Broward County ยท Town
Roofing in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida
Lauderdale-by-the-Sea sits on a long, narrow barrier island between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic. Many of its older hotels and buildings are mid-century modern, and that matters for your roof. Most homes here are old, so the roof you have may be original or close to it. Start by knowing how old your roof is and whether the town needs to sign off on the work.
Updated October 2026
Housing age
How old are roofs on homes here?
The median home here was built in 1972, eight years older than the county median of 1980. Nearly three in four homes, 73.2 percent, predate 1980. Of these, just 3 percent went up in 2010 or after. That suggests many roofs in town are well past the age where a full replacement is likely to be needed.
Age matters to insurers too. For roofs past 25 years old with shingles, or past 50 years old with tile, slate, clay, concrete or metal, Citizens Property Insurance wants paperwork showing at least five years of remaining useful life. If your roof is in that range, gather your records before renewal and talk with your agent.
Permits
Permits and town review for a roof job
Roof permits in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea are issued by the Town's Building Division. Check with them before work starts, since the permit sets the clock on your job. Work must begin within 6 months of issuance, and a pause of 6 months or longer voids the permit.
The 25 percent rule applies here as it does across the state. If you repair, replace or recover more than 25 percent of your roof in any 12-month period, the whole roof covering must be brought up to code. Roofs built or repaired under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later may qualify for an exception, so ask the Building Division which applies to yours.
Florida law requires a roofing contractor to be certified or registered as a roofing contractor. Ask to see the license before you sign anything, and confirm it with the state licensing lookup.
Building permits
Town of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea - Building Division
Official building pageOffice names and links only. Fees, forms and timing change; check the official page.
Weather
Storms and rain that reach this town
Hurricane season in the Atlantic stretches from June 1 through November 30, and the statistical high point lands on September 10. Broward County sits in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, which carries strong hurricane provisions. Irma in 2017 brought 2 to 4 feet of surge inundation to coastal Broward and widespread tree and power-pole damage across the metro.
Rain is also a factor. At Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport, about 61 inches of rain falls in a normal year, and by our arithmetic roughly 44 inches of that arrives May through October. In a 10-year storm, a 1-hour downpour here falls at 3.65 inches per hour. Check flashing and gutters before the wet season.
Local record
On record for Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
- Entirely on a long, narrow barrier island between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic; many older hotels and buildings are mid-century modern.
- Recognized by the Florida Legislature in 2016 as Florida's Beach Diving Capital for its near-shore reefs.
- 45.8% of all housing units are vacant and held for seasonal, recreational or occasional use.
- 69.4% of housing units are in buildings with 10 or more units.
- Water makes up 44.1% of the place's total area.
Services
Roofing services in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
- Roof replacementTear-off, deck, code items and the two inspections.Re-roofs in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
- Roof repairLeaks, lifted shingles, cracked tile and flashing.Repairs in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
- Roof inspectionsRoof age, condition and what an insurer asks about.Inspections in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
- Commercial roofingLow-slope systems, drainage and the code for buildings.Commercial roofs in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
- New construction roofingDry-in, the sheathing inspection and the code edition.New construction in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
- GuttersSizing for Florida rain, downspouts and fascia.Gutters in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
Questions
Lauderdale-by-the-Sea roofing questions
What is the 25% roof rule in Florida?
The 25 percent rule says that if you repair, replace or recover more than 25 percent of a roof in any 12-month period, the entire roof covering must be replaced or recovered to current code. Section 1511.1.1 of the Florida Building Code sets this out. In Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, the Building Division issues roof permits, so confirm with them how the rule applies to your roof before you start. There is an exception for roofs built or repaired under the 2007 code or later, and only the repaired portion must meet current code in that case.
Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), read Oct 5, 2026
What is the new law in Florida about roofs?
The state's new building code edition is the Ninth Edition, effective December 31, 2026. Any application or set of plans filed on that date or later has to meet it. Here, most homes date from 1972, so many roofs will be affected by whatever code applies at permit time. Ask the Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Building Division which edition applies to your project.
Source: Miami-Dade County RER notice, read Oct 5, 2026
Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea?
Roof work in the Town is handled by the Building Division, which issues permits for roof projects. A permit becomes invalid if work does not start within 6 months, so time your project with that window in mind. Ask the Division what it needs before you begin, and keep the permit card posted on site.
Source: Town of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea - Building Division, read Oct 5, 2026
How old are most roofs in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea?
The median home here was built in 1972, and 73.2 percent of homes predate 1980. By that measure, a large share of roofs likely sit beyond the 25-year mark. If your roof is a shingle roof past that age, Citizens Property Insurance may ask for documentation of at least five years of remaining useful life. Your insurer or agent can tell you what they need from you.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API, read Oct 5, 2026
How much rain hits Lauderdale-by-the-Sea in a storm?
At Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport, the 1991 to 2020 normal is 60.95 inches of rain a year, and 82.1 days a year see at least 0.10 inch. In a 10-year storm, a 1-hour rain falls at 3.65 inches per hour, and a 24-hour total reaches 9.63 inches. Have your gutters and flashing checked before June, when rainfall peaks.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service), read Oct 5, 2026
Broward County
More in Broward County
Sources for this page(28)
- 1.Median year homes were built: 1972. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 2.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 3.Share of homes built before 1980: 73.2%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 4.Share of homes built 2010 or later: 3%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 5.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, B25034, B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 6.Permit office: Town of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea - Building Division. Town of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea - Building Division. Read Oct 10, 2026.
- 7.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 8.Florida Building Commission, 'Setting New Standards for Safety: The Florida Building Code' (2004 publication; wind-speed figures in it are outdated and not used). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 9.Hurricane Irma (2017). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 10.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25004, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 11.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 12.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 13.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 14.Wikipedia, 'Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida' (revision 1374231358). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 15.U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census counts (POP100, HU100) via TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 (AREALAND/AREAWATER). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 16.People (2020 Census): 6,198. U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census counts (POP100, HU100) via TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 layer 26 (Incorporated Places). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 17.Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 78.0% (2,672 of 3,427). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 18.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17), Citizens Property Insurance. Read Oct 4, 2026.
- 19.Town of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea - Building Division, Town of Lauderdale. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 20.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 21.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 22.Fla. Stat. 489.105(3)(e), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 23.Florida Statutes, section 489.113 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 24.Florida Statutes, section 553.842 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 25.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 26.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Lauderdale-by-the-Sea 2020 Census internal point (26.1993, -80.0947), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 27.Miami-Dade County RER notice, Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 28.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration 24-hour depth estimates at the Lauderdale-by-the-Sea 2020 Census internal point (26.1993, -80.0947), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
South Fork Roofing
Roofing in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea: tell us about yours.
Answer a few questions about your roof, or call.