. ASTM D6878 describes it as a flexible sheet made for single-ply roofing exposed to the weather, with reinforcing fabric or scrim inside. Florida's code lists it with the other single-ply membranes in Building Code Section 1507.12. The standard's minimum nominal thickness is 0.039 inch, while one maker's 80-mil sheet runs 0.080 inch, so thickness is worth comparing between quotes. Like every low-slope covering in Florida, it must hold up through 2,000 hours of accelerated weathering tests.

Source: ASTM D6878, Thermoplastic Polyolefin Based Sheet Roofing (scope), read Oct 5, 2026

Standing water, trapped moisture and failing edges. Florida's code expects a low-slope roof to drain within 48 hours of rain, and NRCA uses the same 48-hour test for ponding. Water that gets under the membrane soaks the insulation, which is found with infrared or meter surveys and confirmed with core cuts. Blistered membrane has to be cut and secured before anything goes over it. At the perimeter, edge metal must be wind-tested, because roof damage often starts where wind gets under an edge. Modified bitumen and built-up roofs face the same four checks.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Ch. 15 Roof Assemblies and Rooftop Structures (1504-1525), via UpCodes, read Oct 5, 2026

Yes, if it lasts. NRCA's test is water still on the roof 48 hours after a rain in drying weather, and Florida's code defines positive drainage as a roof that drains within 48 hours. FRSA notes that standing water can degrade roofing materials, collect debris and speed UV damage, and manufacturer warranties typically require positive drainage or exclude damage from its absence. In Broward and Miami-Dade, the contractor must tell the owner before work starts if ponding is possible and recommend a structural review.

Source: Ponding Water and Manufacturer Warranties, read Oct 5, 2026

Sometimes. Florida's Building Code bars a recover, and requires a tear-off to the deck, when the existing roof is water-soaked or too deteriorated to be a base, when it already has two or more coverings, when it is slate, clay or cement tile, when blisters are not cut and secured, or when the old covering cannot hold the new one to code. So the decision runs in order: count the roofs already there, survey for wet areas and confirm with cores, check drainage, check the 25 percent rule and the roof's code era, and get the product approval numbers.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Ch. 15 Roof Assemblies and Rooftop Structures (1504-1525), via UpCodes, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Commercial roofing

A coating is a surface treatment, not a new roof system, and Florida's code treats it that way. Roof coatings must meet the code's fire classification rules and one of its listed standards, such as ASTM D6694 for silicone or D6083 for acrylic (Building Code 1509). If a coating is sold to stop leaks or extend a roof's life, Florida law counts the job as roofing work for a roofing contractor. Wet or deteriorated areas found by a moisture survey have to be dealt with first, and the product should be rated for any ponding the roof still has.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Ch. 15 Roof Assemblies and Rooftop Structures (1504-1525), via UpCodes, read Oct 5, 2026

NRCA's guidance is twice a year, in the fall and the spring. Those checks often catch cracked or missing pieces, loose seams, worn flashings and heavy granule loss collecting in gutters and drains. NRCA and SPRI also publish an inspection and maintenance manual for owners of single-ply roofs. On a flat roof, add one more test after a heavy rain: the water should be gone within 48 hours, the standard both Florida's code and NRCA use. Write down what each inspection finds, so changes from one season to the next stand out.

Source: Roofing guidelines and consumer resources, read Oct 5, 2026

Yes. Florida's condominium law requires association budgets to carry reserve accounts for roof replacement, among other items. On top of that, Fla. Stat. 718.112(2)(g) requires a residential condominium association to complete a structural integrity reserve study at least every 10 years for each building three habitable stories or higher, and the roof is the first item the study must cover. The study rests on a visual inspection and states each item's estimated remaining useful life, which tells the board when the next roof is due.

Source: Fla. Stat. 718.112, Condominium bylaws; structural integrity reserve study (2026), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Commercial roofing

The High-Velocity Hurricane Zone has its own roofing sections, 1512 through 1525 of the Building Code. Every roofing job, repair and maintenance included, needs an HVHZ Uniform Roofing Permit Application with the owner's notification, product approvals and detail drawings. Membrane systems are inspected during application, before the attachment is covered. Loose-laid ballasted systems are not allowed, new decks need at least 1/4:12 slope, repairs must not add ponding, and before work starts the contractor must warn the owner if ponding is possible and recommend a structural review.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Ch. 15 Roof Assemblies and Rooftop Structures (1504-1525), via UpCodes, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Commercial roofing

Roof damage often starts where wind gets under the roof edge, IBHS says, and on a membrane roof the edge metal is what holds that edge down. Florida's Building Code Section 1504.5 requires metal edge systems on built-up, modified bitumen and single-ply roofs to be designed for the code's wind loads and tested by ANSI/SPRI ES-1 methods RE-1, RE-2 and RE-3, or by RAS 111. Gutters that double as the membrane's edge hold-down must be tested to SPRI GT-1. Ask for the tested edge system by name in the quote.

Source: FORTIFIED Roof, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Commercial roofing

Check the license first, then judge the plan. Look the contractor up on the state DBPR site; a general contractor must subcontract the roofing unless it also holds a roofing certificate or registration. Then compare how each bidder handles the decisions that drive a commercial job: how many roofs are on the building now, whether a moisture survey with core cuts backs up any recover, how drainage and overflow will work, which tested edge system goes on, and the product approval or NOA numbers. A bid that skips those leaves the hard questions for later.

Source: Verify a Licensee (license search), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Commercial roofing

NRCA's general guidance is that most new roofs are designed for about 20 years of service, and we found no neutral, primary source that gives Florida lives for each membrane type. NRCA lists what moves the number: local climate, proper design, material quality and suitability, proper installation and adequate maintenance. On a flat roof in Florida, drainage is the factor to watch. The code expects water off the roof within 48 hours, and FRSA notes that standing water speeds UV damage and degrades roofing materials.

Source: Roofing guidelines and consumer resources, read Oct 5, 2026

It depends on the material. Florida law makes a general, building or residential contractor subcontract roofing unless it holds a roofing certificate or registration, with one carve-out: on a new building of its own construction, it may install asphalt, fiberglass or wood shingles itself (Fla. Stat. 489.113(3)). Tile, metal and membrane roofs on a new home go to a certified or registered roofing contractor. A general contractor certified after 1973 also may not advertise as a roofer without that roofing license.

Source: Fla. Stat. 489.113, Qualifications for practice; restrictions (2026), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: New construction roofing

Several, in a set order. The Florida Building Code's list runs foundation, then framing, which covers trusses, bracing and connectors once the roof framing is in place, then sheathing, which covers roof and wall sheathing, its fasteners and the dry-in, either as part of a dry-in inspection or separately. Wall coverings and soffits come next, then the roofing inspection of dry-in, insulation, coverings and flashing, then the final. The owner, or the owner's contractor with written authorization, may use a private provider for plan review and inspections (Fla. Stat. 553.791).

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Ch. 1 (105.4, 110.3 inspection list), via UpCodes, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: New construction roofing

Dry-in is the stage when the sheathed roof is covered with underlayment so rain stays out while the rest of the house is built. Florida checks it twice. The sheathing inspection covers roof and wall sheathing, the fasteners and the roof and wall dry-in, and the code lets it happen as part of a dry-in inspection or separately at the contractor's request. The later roofing inspection checks dry-in again along with insulation, coverings and flashing. The underlayment follows one of the three methods in Residential Code R905.1.1.1, or the FRSA/TRI manual for tile.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Ch. 1 (105.4, 110.3 inspection list), via UpCodes, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: New construction roofing

Since July 1, 2025, Fla. Stat. 553.837 requires a builder to warrant a newly built home for 1 year against defects in equipment, material or workmanship, by the builder or any subcontractor or supplier, that result in a material violation of the Florida Building Code. Its clock starts at the earlier of two dates: the first transfer of title to the initial owner, or the first day someone lives there. It excludes normal wear and tear, settling, defects the owner caused and acts of God such as a natural disaster. It is the builder's duty; any roofer's own terms are separate and belong in writing.

Source: Fla. Stat. 553.837, Builder warranties (2026), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: New construction roofing

The date the permit application goes in decides it. The 8th edition, the 2023 Florida Building Code, has been in effect since December 31, 2023. Miami-Dade County's notice on the 9th edition says it becomes effective December 31, 2026, and that all permit applications and plans submitted on or after that date must comply with it. So plans filed on December 30, 2026 fall under the 8th edition, and plans filed a day later under the 9th. Ask your building department to confirm which edition your application falls under.

Source: Florida Building Code Effective Dates, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: New construction roofing

Tile goes on by the manufacturer's instructions or the FRSA/TRI Florida High Wind Concrete and Clay Roof Tile Installation Manual, Seventh Edition, and only over solid sheathing unless the system is tested otherwise (Residential Code R905.3). Clay tile meets ASTM C1167 and concrete tile ASTM C1492. The manual's slope chart allows battens at 4:12 and steeper, mechanical or adhesive attachment without battens from 3:12, and adhesive only from 2:12. Foam and mortar used to set tile need Florida product approval, and the manual warns against mixing systems.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Ch. 9 (R903.4.2, R905.1.1.1, R905.3), via UpCodes, read Oct 5, 2026

Roofing is one of the product categories that must carry Florida's statewide product approval under Fla. Stat. 553.842(5), and metal panels and metal shingles must be made to their approval's specifications under a third-party quality program. Anyone can look up an approval by FL number at floridabuilding.org. In the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, Broward and Miami-Dade, the uniform roofing permit application lists the product approval or Notice of Acceptance numbers and carries the owner's notification for roofing considerations.

Source: Fla. Stat. 553.842, Product evaluation and approval (2026), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: New construction roofing

Start with the license: under Fla. Stat. 489.113(3), roofing on your project goes to a certified or registered roofing contractor unless you install shingles on your own building. Then ask which dry-in method they use, how they schedule the sheathing and roofing inspections around your build, which product approval numbers go on the permit, and how they fasten drip edge and sheathing for your design wind speed. For tile, ask whether they follow the FRSA/TRI manual's slope and attachment rules. Put every answer in the written scope.

Source: Fla. Stat. 489.113, Qualifications for practice; restrictions (2026), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: New construction roofing