Roofing in Manatee County

The median Manatee County home was built in 1991. By the census count, 61 percent of homes predate 2000, and 33.1 percent predate 1980. That suggests many original roofs in the older third of the housing stock are well past a normal asphalt shingle life.

Newer housing pulls the other way. About 22.4 percent of homes were built in 2010 or later, the highest share among the four counties compared. Those roofs were built under the post-2007 code, which changes how a repair is judged (see the 25 percent rule below).

Roof type varies by home type. Single-family detached houses are 53.5 percent of units, mobile homes are 13.7 percent, and 19 percent of homes sit in buildings with five or more units. Owners occupy 74.3 percent of occupied homes, so most roofing decisions here are made by the person living under the roof.

For unincorporated Manatee County, the permit office is the Manatee County Development Services Building Division. Cities run their own offices. If your address is inside a city such as Bradenton, Palmetto, Holmes Beach, Anna Maria or Bradenton Beach, call that city's building department, not the county.

Once a permit is issued, clocks start. Work must begin within 6 months, and the permit lapses if work stops for 6 months. An application is treated as abandoned 180 days after filing unless you pursue it. Before the first inspection, a Notice of Commencement must be recorded and posted, or you may end up paying twice for the work.

On the 25 percent rule: if more than 25 percent of a roof section is repaired or replaced in 12 months, the whole section must be redone. A roof built or replaced under the 2007 code or later gets an exception, and a local government cannot amend that exception. For your roof, ask the building office which side of that line it sits on.

Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport normals show 49.05 inches of rain a year. About 60 percent of it falls from June through September, by NOAA's 1991-2020 monthly normals. A leak that starts in May can turn into interior damage before a repair is scheduled.

Age also decides insurability. Citizens Property Insurance asks for documentation of at least five years of remaining useful life on a roof older than 25 years if it is shingle, or 50 years if it is tile, slate, clay, concrete or metal. With a 1991 median build year, many county owners may meet that question when a policy renews. Ask your insurer or agent how it applies to you.

Start with your address, since it decides the permit office. Bradenton, South Bradenton, Palmetto, Holmes Beach, Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Lakewood Ranch each have different housing mixes and different exposure to surge, rivers or flood zones. Pick the nearest town page for local detail.

Check a contractor before you sign. Roofing is a state-regulated trade under Fla. Stat. 489.113. A general contractor must subcontract roofing unless he or she holds a roofing license or registration, and may not advertise as a roofing contractor without one. A real roofing scope includes deck attachment and any sheathing or fascia repair needed during the job.