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New construction roofing in Martin County, FL

Homes built in 2010 or later make up just 7.4 percent of Martin County's housing, so new roofs here are the exception, not the rule. Builders are adding more, though: 843 single-family units were permitted in 2025, against 479 in 2020. A new roof in Martin County follows the 2023 Florida Building Code unless your permit is filed after December 31, 2026.

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Updated October 2026

White gazebo with dark shingled roof and stone steps under a blue sky with clouds.
A roof deck sheathed in red-brown ZIP System panels with black seam tape, a bucket and a ladder on the deck, homes and a street behind.Our work
Photo: Stuart FL old crths gazebo02 by Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped

New construction roofing in Martin County, in short

Martin County is outside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, so a new roof follows the regular Florida Building Code. The county permitted 843 single-family units in 2025. Expect statewide product approval, code-compliant deck and underlayment, and roof inspections at framing, sheathing, roofing and final.

Sources for this answer

Martin County figures

The Martin County numbers behind this page

Housing units (2020 Census)
81,371
New residential building permits, 2025 (county total)
843
New residential building permits, 2024 (county total)
524
New residential building permits, 2020 (county total)
479

Local growth

How fast Martin County is building

Martin County counted 81,371 housing units in the 2020 Census. By our arithmetic, the 843 single-family permits in 2025 are 364 more than the 479 in 2020. In 2024 the county permitted 524 single-family units and 110 units in buildings of five or more. In 2025 it permitted none in those larger buildings.

With a median build year of 1986, the housing stock is mostly older, and 33.5 percent of homes predate 1980. That suggests a new roof in Stuart or Palm City is likely sitting beside neighbors whose roofs were laid under older rules. Your roof should be built to the code in force on your permit date, not to what the neighbors have.

Code edition

Which code edition covers your new roof

Effective December 31, 2023, the Eighth Edition of the Florida Building Code, 2023, governs this work. The Ninth Edition applies to every permit application and set of plans submitted on or after December 31, 2026. Before you start, confirm with your contractor which code edition the permit application was filed under, since filing dates can determine that.

Martin County is not in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, which covers Broward and Miami-Dade only. Your roof does not need the stricter zone testing. It still must meet the wind and product rules that apply statewide, including those for areas within 1 mile of the coast.

Roof assembly

Deck, underlayment and approved products

Roof sheathing is fastened with ring shank nails. The residential code names 2 1/2-inch by 0.131-inch nails as the standard. The dry-in layer then follows one of three options: a fully self-adhering membrane, a 3 3/4-inch tape strip over every deck joint plus underlayment, or two layers of felt-type underlayment with cap nails.

Under state rules, roofing products must receive mandatory statewide approval. Without approval, a product may not be marketed as providing hurricane or impact protection. You can check any product by its FL number on the Florida Building Commission lookup. For shingle roofs, drip edge goes over the underlayment and is nailed at 4 inches on center in higher wind zones.

If you choose tile, it goes over solid sheathing and follows the Florida High Wind tile manual. Rain makes workmanship matter here. Stuart averages 62.72 inches a year and 67.6 percent of that falls from May to October, so an open deck is at risk for months.

Build schedule

Scheduling the roof and the inspections

The code lists inspections in order: foundation, framing, sheathing, exterior wall coverings, roofing and final. The roofing scope includes dry-in work, insulation, coverings, and flashing. Inspectors may handle sheathing as its own inspection or fold it into the dry-in inspection. Roof work waits for a passed framing inspection, so crew timing matters.

Homeowners may lay asphalt shingles on a new building they are constructing themselves, and nothing else. Tile, metal, and membrane installations must be handed to a certified or registered roofing contractor. Check the contractor's license on the state lookup before you sign.

A permit goes invalid if work does not start within 6 months. A permit also expires if work sits idle for 6 months. Before the first inspection, the Notice of Commencement needs recording and a posted copy on site. Skipping it can mean paying twice for improvements.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. Hurricane Nicole put 54-knot sustained wind at the House of Refuge station in Martin County. A roof left open in that window is exposed, so plan the dry-in before the peak.

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New construction roofing by town in Martin County

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Questions

New construction roofing in Martin County: questions

Does a new home in Martin County need a roof permit?

Yes. New construction is permitted through the Martin County Building Department, and the roof is inspected at the roofing stage. Martin County's recovery guide says tarping needs no permit, but replacements and substantial repairs do. Confirm requirements with the building office. A permit also becomes invalid if work does not start within 6 months of issue.

Source: Martin County Building Department, read Oct 5, 2026

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Is Martin County in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone?

The zone covers only Broward and Miami-Dade counties. Martin County follows the regular Florida Building Code. Even so, wind-borne debris rules can apply within 1 mile of the coast where the design wind speed is 130 mph or more.

Source: 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

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Which Florida Building Code edition applies to my new roof?

The 2023 Eighth Edition applies to permits filed before December 31, 2026. Applications and plans submitted on or after that date fall under the Ninth Edition. The date you file matters, not the date construction starts. Ask your builder which edition the plans carry, especially if the permit is near that cutoff. Local jurisdictions in the state track permit filings against this cutoff, so a project with 81,371 housing units nearby may see many filings clustered near the deadline. Confirm the edition with your local building department before work begins.

Source: FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, read Oct 5, 2026

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Can my builder install the shingles on my new Martin County house?

Yes, but only for asphalt or fiberglass shingles, and only when the builder is doing the work on a new building of its own construction. Any tile, metal, or membrane roofing job has to go to a roofing contractor who is certified or registered. A general contractor also may not advertise itself as a roofer unless it holds the roofing license. Martin County has 81,371 housing units according to the 2020 Census, so local homeowners have plenty of experienced roofers to compare before signing anything.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census counts (POP100, HU100) via TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 layer 82 (Counties), read Oct 5, 2026

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Does a new home have a builder warranty on the roof?

Florida Statute 553.837, effective July 1, 2025, obligates builders to back a newly built home with a 1-year warranty covering equipment, material, or workmanship defects that trigger a material Florida Building Code violation. Coverage does not extend to ordinary wear, settling, defects the owner causes, or natural disasters. Read your contract for the roof terms.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey county annual files (co2025a.txt, co2020a.txt), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: New construction roofing

Martin County

More in Martin County

Sources for this page(56)
  1. 1.Housing units (2020 Census): 81,371. U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census counts (POP100, HU100) via TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 layer 82 (Counties). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  2. 2.New residential building permits, 2025 (county total): 843 single-family units; 2 units in 2-4 unit buildings; 0 units in 0 buildings with 5+ units. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, county annual file co2025a.txt (estimates with imputation). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  3. 3.New residential building permits, 2024 (county total): 524 single-family units; 12 units in 2-4 unit buildings; 110 units in 10 buildings with 5+ units. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, county annual file co2024a.txt (estimates with imputation). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  4. 4.New residential building permits, 2020 (county total): 479 single-family units; 24 units in 2-4 unit buildings; 41 units in 5 buildings with 5+ units. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, county annual file co2020a.txt (estimates with imputation). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  5. 5.U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey county annual files (co2025a.txt, co2020a.txt). 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.Hurricane Isaias (2020). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Isaias (AL092020). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  8. 8.Hurricane Nicole (2022). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Nicole (AL172022). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  9. 9.Hurricane Milton (2024). NOAA Storm Prediction Center, preliminary storm reports 2024-10-09. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  10. 10.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  11. 11.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.
  12. 12.Median year homes were built: 1986. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  13. 13.Share of homes built before 1980: 33.5%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  14. 14.County seat: Stuart. Wikipedia, 'Martin County, Florida' (revision 1375299623). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  15. 15.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.
  16. 16.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  17. 17.Permit office: Martin County Building Department. Martin County Building Department. Read Oct 10, 2026.
  18. 18.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  19. 19.FEMA disaster and emergency declarations since 2016 (excluding COVID-19): EM-3377 Hurricane Matthew; EM-3385 Hurricane Irma; EM-3419 Hurricane Dorian; EM-3533 Hurricane Isaias; EM-3584 Tropical Storm Ian; EM-3587 Tropical Storm Nicole; EM-3622 Hurricane Milton; DR-4283 Hurricane Matthew; DR-4337 Hurricane Irma; DR-4468 Hurricane Dorian; DR-4673 Hurricane Ian; DR-4680 Hurricane Nicole; DR-4834 Hurricane Milton. OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2 (declarations since 2016-01-01 for this county). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  20. 20.Share of homes built 2010 or later: 7.4%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  21. 21.Martin County, Hurricane and Tropical Storm Recovery Permitting Guide. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  22. 22.People (2020 Census): 158,431. U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census counts (POP100, HU100) via TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 layer 82 (Counties). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  23. 23.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  24. 24.Miami-Dade County RER notice. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  25. 25.FBC-Building 2023 Chapter 2 definitions. Read Oct 5, 2026. FBC text read from UpCodes (unofficial transcription): check floridabuilding.org or the ICC viewer before quoting (spec 8.7).
  26. 26.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 2 (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). Source URL inherited from C-4 (the research cites it "as C-4").
  27. 27.2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Chapter 8 (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).
  28. 28.2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Chapter 9 (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). Source URL inherited from COM-29 (the research cites it "as COM-29").
  29. 29.Florida Statutes, section 553.842 (2026). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  30. 30.Florida Building Commission. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  31. 31.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (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). Source URL inherited from C-3 (the research cites it "as C-3").
  32. 32.Florida Statutes, section 489.113 (2026). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  33. 33.Florida Statutes, section 553.837 (2026). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  34. 34.U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census counts (POP100, HU100) via TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 layer 82 (Counties), U.S. Census Bureau. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  35. 35.U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, county annual file co2024a.txt (estimates with imputation), U.S. Census Bureau. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  36. 36.U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, county annual file co2020a.txt (estimates with imputation), U.S. Census Bureau. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  37. 37.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Dorian (AL052019), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  38. 38.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Isaias (AL092020), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  39. 39.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Nicole (AL172022), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  40. 40.NOAA Storm Prediction Center, preliminary storm reports 2024-10-09, NOAA. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  41. 41.Wikipedia, 'Martin County, Florida' (revision 1375299623), Wikipedia. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  42. 42.Martin County Building Department, Martin County Building Department. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  43. 43.Florida Statutes, section 713.135 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  44. 44.OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2 (declarations since 2016-01-01 for this county), FEMA. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  45. 45.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17), Citizens Property Insurance. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  46. 46.miamidade.gov, miamidade.gov. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  47. 47.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  48. 48.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (AL142016), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  49. 49.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Ian (AL092022), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  50. 50.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  51. 51.NWS Miami, Weather Safety - Lightning, National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  52. 52.OpenFEMA FIMA NFIP Redacted Policies v2 (count query: effective on or before and terminating after 2026-10-05), FEMA. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  53. 53.OpenFEMA FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims v2 (count query), FEMA. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  54. 54.City of Stuart, East Stuart Historic District, City of Stuart. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  55. 55.Wikipedia, 'List of municipalities in Florida' (cross-checked against Census 2020 TIGER incorporated places), Wikipedia. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  56. 56.U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census counts (POP100, HU100) via TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 layer 28 (Census Designated Places), U.S. Census Bureau. Read Oct 5, 2026.

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New construction roofing in Martin County

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