Roof inspections in Dania Beach, FL

Once a roof reaches 15 years, Fla. Stat. 627.7011(5)(c) lets you hire an authorized inspector at your own cost before the insurer acts on age. A finding of 5 or more years of useful life bars refusal or non-renewal for age alone. With 59.4 percent of local homes built before 1980, plenty of owners here may reach that point.

Roofing contractors, home inspectors, engineers and architects can qualify as that inspector, provided your insurer accepts them.

The 4-point form's roof section lists material, age, remaining life and the last roofing permit date, plus damage such as loose tabs and visible leaks. Citizens asks for this 4-point inspection on properties more than 20 years old, a line most pre-1980 Dania Beach homes clear.

Citizens also wants documented remaining life of at least five years for shingle roofs older than 25 years, or hard roofs older than 50 years. Which line your policy uses is something your insurer or agent can confirm.

Because Broward is in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, a wind mitigation inspection on form OIR-B1-1802 looks at roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections and the sealed roof deck. Attic items like these cannot be seen from the ground. The completed form is good for up to five years unless the structure changes.

• Before you buy or sell a home, so the roof's age and condition are known before closing.
• When an insurer's letter questions the roof's age and you want to show remaining life.
• After a heavy storm. On April 12, 2023, flash flooding struck several cities, Dania Beach among them.
• Before a 4-point inspection, so the roof section is accurate.

A roofer's inspection follows what the forms ask: covering, age, remaining life, permit history and a damage list that includes loose tabs, soft decking and leaks. Roof permits are handled by the City of Dania Beach Building Division, so confirm with that office what past work was permitted.

Florida law limits what a roofer may say about a claim. Under Fla. Stat. 489.147, a contractor cannot offer anything of value for an inspection or advise on coverage. For what your policy covers, call your insurer or agent.