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Inspections ยท Palm Bay

Roof inspections in Palm Bay, FL

Mobile homes make up 3.2 percent of Palm Bay's housing units, so nearly all of the city's roofs sit on site-built houses. The median home went up in 1993. That suggests many original roofs here are past 15 years, the age at which Florida insurers start asking questions.

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Updated October 2026

Front entrance of a two-story brick municipal building with palm trees and round white planters under blue sky.
Top-down drone view of a gray-blend shingle roof with ridges, valleys and roof vents, lawn on both sides and a white fence at the left edge.Our work
Photo: PalmBayFLCityHall palm bay city hall by Excel23, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped

Palm Bay figures this page uses

Median year homes were built
1993
Owner-occupied share of occupied homes
79.7%
Share of homes built before 1980
12.9%
Mobile homes, share of housing units
3.2%

The 15-year rule

What Florida's 15-year roof rule asks of you

Florida law limits what an insurer can do based on roof age alone. A roof under 15 years old cannot be the sole reason for refusing to issue or renew a homeowner's policy. At 15 years or older, you may hire an authorized inspector, at your own expense, before the insurer requires a replacement.

Suppose that inspection finds 5 or more years of useful life left. Then the insurer cannot cite roof age alone to turn you away or drop you. The rule applies to policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2022. Senate staff note it does not apply to mobile home policies.

The statute names who counts as an authorized inspector: licensed home inspectors, building code inspectors, roofing contractors, engineers and architects, plus anyone your insurer recognizes. The insurer must sign off on the person you pick. Ask your agent for that list before you book anyone.

Inspection scope

What a roof inspection checks on a Palm Bay home

Insurer forms set the checklist. The roof section of the 4-point form records the covering material, roof age, remaining useful life, last permit date, any partial replacement and overall condition. An inspector adds photos of each slope.

  • Cracking, curling or cupping in the shingles or tiles
  • Bare asphalt or felt showing where granules have worn away
  • Any shingle tab or tile gone, loose or split
  • Soft spots in the decking underneath
  • Leaks visible in the attic or on interior ceilings

Citizens Property Insurance asks for the 4-point inspection on properties more than 20 years old. It also wants documentation of at least five years of remaining life for shingle roofs older than 25 years. With a median build year of 1993, many Palm Bay roofs are likely to reach those lines soon.

A separate wind mitigation form, OIR-B1-1802, covers attic items you cannot see, such as roof-deck attachment and roof-to-wall connections. A completed form can be used for up to five years, unless the structure changes or the form turns out to be wrong. Brevard County publishes address-level wind speed maps, and the form sorts your home into a wind region from those speeds.

Timing it right

When to order a roof inspection here

Order one before you buy or sell a house, when an insurer sends a letter about roof age, and after a storm. About 79.7 percent of occupied homes in Palm Bay are owner-occupied, so most readers are deciding for their own roof.

Storms leave a record here. Hurricane Irma in 2017 spun up an EF-1 tornado in the Turkey Creek and Palm Bay area, with roof and shingle damage across Brevard County. Only 12.9 percent of Palm Bay homes predate 1980, so the roofs worth checking are mostly 1980s to 2000s builds.

Claim notice has a clock. A new or reopened claim must reach your insurer within 1 year of the loss. Florida law also bars a contractor from offering anything of value for an inspection, so be wary of a free-inspection offer. For anything involving your policy or a claim, talk to your insurer or agent.

Request a roof inspection

Questions

Roof inspections in Palm Bay: questions

Does Florida require a roof inspection when a roof reaches 15 years?

No. The law does not force an inspection at 15 years. It gives you the right to one. If your roof is 15 or older, your insurer must let an authorized inspector check it at your expense before demanding replacement. A passing result, meaning 5 or more years of useful life left, keeps the insurer from refusing or non-renewing solely for age. Palm Bay's median home dates to 1993, so many original roofs here are likely to qualify for this step.

Source: Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof inspections

Who can inspect my roof for an insurer in Palm Bay?

The statute lists home inspectors, building code inspectors, roofing and general contractors, professional engineers and architects, plus anyone else your insurer recognizes as qualified. The insurer must accept the person you choose. Citizens' roof form must be signed by a contractor, a building code inspector or a Florida home inspector, with photos of each slope. Roofs in Palm Bay permit through the City of Palm Bay Building office, which can confirm permit history. Check the accepted list with your agent first.

Source: Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof inspections

What does the roof section of the 4-point form record?

It records the covering material, roof age, remaining useful life, date of the last roofing permit, whether the roof was fully or partly replaced and by what percentage, overall condition, and any damage. Citizens requires the 4-point form for properties more than 20 years old. With photos of each slope, the roof section can take the place of the separate Roof Inspection Form.

Source: Insp4pt 03 25, read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof inspections

Is a mobile home roof covered by the 15-year rule?

Florida law, specifically 627.7011(5), bars an insurer from declining to write or renew your homeowner's policy based only on the roof being under 15 years old. When your roof has reached 15 years or more, the insurer has to allow an authorized inspector to evaluate it, with you covering that inspection cost. An insurer cannot turn down or drop coverage just because of roof age if that inspection finds at least 5 years of useful life remaining. Only 3.2 percent of Palm Bay housing units are mobile homes, so most roofs here are on site-built houses. If you own a mobile home, ask your insurer which roof requirements apply to your policy.

Source: Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof inspections

Nearby

Roof inspections near Palm Bay

Sources for this page(41)
  1. 1.Median year homes were built: 1993. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  2. 2.City of Palm Bay, History. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  3. 3.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API, table B25035. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  4. 4.Hurricane Irma (2017). NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (2017). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  5. 5.Brevard County, Building Code Wind Speed Maps. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  6. 6.Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 79.7%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  7. 7.Share of homes built before 1980: 12.9%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  8. 8.NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (2017). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  9. 9.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API, table B25034. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  10. 10.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API, tables B25034/B25035. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  11. 11.Mobile homes, share of housing units: 3.2%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  12. 12.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API, table B25024. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  13. 13.Permit office: City of Palm Bay Building (Permits/Inspections). City of Palm Bay Building (Permits/Inspections). Read Oct 10, 2026.
  14. 14.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API, table B25024. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  15. 15.Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  16. 16.Insp4pt 03 25. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  17. 17.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  18. 18.Citizens 4-Point Inspection Form, Sample Form Insp4pt 03 25. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  19. 19.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  20. 20.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  21. 21.Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  22. 22.OIR form. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  23. 23.Florida Statutes, section 627.70132 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  24. 24.Florida Statutes, section 489.147 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  25. 25.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  26. 26.Fla. Stat. 489.147-, Florida Legislature. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  27. 27.City of Palm Bay Building (Permits/Inspections), City of Palm Bay Building. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  28. 28.NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (annual/seasonal), access-data API, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  29. 29.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  30. 30.Florida Statutes, section 713.135 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  31. 31.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  32. 32.NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (2016), National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  33. 33.Florida Statutes, section 553.842 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  34. 34.Florida Building Commission, Florida Building Commission. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  35. 35.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Palm Bay 2020 Census internal point (27.9649, -80.6583), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  36. 36.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration 24-hour depth estimates at the Palm Bay 2020 Census internal point (27.9649, -80.6583), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  37. 37.NWS Melbourne, Lightning Information Center, National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  38. 38.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, floridaroof.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  39. 39.Miami-Dade County RER notice, Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  40. 40.Fla. Stat. 489.105(3)(e), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  41. 41.Florida Statutes, section 489.113 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.

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Roof inspections in Palm Bay

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