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Inspections ยท Southwest Ranches

Roof inspections in Southwest Ranches, FL

Southwest Ranches has no mobile homes at all: 0 percent of its housing units, so every roof here falls under the Florida Building Code. The median home was built in 1982, and 45.9 percent predate 1980. Many original roofs are likely well past 15 years.

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Updated October 2026

Green park with palm trees and a calm lake under a bright cloudy blue sky.
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.Our work
Photo: Southwest Ranches, Florida - with view of Sheridan Street by Rey Valls, CC BY 3.0, cropped

Southwest Ranches figures this page uses

Median year homes were built
1982
Owner-occupied share of occupied homes
95.8%
Share of homes built before 1980
45.9%
Mobile homes, share of housing units
0%

Roof age

Why the 15-year mark matters here

Broward County's median build year is 1980, and Southwest Ranches sits close to it at 1982. That suggests many roofs here have been replaced at least once. Some have not. Age is what triggers the insurer rules.

For a roof 15 years or older, Florida law lets you hire an authorized inspector at your own expense before an insurer demands replacement. Should the inspection find 5 or more years of useful life remaining, the insurer cannot refuse coverage or decline to renew based only on how old the roof is. Roofing contractors, home inspectors and engineers can all qualify, if your insurer approves them.

With 95.8 percent of occupied homes owner-occupied, nearly everyone reading this is the person who pays for that inspection and decides what to do with the result.

Inspection scope

What the inspector checks and writes down

The roof section of the 4-point form records covering material, roof age, remaining useful life, last permit date, full or partial replacement, and overall condition. It also lists damage. Citizens requires a 4-point inspection for properties more than 20 years old, which covers much of the 45.9 percent built before 1980.

  • Shingles that have shed a lot of granules and also show cracks, cupping or curling
  • Missing, loose or cracked tabs or tiles, plus asphalt or felt left exposed
  • Soft spots in the decking
  • Water stains or drips you can spot in the attic or on the ceilings inside the house

A wind mitigation inspection is separate. It records roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections and opening protection, using form OIR-B1-1802, valid up to five years if nothing material changes. Broward sits in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, so the wind region on that form is HVHZ.

Timing

When to order an inspection

Arrange one when you are buying or selling, after a storm, or once your insurer mails you a letter about the age of your roof. Hurricane Irma in 2017 produced 97-kt gusts at Deerfield Beach and widespread tree damage across the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area. Storm-related claim notice must reach your insurer within 1 year of the loss.

Repairs and reroofs here need a permit through the Town's building permitting and inspections office. Confirm current requirements with that office. Ask your insurer or agent what your policy covers, since a roofer cannot advise on coverage.

Request a roof inspection

Questions

Roof inspections in Southwest Ranches: questions

How old does a roof have to be for my Southwest Ranches insurer to ask about it?

The legal line is 15 years. When your roof is 15 or older, you are entitled to have an authorized inspector examine it, with you paying for the visit. An inspection showing 5 or more years of useful life left means the insurer may not turn you down or decline to renew just because of roof age. With a median build year of 1982 here, many original roofs have crossed that line. Check with your insurer or agent about which inspectors they will accept.

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

What does the roof section of the 4-point inspection cover?

The report lists the covering material, the roof age, the remaining useful life, the date of the last roofing permit, whether the work was a full or partial replacement, the overall condition and any damage. Citizens requires the 4-point inspection for properties more than 20 years old, and 45.9 percent of homes in Southwest Ranches were built before 1980. Photos of each roof slope can replace the separate roof inspection form.

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

Does the 25 percent rule apply if I only repair part of my roof?

It can. Under the Florida Building Code, repairing or replacing more than 25 percent of a roof section in 12 months requires the whole section to be replaced or recovered. The exception covers a roof only when it was built, repaired or replaced to meet the 2007 Florida Building Code or any later edition, and that 2007 code became effective on March 1, 2009. Southwest Ranches has 98.0 percent single-family detached homes, so this rule reaches nearly every house here.

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 inspections

Is a wind mitigation inspection the same as a roof inspection?

No. A roof inspection looks at condition and remaining life. A wind mitigation inspection records how the roof is attached, including deck nailing and roof-to-wall connectors, often in the attic. The form is OIR-B1-1802 and stays valid up to five years if nothing material changes. Broward County is in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, so the home is graded HVHZ.

Source: 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

Related: Roof inspections

Nearby

Roof inspections near Southwest Ranches

Sources for this page(30)
  1. 1.Median year homes were built: 1982. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  2. 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. 3.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.
  4. 4.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Eta (AL292020). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  5. 5.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  6. 6.Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 95.8% (2,056 of 2,146). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  7. 7.Share of homes built before 1980: 45.9%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  8. 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. 9.Hurricane Irma (2017). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  10. 10.Permit office: Town of Southwest Ranches - Building Permitting and Inspections. Town of Southwest Ranches - Building Permitting and Inspections. Read Oct 10, 2026.
  11. 11.Mobile homes, share of housing units: 0%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  12. 12.Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  13. 13.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  14. 14.Citizens 4-Point Inspection Form, Sample Form Insp4pt 03 25. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  15. 15.OIR form. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  16. 16.Florida Statutes, section 627.70132 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  17. 17.Florida Statutes, section 489.147 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  18. 18.Insp4pt 03 25. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  19. 19.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026. FBC text read from UpCodes (unofficial transcription): check floridabuilding.org or the ICC viewer before quoting (spec 8.7).
  20. 20.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  21. 21.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  22. 22.Town of Southwest Ranches - Building Permitting and Inspections, Town of Southwest Ranches. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  23. 23.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17), Citizens Property Insurance. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  24. 24.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, floridaroof.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  25. 25.Miami-Dade County RER notice, Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  26. 26.Florida Administrative Code, Chapter 61G20-3, Florida Administrative Code. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  27. 27.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  28. 28.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  29. 29.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology, NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  30. 30.Wikipedia, 'Southwest Ranches, Florida' (revision 1377594774), Wikipedia. Read Oct 5, 2026.

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Roof inspections in Southwest Ranches

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