Commercial roofing in University, FL

Because University is unincorporated Hillsborough County, the county building office issues roof permits here. Check the county permit search before work starts, since the county system lists the permit status and inspections.

The Florida Building Code 2023 Eighth Edition took effect December 31, 2023. Starting December 31, 2026, the Ninth Edition takes effect, so any permit application filed on or after that date has to comply with it. If your project starts near that date, ask your roofer which edition the bid is written under.

A permit can expire if work does not start within six months of issuance, or if work stops for six months. Under the code, work counts as active when it receives an approved inspection within 180 days. Build the schedule around those dates, not around the roofer's calendar.

Florida's roofing contractor law requires a general contractor to subcontract roofing unless that contractor holds a roofing certificate or registration. Ask any bidder for the state license that covers commercial roofing, and check it on the state license search.

Commercial work also needs a Notice of Commencement recorded and posted before the first inspection. The permit card warns that skipping it may mean paying twice for the same improvements.

Florida's low-slope rules set a minimum design slope of one-fourth unit in 12, or 2 percent, for built-up, modified bitumen, single-ply and liquid-applied roofs. Ask each bidder to state the finished slope and show where the water goes.

A roof with proper drainage clears standing water within 48 hours after a rainfall. Tampa International Airport's normal annual rainfall is 49.48 inches, and about 61 percent of it falls June through September. That is roughly 30 inches in those four months. Ponding that lasts longer than 48 hours is a sign the slope or drains are not enough.

• The finished slope in inches per foot, written into the bid
• Where the secondary overflow drains or scuppers sit
• The membrane standard, such as ASTM D4637 for EPDM or D6878 for TPO
• Whether the bid includes the roof deck and fasteners
• A written note on any ponding the roofer expects

The flashing and edge metal should be tested to the standards in the code. Ask the bidder which test method applies to the metal edge system, since the code requires that testing on low-slope roofs.