New construction ยท Port Salerno
New construction roofing in Port Salerno, FL
Only 3.4 percent of homes in Port Salerno were built in 2010 or later, according to the latest Census survey. That means most of the town's roofs were put on decades ago, and new construction here is a small share of the work. If you are building a new home in Port Salerno, the roof permit runs through the Martin County Building Department, and the code edition that applies depends on when your application is filed.
Updated October 2026
Local building activity
What the building pace in Port Salerno means for your roof
Permits for single-family homes in Martin County rose from 479 units in 2020 to 843 in 2025. None of the 2025 permits were for buildings with five or more units. For a roofer working here, that points to single-family roofs on new lots rather than apartment-style flat roofs.
Most of Port Salerno's housing is single-family detached, and the median home was built in 1984. A new house on an open lot will meet today's code, while the homes around it may still carry older roofs. Plan the new roof against current standards, not the neighbors' roofs.
Code and permit timing
Your permit's required code edition depends on the filing date
At present, the Eighth Edition of the 2023 Florida Building Code governs. Starting December 31, 2026, the Ninth Edition becomes mandatory, so any application filed on or after that day must comply with it. A roof permit filed in Port Salerno before then follows the Eighth Edition, so the filing date matters for your schedule.
Only Miami-Dade and Broward fall within the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, so Martin County is not part of it. The HVHZ low-slope rules do not apply to a standard Port Salerno roof, though the county may still require full product approval paperwork on the permit.
Materials and inspections
Underlayment, drip edge and gutters on a new roof
- Dry-in underlayment: one of three approved methods, chosen before the inspection.
- Roof sheathing fastened with specified ring shank nails.
- Drip edge at eaves and gables, spaced closer where wind speed or roof height is higher.
- Gutters and downspouts on eaves under 6 inches, with downspouts discharging at least 1 foot from the wall.
Inspections follow the code order: framing, then sheathing or dry-in, then roof covering. A roofing inspection cannot pass until the sheathing inspection is done, so schedule the roof crew to finish sheathing before the inspector arrives.
A builder who builds a new home in Florida must warrant it for one year against defects that violate the code. Ordinary deterioration, settling and natural disasters are not covered. Ask your builder to put the roof's coverage in writing.
Questions
New construction roofing in Port Salerno: questions
Which Florida building code applies to my new roof in Port Salerno?
Any permit submitted as of today is governed by the Eighth Edition of the Florida Building Code, dated 2023. Any application submitted on or after December 31, 2026 must follow the Ninth Edition. Port Salerno is in Martin County, which the Florida Building Code does not place in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. Confirm the edition for your filing date with the Martin County Building Department, which issues roof permits here.
Source: FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, read Oct 5, 2026
Do I need a state-certified roofer to install a new roof in Port Salerno?
It depends on the material and who owns the building. Only on a new structure it built itself may a general contractor put down asphalt or fiberglass shingles. Work involving tile, metal or membrane roofing must be handled by a certified or registered roofing contractor. Unless it holds roofing certification or registration, a general contractor certified after 1973 cannot market itself as a roofer. Many homes in Port Salerno are older, with the median home built in 1984, so a re-roof on an existing house usually calls for a contractor with the proper roofing credential. Check the license on the state's public lookup before work starts.
Source: Florida Statutes, section 489.113 (2026), read Oct 5, 2026
How many homes in Port Salerno are newer than 2010?
The Census survey estimates that 3.4 percent of homes in Port Salerno were built in 2010 or later. The median home was built in 1984, plus or minus 2 years. Most roofs in town are therefore older, which means a new build here stands apart from the neighborhood's housing stock.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API, read Oct 5, 2026
What inspections does a new roof in Port Salerno need?
The code lists framing, sheathing or dry-in, exterior coverings, roofing, and final inspection, in that order. The roofing inspection covers the dry-in stage, insulation, the roof covering and the flashing. The sheathing must be complete before the roofing inspection. Schedule these with the Martin County Building Department and keep the permit card on site.
Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), read Oct 5, 2026
Sources for this page(32)
- 1.U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey county annual files (co2025a.txt, co2020a.txt). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 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.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 4.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.
- 5.Median year homes were built: 1984. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 6.Permit office: Martin County Building Department. Martin County Building Department. Read Oct 10, 2026.
- 7.Share of homes built 2010 or later: 3.4%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 8.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 9.Miami-Dade County RER notice. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 10.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).
- 11.Florida Statutes, section 553.842 (2026). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 12.2023 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).
- 13.2023 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").
- 14.2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Chapter 3 (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).
- 15.2023 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").
- 16.Florida Statutes, section 553.837 (2026). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 17.Florida Statutes, section 489.113 (2026). Read Oct 5, 2026.
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- 22.Florida Building Commission, Florida Building Commission. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 23.Florida Statutes, section 713.135 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
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- 25.NOAA Storm Prediction Center, preliminary storm reports 2024-10-09 (12Z-12Z), NOAA. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 26.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (AL142016), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 27.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 28.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Read Oct 5, 2026.
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- 30.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration 24-hour depth estimates at the Port Salerno 2020 Census internal point (27.1452, -80.1887), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 31.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology, NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 32.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Port Salerno 2020 Census internal point (27.1452, -80.1887), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
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New construction roofing in Port Salerno
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