Roof inspections in Plantation, FL

An inspector follows the damage list insurers use. That list includes cracking, curling, heavy granule loss, exposed felt, loose or missing tabs or tiles, soft decking and visible leaks in the attic or on ceilings. The report also records roof age, remaining useful life and permit history.

The roof section of the 4-point form records the covering material, roof age, remaining useful life, date of the last roofing permit and overall condition. Citizens asks for that form on properties past 20 years of age, and in Plantation 40.3 percent of homes were built before 1980. Citizens also wants proof of five years of remaining life for shingle roofs older than 25 years and for hard roofs, such as tile or metal, older than 50 years.

Broward sits in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, so wind features matter too. A wind mitigation inspection looks at deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections and sealed roof deck details you cannot see from the ground. The current form, OIR-B1-1802, stays valid up to five years if nothing material changes.

• Buying or selling: a written report on a 1984-era home shows remaining life before the contract deadline.
• Insurer letter about roof age: the 15-year rule lets you answer with an authorized inspector's findings.
• After a storm: Irma sent 97-kt gusts to Deerfield Beach in Broward County, and notice of a new claim must reach your insurer within 1 year of the loss.
• Before a repair: the 25 percent rule can turn a large repair into a full replacement.

Florida Statute 489.147 bars roofers from offering anything of value for an inspection or from advising on coverage. In Plantation, your agent or insurer is the one to ask what a given policy pays for. The Department of Building Safety handles roof permits, so confirm permit questions with that office.