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Repairs ยท Jensen Beach

Roof repair in Jensen Beach, FL

Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne both made landfall on nearby Hutchinson Island in September 2004, with winds of 105 mph and 120 mph. Roofs in Jensen Beach have faced that wind before. Most storm leaks start in a few known places, and the 25 percent rule decides how much you can patch.

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Updated October 2026

Bronze dolphin fountain sculpture spraying water in a round basin beneath large shade trees under an overcast sky.
Close view across a gray shingle roof slope with a black pipe boot, a palm and a green lawn below.Our work
Photo: Jensen Beach FL Riverside Park fntn01 by Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped

Jensen Beach figures this page uses

Mobile homes, share of housing units
13.8%
Median year homes were built
1982
Owner-occupied share of occupied homes
77%

Storm damage

Where Jensen Beach roofs leak after a storm

FEMA's field teams name wind damage to the roof covering as a primary route for water into a house. Water gets in where shingles are lost, where ridge vents or soffits blow off, and around windows and doors. Ridge vent loss is the one to check first, because it can open a large hole in the deck.

Flashing is the next suspect. The code requires it at wall and roof intersections, changes of slope and roof openings, and leaks follow those same spots. In Jensen Beach, 13.8 percent of housing units are mobile homes, against 8.8 percent for Martin County. Those homes follow the HUD code, so ask your roofer what applies to yours.

  • Cracked, curled, loose or missing shingle tabs, and bare asphalt where granules have worn off
  • Soft spots in the decking
  • Stains or visible leaks on ceilings and in the attic
  • Lifted or missing ridge vent, loose flashing, damaged soffit or fascia

Repair or replace

Repair or replace: the 25 percent rule

For a Jensen Beach house, the line between patching and replacing sits at one quarter of a roof section in 12 months. Redo more than that and the code calls for the whole section to be replaced or recovered. One exception exists for roofs built, repaired or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or a later edition. A roof in that group needs only the repaired area brought up to today's code, and Martin County cannot change that by ordinance.

Homes here have a median build year of 1982, but that describes the houses, not the roofs on them. Your roof may have been replaced since. Look through your permit paperwork, and check with the Martin County Building Department if you are unsure.

A repair means renewing part of an existing roof. A replacement means removing the covering, fixing any damaged substrate and installing a new one. Whether a small repair needs a permit is up to the Martin County Building Department, which issues permits for this unincorporated area. Confirm with that office before work starts.

After the storm

What to do safely after a storm

Stay off a wet or damaged roof. Look from the ground and from the attic for daylight, wet insulation or stains. Photograph everything. Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30 and peaks around September 10, so a temporary cover may need to hold for weeks.

Some Martin County storms brought surge and rain more than wind. Irma put 1 to 3 feet of water above ground along the coast. Ian's rain flooded roads in parts of the county. Wet ceilings and walls can grow mold, so dry them quickly.

For anything about a roof insurance claim, call your insurer or agent. Under Fla. Stat. 489.147, a roofing contractor may not urge you to file a claim or explain what your policy covers. The statute also sets a 1 year limit from the date of loss for giving your insurer notice of a new claim.

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Questions

Roof repair in Jensen Beach: questions

What is the 25% roof rule in Florida?

Repairs are capped at 25 percent of a roof or roof section during any 12-month period. Once repairs go beyond that cap, the entire roof section has to be replaced or recovered. The exception applies when the existing roof was built, repaired or replaced to the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, which took effect March 1, 2009. Under that exception, current code applies only to the part you repaired. No local government can change that exception through an ordinance. Confirm details with the Martin County Building Department.

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 Jensen Beach need a permit?

Florida's building code requires a permit to repair a building, but allows ordinary minor repairs with the building official's approval and no permit. So the local official decides. In Jensen Beach, the Martin County Building Department issues roof permits. Ask that office before work begins, and describe the repair size so the answer fits your roof.

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

Related: Roof repair

What is the new law in Florida about roofs?

Several rules matter. If your roof is 15 years old or more, your insurer has to allow an authorized inspector to examine it at your cost, and it cannot deny or non-renew coverage solely because of age when the inspection finds 5 or more years of useful life remaining. Policies issued on or after January 1, 2023 bar assigning post-loss benefits to anyone. For how these rules apply to your own policy, ask your insurer or agent.

Source: Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof repair

Which parts of a roof fail first in a hurricane?

Ridge vents, soffits, flashing and shingle edges. FEMA notes that ridge vent loss can expose large openings in the roof deck, and that soffits have historically performed poorly. After Frances and Jeanne in 2004, both with landfall on nearby Hutchinson Island, check those spots first from the ground and the attic.

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

Related: Roof repair

Nearby

Roof repair near Jensen Beach

Sources for this page(39)
  1. 1.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  2. 2.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.
  3. 3.Mobile homes, share of housing units: 13.8%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  4. 4.Wikipedia, 'Jensen Beach, Florida' (revision 1369166206). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  5. 5.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  6. 6.Hurricane Dorian (2019). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Dorian (AL052019). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  7. 7.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.
  8. 8.Median year homes were built: 1982. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  9. 9.Permit office: Martin County Building Department. Martin County Building Department. Read Oct 10, 2026.
  10. 10.Hurricane Irma (2017). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  11. 11.Hurricane Ian (2022). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Ian (AL092022). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  12. 12.Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 77.0% (4,495 of 5,838). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  13. 13.Hurricane Matthew (2016). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (AL142016). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  14. 14.FEMA FL-RA2. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  15. 15.FBCR Ch. 9. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  16. 16.Citizens 4-Point Inspection Form, Sample Form Insp4pt 03 25. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  17. 17.2023 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).
  18. 18.Florida Statutes, section 553.844 (2026). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  19. 19.2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., chapter 9 roof assemblies (ICC viewer). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  20. 20.FBCR Ch. 2. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  21. 21.FBC-B 2023 Ch. 1. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  22. 22.NOAA NHC. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  23. 23.Florida Statutes, section 489.147 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  24. 24.Florida Statutes, section 627.70132 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  25. 25.Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  26. 26.Florida Statutes, section 627.7152 (2026). Read Oct 4, 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.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  31. 31.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Ian (AL092022), NOAA National Hurricane Center. 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.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17), Citizens Property Insurance. Read Oct 4, 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 Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Jensen Beach 2020 Census internal point (27.2440, -80.2411), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  36. 36.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology, NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  37. 37.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, floridaroof.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  38. 38.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  39. 39.Miami-Dade County RER notice, Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.

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Roof repair in Jensen Beach

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