Skip to content

Hillsborough County ยท Census-designated place

Roofing in University (Hillsborough County), Florida

The University of South Florida lies just southeast of the community, inside Tampa city limits, so a roof in University can fall under either Tampa or Hillsborough County rules. Check the address first. Only 12.9 percent of occupied homes here are owner-occupied, which means many roofs belong to landlords, associations and property managers.

Request a quote407-242-2840

Updated October 2026

Low aerial view over a gray-blend shingle roof with gables and valleys, palm trees, a street and parked cars behind.

At a glance

University homes at a glance

People (2020 Census)
50,893
Median year homes were built
1986
Share of homes built before 1980
31.5%
Share of homes built 2010 or later
11.1%
Owner-occupied share of occupied homes
12.9%

Census figures; each one is listed in the sources at the end of this page.

Permits and borders

Who issues roof permits in University

Inside the unincorporated census area, roof permits come from the Hillsborough County building office. The boundaries here were scaled back by annexations into Tampa and Temple Terrace during the 1980s, so a street that looks like University may sit in another city.

That matters for historic review. If your parcel is in Tampa, a roof on a Local Historic Landmark or inside one of the city's four Local Historic Districts needs a Certificate of Appropriateness before exterior work. Ask the permitting office which jurisdiction holds your parcel before you sign anything.

Whoever issues the permit, the Florida Building Code wants a Notice of Commencement recorded and posted on site ahead of the first inspection. The permit card itself warns that an owner who skips it could end up paying twice.

Building permits

Hillsborough County - Building Permits & Records (unincorporated Hillsborough County)

Official building page

Office names and links only. Fees, forms and timing change; check the official page.

Housing and roof age

What the housing stock says about roof age

Homes in University have a median build year of 1986, and 74.1 percent were built before 2000. Another 31.5 percent predate 1980. That suggests many original roofs, where they still exist, are well past 15 years old, though the build year of a home does not tell you its roof age.

Roof age matters to insurers. If your roof is 15 years or older, Florida law lets you hire an authorized inspector at your own expense. A report showing 5 or more years of useful life left blocks a refusal or non-renewal based only on age. Your agent can tell you how your own policy handles it.

Just 11.1 percent of homes here were built in 2010 or later, so newer roofs are the minority. Housing is mostly large buildings: 61.1 percent of homes sit in buildings with 5 or more units, and single-family detached homes are only 9.6 percent.

Repair rules

Mobile homes and the 25 percent rule

Mobile homes make up 7.2 percent of housing units in University. Manufactured homes follow the federal HUD code, not the Florida Building Code, so ask the permitting office what applies to your roof before work starts.

For site-built roofs, the 25 percent rule limits repairs. Not more than 25 percent of a roof section may be repaired or replaced in any 12-month period unless the whole section is replaced. An exemption applies only when the roof was constructed, fixed or swapped out under the 2007 Florida Building Code or a newer edition.

New permit applications are judged by the code edition in force on the filing date. The Ninth (2026) Edition takes effect December 31, 2026, after the 2023 edition that took effect December 31, 2023.

  • The University Area Community Development Corporation, founded in 1998 and located in the CDP, works to revitalize the neighborhoods around the USF campus; the former University Mall site is being redeveloped as mixed use with student housing.

Local weather

Storms and rain that test University roofs

Tampa International Airport averages 49.48 inches of rain a year, and about 61 percent falls June through September. By NOAA Atlas 14, a 10-year storm here drops 2.93 inches in one hour and 6.67 inches over 24 hours.

Eta in 2020 pushed 3 to 4 feet of surge into the Tampa Bay area, with street flooding in coastal Hillsborough. Hermine in 2016 damaged homes and businesses across several counties, Hillsborough among them. Tampa Bay also sits in the part of Florida that gets the most lightning each year, mostly May through October.

Services

Roofing services in University

Questions

University roofing questions

What is the 25 percent rule for roofs in Florida?

Not more than 25 percent of a roof or roof section may be repaired, replaced or recovered in any 12-month period unless the whole section is replaced. There is an exception for a roof built, repaired or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later. In University, ask the Hillsborough County building office how it applies to your permit.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

What is the 15 year roof rule in Florida?

Under Fla. Stat. 627.7011(5), a roof under 15 years old cannot be the sole reason an insurer refuses to issue or renew a homeowner's policy. For a roof 15 years or older, you may have an authorized inspector check it at your expense. With 5 or more years of useful life shown, age alone cannot end coverage. Confirm details with your insurer or agent.

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

Related: Roof inspections

Who issues a roofing permit in University, FL?

For the unincorporated area, the Hillsborough County building office issues roof permits. Because the 1980s annexations into Tampa and Temple Terrace scaled back the community, confirm your address first. Tampa addresses use the city's process.

Source: Hillsborough County - Building Permits & Records (unincorporated Hillsborough County), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

Do I need a Notice of Commencement for a roof job in University?

Florida's building code requires the permit card to warn that skipping a Notice of Commencement may mean paying twice. Recording and posting must happen ahead of your first inspection. The Hillsborough County permitting office can tell you whether your contract amount triggers a required copy.

Source: Florida Statutes, section 713.135 (2026), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

How long does a roof permit stay valid in University?

Once the Hillsborough County building office issues your permit, work must start within 6 months, and it lapses if work stops for 6 months. Any approved inspection inside 180 days keeps the job active. Applications you do not pursue are abandoned 180 days after filing. With 74.1 percent of University homes built before 2000, many owners deal with older roofs, so start work promptly.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

Does a historic district affect my roof repair near University?

It can, if your address falls inside the City of Tampa. The city holds 64 Local Historic Landmarks plus four Local Historic Districts, and exterior roof work on those properties goes through a Certificate of Appropriateness. Confirm with the building office whether your parcel is in one.

Source: City of Tampa; City of Temple Terrace (official), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

Nearby

Near University

Hillsborough CountyOur 20 counties

Hillsborough County

More in Hillsborough County

Sources for this page(31)
  1. 1.Permit office: Hillsborough County - Building Permits & Records (unincorporated Hillsborough County). Hillsborough County - Building Permits & Records (unincorporated Hillsborough County). Read Oct 10, 2026.
  2. 2.Wikipedia, "University, Hillsborough County, Florida" (secondary source). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  3. 3.City of Tampa; City of Temple Terrace (official). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  4. 4.Median year homes were built: 1986. U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  5. 5.Share of homes built before 2000: 74.1%. U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  6. 6.Share of homes built before 1980: 31.5%. U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  7. 7.Share of homes built 2010 or later: 11.1%. U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  8. 8.Share of homes in buildings with 5+ units: 61.1%. U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  9. 9.Single-family detached share of housing units: 9.6%. U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  10. 10.Wikipedia (Riverview, Brandon); U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 table B25034. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  11. 11.Mobile homes, share of housing units: 7.2%. U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  12. 12.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, station USW00012842 TAMPA INTL AP. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  13. 13.Hurricane Eta (2020). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Eta. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  14. 14.Hurricane Hermine (2016). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Hermine. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  15. 15.NWS Melbourne, Lightning Facts and Trivia. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  16. 16.Hurricane Irma (2017). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  17. 17.Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 12.9%. U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  18. 18.People (2020 Census): 50,893. U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census (POP100) via TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  19. 19.Hillsborough County - Building Permits & Records (unincorporated Hillsborough County), Hillsborough County. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  20. 20.Florida Statutes, section 713.135 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  21. 21.U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API, U.S. Census Bureau (via Census Reporter). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  22. 22.Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  23. 23.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  24. 24.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  25. 25.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, floridaroof.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  26. 26.Miami-Dade County RER notice, Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  27. 27.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the University 2020 Census internal point (28.0769, -82.4333), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  28. 28.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration 24-hour depth estimates at the University 2020 Census internal point (28.0769, -82.4333), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  29. 29.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Eta, NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  30. 30.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Hermine, NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  31. 31.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma, NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.

South Fork Roofing

Roofing in University: tell us about yours.

Answer a few questions about your roof, or call.

Request a quote407-242-2840
CallGet a quote