Inspections · Margate

Roof inspections in Margate, FL

Residents 65 and older make up 23.5 percent of Margate, and many of them own homes that were built before 1980. That suggests a good share of roofs here have been replaced at least once. Whether yours is past 15 years decides what an insurer may ask of you.

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Updated October 2026

Three-story cream stucco municipal building with blue stripes, palm trees, and a nearly empty parking lot under overcast sky. — Photo: Margate-city-hall municipal city hall building by Dtobias, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped

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. — Photo: Margate-city-hall municipal city hall building by Dtobias, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped

Margate figures this page uses

Share of homes built before 1980: 58.8%
Median year homes were built: 1978
Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 77.2%
Mobile homes, share of housing units: 3.6%

Roof age

Roof age and the 15-year line for Margate owners

In Margate, 58.8 percent of homes were built before 1980, and the median build year is 1978. Broward County's median is 1980, so the housing here is about the same age as the county's. A home from that era has likely been reroofed, but we cannot tell the age of your roof from a census figure.

Under Fla. Stat. 627.7011(5), a roof under 15 years old cannot be the sole reason an insurer refuses or declines to renew a homeowner's policy. Once your roof reaches 15 years, the insurer must let you hire an authorized inspector, and you pay for it. With 77.2 percent of Margate households owning their homes, that choice falls to most residents.

A report showing 5 or more years of useful life left protects you from losing the policy over roof age alone. The insurer must accept a roofing contractor, a licensed home inspector, an engineer or an architect, so long as it recognizes them. Mobile homes, 3.6 percent of Margate's housing units, fall outside this rule because it does not reach mobile home policies.

Inspection scope

What an inspector checks on your roof

On the 4-point form, the roof section lists the covering material, the roof's age, how much life remains and when the last permit was pulled. It also notes whether a past replacement was full or partial. Citizens requires this inspection for homes more than 20 years old, which describes most of Margate's older stock.

Cracking, curling or cupping of the covering
Granule loss and exposed felt or asphalt
Missing, loose or cracked tabs or tiles
Soft spots in the decking
Attic leaks or stains showing on interior ceilings

For wind mitigation, the inspector also photographs attic items you cannot see: deck nailing, roof-to-wall connectors and any sealed roof deck. Broward is one of two counties in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, so those details count here. A completed OIR-B1-1802 form holds for up to five years unless the structure changes.

Timing

When to order an inspection in Margate

Order one before you buy or sell, and when an insurer sends a letter about roof age. Citizens asks for documentation of at least five years of remaining life on shingle roofs older than 25 years, or hard roofs older than 50. Seasonal-use homes, 4.4 percent of units here, can go unchecked for months, so a look after a storm is sensible.

Hurricane Irma in 2017 brought a 97-kt gust at Deerfield Beach and sustained winds just below hurricane force at inland Broward stations. A roof that took that wind is worth a look. A new or reopened claim is barred unless notice reaches your insurer within 1 year of the loss.

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Questions

Roof inspections in Margate: questions

How many Margate homes are old enough for the 15-year rule?

We cannot count roofs from census data, but 58.8 percent of Margate homes were built before 1980. That suggests many original roofs were replaced at least once, and many of those replacements may now pass 15 years. Check your roof's permit date with the City of Margate Building Department. If your roof is 15 years or older, your insurer must allow an authorized inspection at your expense.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof inspections

Can my Margate insurer drop me because my roof is 15 years old?

Age alone is not the reason, provided an inspection shows 5 or more years of useful life left. Under Fla. Stat. 627.7011(5), the insurer must let you have an authorized inspector check the roof at your expense. The rule covers policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2022, and does not apply to mobile home policies, which are 3.6 percent of Margate's housing units. Confirm details with your insurer or agent.

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

Related: Roof inspections

What does the roof part of the 4-point inspection record?

It records covering material, roof age, remaining useful life and the date of the last roofing permit. It also notes full or partial replacement, the percentage replaced, overall condition and any damage. Citizens requires a 4-point inspection for properties more than 20 years old, and the median Margate home was built in 1978. A set of photos covering each roof slope can stand in for the separate Roof Inspection Form.

Source: Insp4pt 03 25, read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof inspections

Who can inspect my Margate roof for an insurer?

The inspector must be recognized by your insurer and be one of these: a licensed home inspector, a building code inspector, a licensed general, building, residential or roofing contractor, a professional engineer or an architect. Broward County sits in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, so wind details matter on the form. Ask your insurer which inspectors it accepts before you hire anyone.

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

Related: Roof inspections

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