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Repairs ยท Hobe Sound

Roof repair in Hobe Sound, FL

Hobe Sound sits across South Jupiter Narrows from Jupiter Island, about 12 miles southeast of Stuart, so Atlantic storms reach your roof with little shelter. Most storm repairs here are small: lifted shingles, failed flashing, a lost vent. The 25 percent rule determines if a repair will be sufficient.

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Updated October 2026

A blue Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge sign with a sea turtle graphic on a stone base in grass.
Close view across a gray shingle roof slope with a black pipe boot, a palm and a green lawn below.Our work
Photo: Hobe Sound FL NWR sign02 by Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped

Hobe Sound figures this page uses

Mobile homes, share of housing units
28.4%
Median year homes were built
1983
Owner-occupied share of occupied homes
77.8%

Storm damage

Where Hobe Sound roofs fail in storms

Hurricane Irma in 2017 put 1 to 3 feet of storm surge above ground along the Martin County coast. Hurricane Isaias in 2020 brought a 42-knot sustained wind at Stuart Beach. Wind lifts shingles and drives rain under them, and Martin County is outside the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, so the standard Florida Building Code governs repairs.

Leaks tend to start where the code requires flashing: wall-to-roof joints, changes of slope, chimneys and vent pipes. Ridge vents are another weak spot. FEMA found that losing one can open a large hole in the deck, and ceilings have collapsed from that alone.

Mobile homes make up 28.4 percent of Hobe Sound housing, against 8.8 percent for Martin County. Those homes follow the federal HUD code, not the Florida Building Code, so ask the building office which rules apply to your roof before you plan work.

The 25% rule

The 25% rule and how it settles repair versus replacement

Before you patch a Hobe Sound roof, count the area. Once repairs, replacement or recovery pass 25 percent of a roof section within 12 months, the whole section must be redone. In Florida this is the main legal line between repair and replacement.

There is one exception. When a roof was built, repaired or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or a later edition, current code applies only to the part being repaired. Do not assume that from the home's age. The median Hobe Sound home was built in 1983, which says nothing about when your roof was last done.

Insurers set their own timing. Once a roof reaches 15 years of age or more, the insurer is required to allow an authorized inspector to examine it, with the cost falling on you. It may not refuse or non-renew only for age if 5 or more years of life remain. Your agent can explain how this applies to your own policy.

Next steps

Steps to take after a storm, and the office that permits the work

Stay off a damaged roof. From the ground, look for missing tabs, exposed felt, and stains on ceilings or in the attic. Cover openings with a tarp from a ladder only if it is safe, and photograph everything. Peak hurricane activity lands on September 10, inside a season that runs from June 1 through November 30.

Because Hobe Sound is unincorporated, the Martin County Building Department is the office that issues roof permits. Under the code, small repairs may go ahead without a permit only with the building official's approval. Call the office before work starts and confirm whether yours needs one.

Claim deadlines are short: a new claim must reach your insurer within 1 year of the loss, a supplemental claim within 18 months. Your insurer or agent is the right person to ask about what your coverage includes.

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Questions

Roof repair in Hobe Sound: questions

What is the 25% roof rule in Florida?

The code says no 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 or recovered. The exception applies to your 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. In that case, current code reaches just the portion that was repaired. In Hobe Sound, the Martin County Building Department can confirm how this applies to your roof.

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

Related: Roof repair

Does a small roof repair in Hobe Sound need a permit?

Ordinary minor repairs can go ahead without a permit under the code, but only when the building official approves. Hobe Sound is unincorporated, so the Martin County Building Department decides. Call it before work begins and ask whether your repair qualifies. A repair that touches more than a small area may also raise the 25 percent question.

Source: FBC-B 2023 Ch. 1, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof repair

Why do Hobe Sound roofs leak after hurricanes?

Water usually gets in at flashing, ridge vents and lost shingles. FEMA found that wind damage to roof coverings is a primary source of water intrusion, and that losing ridge vents can expose large openings in the deck. Storms such as Irma in 2017 brought 1 to 3 feet of surge along the Martin County coast, and rain often follows the wind.

Source: FEMA FL-RA2, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof repair

My roof is 15 years old. Can my insurer drop me?

No, age by itself is not a reason, provided an inspection finds at least 5 years of useful life remaining. Once a roof reaches 15 years of age or more, the insurer is required to allow an authorized inspector to examine it, with the cost falling on you. For how your policy treats this, check with your insurer or agent. In Hobe Sound, where 77.8 percent of occupied homes are owner-occupied, many owners face this question.

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

Related: Roof repair

Nearby

Roof repair near Hobe Sound

Sources for this page(38)
  1. 1.Hurricane Irma (2017). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  2. 2.Hurricane Isaias (2020). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Isaias (AL092020). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  3. 3.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.
  4. 4.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. 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.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25004, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  7. 7.Hurricane Dorian (2019). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Dorian (AL052019). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  8. 8.Mobile homes, share of housing units: 28.4%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  9. 9.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.
  10. 10.Median year homes were built: 1983. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  11. 11.Permit office: Martin County Building Department. Martin County Building Department. Read Oct 10, 2026.
  12. 12.Wikipedia, 'Hobe Sound, Florida' (revision 1361216954). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  13. 13.Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 77.8% (4,811 of 6,185). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  14. 14.FBCR Ch. 9. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  15. 15.FEMA FL-RA2. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  16. 16.2023 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).
  17. 17.2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., chapter 9 roof assemblies (ICC viewer). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  18. 18.Florida Statutes, section 553.844 (2026). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  19. 19.Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  20. 20.Citizens 4-Point Inspection Form, Sample Form Insp4pt 03 25. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  21. 21.NOAA NHC. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  22. 22.FBC-B 2023 Ch. 1. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  23. 23.Florida Statutes, section 627.70132 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  24. 24.Florida Statutes, section 489.147 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  25. 25.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  26. 26.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Isaias (AL092020), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  27. 27.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API, U.S. Census Bureau (via Census Reporter). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  28. 28.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Dorian (AL052019), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  29. 29.Martin County Building Department, Martin County Building Department. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  30. 30.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17), Citizens Property Insurance. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  31. 31.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  32. 32.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (AL142016), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  33. 33.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology, NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  34. 34.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  35. 35.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  36. 36.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Hobe Sound 2020 Census internal point (27.0745, -80.1432), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  37. 37.Miami-Dade County RER notice, Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  38. 38.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, floridaroof.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.

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Roof repair in Hobe Sound

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