Inspections · Hillsborough County

Roof inspections in Hillsborough County, FL

Only 18.6% of Hillsborough County homes were built in 2010 or later, so for most houses here an original roof would already be past the 15-year line in Florida's insurance law. That is why a roof inspection in Hillsborough County usually answers an insurer's form: the 4-point, Citizens' roof-age rules or the wind mitigation form.

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Updated October 2026

Downtown office towers beyond a decorative lamp post, sidewalk, fence and a road under blue sky. — Photo: Kennedy Bridge; Tampa-1 by DanTD, CC BY-SA 4.0, 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: Kennedy Bridge; Tampa-1 by DanTD, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped

Roof inspections in Hillsborough County, in short

Insurers here ask about roof age first. Under Fla. Stat. 627.7011(5), an insurer may not refuse or non-renew a homeowner's policy just because the roof is under 15 years old. For an older roof it must let you get an inspection, and 5 or more years of remaining life keeps age alone from ending coverage. Citizens adds a 4-point inspection for homes over 20 years old.

Sources for this answer

Hillsborough County figures

The Hillsborough County numbers behind this page

Share of homes built 2010 or later: 18.6%
Median year homes were built: 1991
Share of homes built before 2000: 62.5%
Mobile homes, share of housing units: 6.5%

Roof age

The 15-year line and Hillsborough's housing age

Florida counts a roof's age from the last date its whole surface was built or replaced, or, for a roof done in parts, from the first partial job once later work reaches 100% (Fla. Stat. 627.7011(5)(d)). The age of the house is only a starting point.

Even so, the county's numbers show how many roofs the rule reaches. The median home was built in 1991, 62.5% predate 2000, and any house built before 2011 that still has its original roof is past 15 years now.

Past 15 years, your insurer must let you have the roof checked by an authorized inspector, at your expense, before it can require a replacement, and it may not refuse or non-renew on age alone if that inspection shows 5 or more years of useful life left. The rule covers homeowners' policies issued or renewed since July 1, 2022.

Citizens

Citizens, the 4-point form and your permit history

Citizens Property Insurance asks for a 4-point inspection of the electrical, plumbing, HVAC and roof on applications for homes more than 20 years old, which describes most of the county's housing.

The form's roof section records the covering, its age, remaining useful life, the date of the last roofing permit and whether that job was full or partial. The permit date sits with whichever office issued it: the City of Tampa, Temple Terrace, Plant City or Hillsborough County Building Permits & Records.

Citizens also draws a line by material. Shingle and other soft roofs over 25 years old, and tile, metal and other hard roofs over 50, need documentation of at least five years of remaining useful life.

Wind mitigation

Wind mitigation inspections outside the HVHZ

Insurers across Florida use one uniform wind mitigation form, OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26), in effect since April 1, 2026 and good for up to five years if the house does not change materially.

Its first questions sort a house by building code era (FBC 2001/2004, or 2007 and later) and by wind region from the ASCE 7-22 design speed at the address: Region 1 at 140 mph or more, Region 2 at 130 to 139, Region 3 under 130. The High-Velocity Hurricane Zone option is for Broward and Miami-Dade only, so it never applies to a Hillsborough home.

Then come the roof items: deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections, roof shape and secondary water resistance. Fla. Stat. 627.711(2)(a) lists who must be accepted as the signer, including home inspectors with hurricane mitigation training, building code inspectors, general, building and residential contractors, engineers and architects.

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Inspections

Roof inspections by town in Hillsborough County

Roof cost estimator

See a ballpark for your roof

Answer a few questions about your roof and see a ballpark built from published Florida cost data, then get your written estimate.

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Ranges come from published Florida cost guides. They are not South Fork Roofing's prices.

Questions

Roof inspections in Hillsborough County: questions

Is there a Hillsborough County wind mitigation form?

No, the form is statewide. Insurers use OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26), and a completed form stays valid for up to five years if the structure does not change materially and no errors turn up. For a Hillsborough house, the code-era answer depends on when it was built, and 62.5% of homes here predate 2000; the deck and roof-to-wall answers come from what an inspector sees in the attic. What a credit is worth on your policy is a question for your insurer.

Related: Roof inspections

What does a roof inspector check on a Hillsborough home?

The insurer forms set the list. Citizens asks inspectors to note cracking, cupping or curling, heavy granule loss, exposed asphalt or felt, missing, loose or cracked tabs or tiles, soft decking, hail marks, and visible leaks in the attic or on ceilings. After Debby, Helene and Milton in 2024, hips, ridges and roof edges deserve a close look, since FEMA found those the most common damage points after Ian.

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How do I find the date of my last roof permit in Hillsborough County?

Ask the office that issued it. For a house inside Tampa that is the city's Construction Services, Temple Terrace and Plant City keep their own records, and every unincorporated address, from Westchase to Apollo Beach, goes through Hillsborough County Building Permits & Records. The date matters because the 4-point form asks for it, and because for insurance a roof's age runs from the last time all of it was replaced.

Related: FAQ

Does the 15-year roof rule apply to my mobile home?

Not under 627.7011(5): Florida Senate staff note that the section does not apply to mobile home policies. That matters in Hillsborough, where 6.5% of homes are mobile homes and the share runs much higher in some communities. Citizens still requires a 4-point inspection on mobile home applications for properties more than 20 years old. Your insurer or agent can tell you what your own policy requires.

Related: Roof inspections

Hillsborough County