Repairs · Margate

Roof repair in Margate, FL

Mobile homes make up 3.6 percent of Margate's housing units, and their roofs follow the HUD code, not the Florida Building Code. Every other roof here falls under Broward County's High Velocity Hurricane Zone rules. A repair that looks small may still need a permit, a product approval and a contractor holding a state license.

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Updated October 2026

Green park with a red playground structure, shaded picnic tables under a wooden pavilion, and a paved parking lane. — Photo: Margate Serino Park by City of Margate, CC BY 4.0, cropped

Close view across a gray shingle roof slope with a black pipe boot, a palm and a green lawn below. — Photo: Margate Serino Park by City of Margate, CC BY 4.0, cropped

Margate figures this page uses

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

Storm damage

Where Margate roofs fail in a storm

Margate sits about 7.5 miles from the Atlantic, so wind arrives with less surge than coastal towns see. During Irma in 2017, the strongest measured gust in Broward was 97 kt at Deerfield Beach, while inland stations stayed just under hurricane force. Even that kind of wind can lift shingle edges and strip ridge caps.

FEMA field teams found that losing a ridge vent opens large holes in the roof deck. One of their example houses had collapsed ceilings, yet the roof had lost only ridge shingles and the vent. Flashing at wall joints, slope changes and roof openings is the other common leak path. Soffits have also performed poorly in hurricanes.

Rain matters as much as wind. Tropical Storm Eta in 2020 dropped 20.74 inches in Pembroke Pines and put water inside some Fort Lauderdale homes. A roof with failed flashing will leak long before a flood reaches the door.

Repair or replace

Patching limits for older Margate roofs

Margate's median home was built in 1978, about the same as Broward County's 1980 figure. Age of the house does not tell you the age of the roof, so check when the roof itself was last redone. Florida stops a patch job at 25 percent of the roof or roof section within any 12-month period.

There is one exception. If the existing roof was built, repaired or replaced to the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, only the repaired part must meet current code. Local governments cannot amend that exception.

A tear-off to the deck is required when the sheathing is water soaked or deteriorated, or when the roof already carries two or more coverings. Repairs must also avoid creating new ponding water.

Permits and safety

Permits and safe steps after a storm

Broward's High Velocity Hurricane Zone rules call for a permit on every roofing job, down to repair and maintenance. A licensed contractor must complete the application, and it carries the owner notification form. Confirm requirements with the City of Margate Building Department.

Photograph damage from the ground. Do not climb onto a wet roof.
Tarp or cover openings only if you can do it from a ladder at the eave.
Check the attic for wet insulation and daylight at the ridge.
Call your insurer or agent about coverage. A new claim must be noticed to the insurer within 1 year of the date of loss.

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Questions

Roof repair in Margate: questions

Do you need a contractor's license to do roofing in Florida?

Roofing contractors work under Florida contractor law, and in Broward's High Velocity Hurricane Zone the roofing permit application must be completed and signed by a licensed contractor. That applies to repair and maintenance too, not only new roofs. Before you sign anything, check the contractor's license through the state. Whether a very minor repair needs a permit is the Margate building official's decision, so ask the Building Department first.

Source: City of Margate - Building Department, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof repair

Can a small roof repair in Margate be done without a permit?

Possibly, but not by your choice. Under the state code, the building official decides whether an ordinary minor repair can skip a permit. In Broward's High Velocity Hurricane Zone, though, permits are required for all work on any roofing component, including repair and maintenance. Confirm with the City of Margate Building Department before work starts.

Source: City of Margate - Building Department, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof repair

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

Not on age alone if you act. With 77.2 percent of Margate's occupied homes owner-occupied, many owners face this question. For a roof 15 years or older, you may have an authorized inspector examine it at your own expense. If your inspection shows 5 or more years of useful life remaining, the insurer cannot refuse coverage or decline to renew based on age alone. Your insurer or agent can tell you how the policy wording applies to your situation.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof repair

Does the 25 percent rule apply to my mobile home roof in Margate?

The 25 percent rule is a Florida Building Code provision for existing buildings, and it reads that not more than 25 percent of the total roof area or roof section may be repaired, replaced or recovered in any 12-month period unless the roof covering on the entire existing roof system or roof section is replaced or recovered. The exception applies only where the roof was built, repaired or replaced in compliance with the 2007 Florida Building Code or later. Mobile homes are 3.6 percent of Margate's housing units, and a mobile home built under the HUD code may be governed by different standards, so confirm with the City of Margate Building Department which rules apply to your roof.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof repair

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