Martin County · Town
Roofing in Sewall's Point, Florida
Sewall's Point sits on a peninsula with the St. Lucie River on the south and west and the Indian River Lagoon on the east. Water makes up 71.5% of the town's total area. Wind and rain reach every roof here from open water, and the median home was built in 1989.
Updated October 2026
Housing and roof age
How old are roofs on Sewall's Point homes?
The median year built here is 1989, with a margin of ±7 years. Martin County's median is 1986, so the town is about the same age as the county. That suggests many original roofs are well past 25 years, and replacements from the 1990s and 2000s are now aging too.
Of the town's homes, 31.8 percent went up before 1980, and only 5.8 percent date from 2010 or later. Almost every unit is a single-family detached house, at 99.5 percent, against 54.2 percent across the county. Each house has its own roof to maintain, with no shared building roof to split the work.
Rules that affect you
Insurer age limits and the 25 percent rule
Citizens Property Insurance asks for proof of at least five years of remaining useful life on a shingle roof older than 25 years. For tile, slate, concrete or metal, the age trigger is 50 years. With 44.4 percent of residents 65 or older, many owners here will meet that paperwork at renewal, so ask your insurer or agent what they require.
The Florida Building Code limits partial work. Repairing or replacing more than 25 percent of a roof section in 12 months can require the whole section to be replaced. An exception applies if the existing roof was built or replaced under the 2007 code or later, and then only the repaired part must meet current code. Check with the town building office on how it applies to your roof.
- Peninsula town with the St. Lucie River on the south and west and the Indian River Lagoon on the east.
- Hurricane Jeanne made landfall on Hutchinson Island just east of Sewall's Point on Sept 26, 2004, three weeks after Hurricane Frances came ashore at the same spot.
- Water makes up 71.5% of the place's total area.
- 99.5% of housing units are single-family detached homes.
Local permitting
Permits and who reviews your roof
Roof permits here come from the Town of Sewall's Point, Building & Public Works. Check any permit question with that office, because the town's own page controls what it asks for. Work that has not begun within 6 months of issue, or that halts for 6 months, voids the permit.
With 93.8% of occupied homes owner-occupied, most roof decisions here are made by the person who lives under it. The Notice of Commencement needs to be recorded and displayed on site prior to the first inspection. Under Florida Building Code rules, the permit card warns owners that skipping it can mean paying twice. Martin County lies outside the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, which covers only Miami-Dade and Broward.
Building permits
Town of Sewall's Point - Building & Public Works
Official building pageOffice names and links only. Fees, forms and timing change; check the official page.
Local weather
Storms and rain on a water-bound peninsula
Hurricane Jeanne came ashore on Hutchinson Island just east of Sewall's Point on Sept 26, 2004, three weeks after Hurricane Frances landed at the same spot. Two storms in three weeks meant roofs got little time to dry or be repaired between them.
Stuart's normal annual rainfall is 62.72 inches, and 67.6% of it falls from May to October. NOAA's rain-rate tables for the town show a 100-year, 24-hour storm dropping 13 inches. Hurricane season peaks around September 10, so plan roof work before late summer.
Services
Roofing services in Sewall's Point
- Roof replacementTear-off, deck, code items and the two inspections.Re-roofs in Sewall's Point
- Roof repairLeaks, lifted shingles, cracked tile and flashing.Repairs in Sewall's Point
- Roof inspectionsRoof age, condition and what an insurer asks about.Inspections in Sewall's Point
- Commercial roofingLow-slope systems, drainage and the code for buildings.Commercial roofs in Sewall's Point
- New construction roofingDry-in, the sheathing inspection and the code edition.New construction in Sewall's Point
- GuttersSizing for Florida rain, downspouts and fascia.Gutters in Sewall's Point
Questions
Sewall's Point roofing questions
How old can my roof be before Citizens asks for proof?
Citizens Property Insurance asks for documentation of at least five years of remaining useful life once a shingle roof passes 25 years, or a tile, slate, clay, concrete or metal roof passes 50 years. Sewall's Point's median home was built in 1989, so many original shingle roofs are likely past that mark. Check with your insurer or agent about which materials and methods they will approve.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API, read Oct 5, 2026
Who issues roofing permits in Sewall's Point?
The Town of Sewall's Point, Building & Public Works, handles roof permits. Verify present requirements with that office before any work gets underway. A permit becomes invalid if work does not begin within 6 months of issue, and it can also lapse if work is suspended for 6 months, so schedule the job before you apply.
Source: Town of Sewall's Point - Building & Public Works, read Oct 5, 2026
Does replacing part of my roof trigger a full replacement?
It can. Florida's building code says no more than 25 percent of a roof section may be repaired or replaced in 12 months unless the whole section is redone. An exception applies if the roof was built or replaced under the 2007 code or later. With a median build year of 1989 in Sewall's Point, many roofs predate that. Ask the town building office how it applies.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API, read Oct 5, 2026
When is the riskiest time of year for a Sewall's Point roof?
The season stretches from June 1 through November 30, with September 10 marking the statistical high point. Hurricane Jeanne struck Hutchinson Island just east of the town on Sept 26, 2004. Stuart also gets 67.6% of its yearly rain from May to October, so the wet months overlap the storm season.
Source: Wikipedia, 'Sewall's Point, Florida' (revision 1377576908), read Oct 5, 2026
What new Florida rules affect roof replacement permits?
On December 31, 2023, the 2023 Florida Building Code became enforceable. The Ninth Edition becomes mandatory on December 31, 2026, so any permit application submitted on or after that date must meet its requirements. If you plan a Sewall's Point roof job near that date, ask the Building & Public Works office which edition will apply.
Source: Town of Sewall's Point - Building & Public Works, read Oct 5, 2026
Martin County
More in Martin County
Sources for this page(30)
- 1.Median year homes were built: 1989. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 2.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 3.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.
- 4.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 5.Hurricane Dorian (2019). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Dorian (AL052019). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 6.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.
- 7.Share of homes built before 1980: 31.8%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 8.Share of homes built 2010 or later: 5.8%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 9.Single-family detached share of housing units: 99.5%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 10.Seasonal, recreational or occasional-use homes (share of all units): 5.8%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25004, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 11.Residents 65 and older: 44.4%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B01001, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 12.Permit office: Town of Sewall's Point - Building & Public Works. Town of Sewall's Point - Building & Public Works. Read Oct 10, 2026.
- 13.Wikipedia, 'Sewall's Point, Florida' (revision 1377576908). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 14.Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 93.8% (805 of 858). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 15.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 16.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 17.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 18.U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census counts (POP100, HU100) via TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 (AREALAND/AREAWATER). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 19.Hurricane Irma (2017). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 20.People (2020 Census): 1,991. U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census counts (POP100, HU100) via TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 layer 26 (Incorporated Places). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 21.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Dorian (AL052019), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 22.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17), Citizens Property Insurance. Read Oct 4, 2026.
- 23.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 24.Town of Sewall's Point - Building & Public Works, Town of Sewall's Point. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 25.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 26.Florida Statutes, section 713.135 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 27.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration 24-hour depth estimates at the Sewall's Point 2020 Census internal point (27.1970, -80.1989), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 28.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 29.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, floridaroof.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 30.Miami-Dade County RER notice, Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.
South Fork Roofing
Roofing in Sewall's Point: tell us about yours.
Answer a few questions about your roof, or call.