Roof inspections in Alachua County, FL

An insurer may not refuse a homeowner policy solely because the roof is under 15 years old. For a roof 15 or older, the homeowner may have an authorized inspector check it at the homeowner's expense. The insurer may not refuse or non-renew for age alone if that inspection finds 5 or more years of useful life left.

The insurer must approve the person who inspects, and the statute's list includes a roofing contractor, a licensed home inspector, a building code inspector or a professional engineer. Confirm with your insurer before you hire anyone.

For homes over 20 years old, Citizens requires a 4-point inspection. Its roof section records the material, roof age, remaining useful life, last permit date and any partial replacement. Citizens also asks for documented remaining life on shingle roofs over 25 years old. With a median build year of 1988, many Alachua County homes are likely to reach that threshold soon.

Order one before buying, before listing, or when an insurer writes about roof age. After a storm, look at the roof if you saw trees or limbs come down. Hurricane Debby brought gusts of 40 to 54 mph and downed trees onto homes in 2024.

Helene followed weeks later, with a 66 mph gust at UF and a tree striking a home in Gainesville's Willow Bend neighborhood. Another inspection after back-to-back storms can show new damage.

Florida law limits what a roofer may do after a storm. A contractor may not offer anything of value for an inspection or advise you on coverage. Take policy questions to your insurer or agent. The one-year notice clock for a new claim starts on the date of loss, so note when the storm hit.

Reroofs and repairs need permits. The county Building Division handles unincorporated areas and several municipalities, but its page does not name them. Confirm with the building office who covers your address.