Miami-Dade County · Census-designated place

Roofing in Biscayne Gardens, Florida

Biscayne Gardens sits next to Miami Gardens, North Miami Beach, North Miami and Opa-locka, but it is unincorporated, so Miami-Dade County handles your roof permit. The housing here is old. The median home dates to 1965, which makes roof age, insurer rules and the 25 percent rule matter to many owners.

Request a quote 407-242-2840

Updated October 2026

Drone view of a two-story home with a brown shingle roof, a red debris container in the driveway and a neighboring home with a dark blue-gray roof.

At a glance

Biscayne Gardens homes at a glance

People (2020 Census): 32,499
Median year homes were built: 1965
Share of homes built before 1980: 77.8%
Share of homes built 2010 or later: 2.5%
Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 52.9%

Census figures; each one is listed in the sources at the end of this page.

Housing age

Older homes and what they mean for your roof

Half the county's homes were built before 1980, but here the share is 77.8%. The median year built is 1965 in Biscayne Gardens against 1980 for Miami-Dade County. Only 2.5% of homes here went up in 2010 or later.

That suggests many roofs in this area have been replaced at least once, and some may be near the end of another cycle. A home's build year does not tell you its roof's age, so check the permit record or the roof itself. About 16.9% of residents are 65 or older, and a leak found late is harder on a household that is on a fixed income.

Just over half of homes are owner-occupied, at 52.9%, and 27.1% of homes sit in buildings of 10 or more units. If you rent or own in a larger building, the roof decision often belongs to an association or landlord. Ask who holds the roof permit and the product approval paperwork.

Florida rules

Insurer age rules and the 25 percent rule

Florida statute allows homeowners with a roof aged 15 years or more to pay an authorized inspector to assess it before an insurer demands replacement. When that assessment finds at least 5 years of remaining service life, an insurer cannot deny coverage or decline to renew based only on the roof's age. Your insurer or agent can tell you how your own policy applies.

The 25 percent rule matters in a place where 77.8% of homes are older. If you repair or replace more than 25 percent of a roof section in any 12-month period, the whole section must be brought up to current code. The exception covers only a roof itself built, repaired or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later.

Bordered by Miami Gardens, North Miami Beach, North Miami and Opa-locka.

Who permits here

Permits and the High Velocity Hurricane Zone

Biscayne Gardens is a census-designated place, not a city, so Miami-Dade County Regulatory and Economic Resources, Building and Permits, issues roof permits. Check with that office for the current requirements before any work begins. Miami-Dade is also in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, which carries the stricter hurricane provisions adopted after Hurricane Andrew.

Roofing products here are shown by a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance, and a copy must be available at the job site on request of the Building Official. Check that the NOA has not passed its expiration date. Also check the permit clock: a permit goes invalid if work does not start within 6 months of issuance.

Weather

Storms and rain that test Biscayne Gardens roofs

Hurricane Irma in 2017 left about 1,000 Miami-Dade homes with major damage, and Opa-locka Airport recorded a 74-kt gust. Miami International Airport averages 67.41 inches of rain a year, and 76.6% of it falls from May through October. The hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, so the wettest months and the storm months overlap.

NOAA Atlas 14 puts a 1-hour rain in a 10-year storm at 3.44 inches an hour here. A 100-year storm drops 15.1 inches in 24 hours. Flashing, drainage edges and old sealant are where those downpours find a way in.

Permits

Roof permits for Biscayne Gardens

Building permits

Miami-Dade County Regulatory and Economic Resources (RER) - Building & Permits

Official building page

Office names and links only. Fees, forms and timing change; check the official page.

Services

Roofing services in Biscayne Gardens

Questions

Biscayne Gardens roofing questions

Who issues a roof permit in Biscayne Gardens?

Miami-Dade County Regulatory and Economic Resources, Building and Permits, issues roof permits here, because Biscayne Gardens is an unincorporated census-designated place. It is not run by a city building department. Confirm current requirements with the county before you start. Once a permit is issued, it becomes invalid if work does not begin within 6 months, so schedule the work soon after you receive it.

Source: Miami-Dade County Regulatory and Economic Resources (RER) - Building & Permits, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

What is the 25 percent roof rule in Florida?

Under code, if more than 25 percent of a roof section is repaired, replaced or recovered within any 12-month span, that entire section must be brought up to current standards. An exception applies only to a roof built, repaired or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later. With 77.8% of Biscayne Gardens homes built before 1980, many owners should ask the county building office how the rule applies to their roof.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

Can my insurer make me replace a 15-year-old roof?

No, not solely because of its age. If your roof is 15 years old or more, you may have an authorized inspector examine it at your own cost before the insurer can require a replacement. If the inspection shows 5 or more years of useful life remaining, the insurer may not refuse or non-renew your policy solely because of roof age. An insurer also may not refuse to issue or renew a policy solely because the roof is under 15 years old. Biscayne Gardens has a median build year of 1965 for its homes, so many owners may face this question. Ask your insurer or agent how your policy 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

Related: Roof inspections

Does Biscayne Gardens need hurricane-rated roofing?

Miami-Dade County is one of the two counties in the Florida Building Code's High Velocity Hurricane Zone, so stricter hurricane provisions apply. Roofing products here are shown by a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance, which expires on a stated date and must be available at the job site. In 2017, Hurricane Irma caused significant damage to roughly 1,000 homes across Miami-Dade County.

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

Related: Roof repair

How much rain should my roof handle in Biscayne Gardens?

NOAA Atlas 14 shows 3.44 inches of rain in one hour in a 10-year storm here. A 100-year storm drops 15.1 inches in 24 hours. Miami International Airport averages 67.41 inches a year, and most of it falls from May through October. Check flashing and gutters before June.

Source: NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Biscayne Gardens 2020 Census internal point (25.9130, -80.2007), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

Nearby

Near Biscayne Gardens

Miami-Dade CountyOur 20 counties

Miami-Dade County

Roofing in Biscayne Gardens: tell us about yours.

Answer a few questions about your roof, or call.