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Inspections ยท Miami Beach

Roof inspections in Miami Beach, FL

In Miami Beach, 18.8 percent of residents are 65 or older, and many of them live under roofs that have aged past what insurers like to see. An inspection tells you how much life is left in yours. Here is when Florida law and your insurer's forms make one worth ordering.

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Updated October 2026

White latticework canopy sculpture over pink bougainvillea and walkways beside palm trees on a sunny day.
Top-down drone view of a gray-blend shingle roof with ridges, valleys and roof vents, lawn on both sides and a white fence at the left edge.Our work
Photo: City Center, Miami Beach by Madison L. Pereira, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped

Miami Beach figures this page uses

Median year homes were built
1969
Share of homes built before 1980
67.3%
Owner-occupied share of occupied homes
40.9%
Residents 65 and older
18.8%

Housing age

How old are Miami Beach roofs, and why age matters

Miami Beach homes have a median build year of 1969, eleven years earlier than the 1980 county figure, by our arithmetic. Of all homes here, 67.3 percent went up before 1980. That suggests many original roofs were replaced at least once, and some replacements are likely approaching 15 years old.

Age drives insurer behavior. Once a roof reaches 15 years, Florida lets you hire an authorized inspector, paid by you, before the insurer acts on age. A report showing 5 or more years of useful life left blocks a refusal or non-renewal based only on how old the roof is.

Citizens Property Insurance sets its own lines: documentation of five remaining years for soft roofs such as shingle older than 25 years, and for hard roofs such as tile or metal older than 50 years. To find out which line your policy uses, ask your insurer or agent.

Inspection scope

What a Miami Beach roof inspection checks

A 4-point inspection includes a roof section. It records the covering material, roof age, remaining useful life, the date of the last roofing permit, and whether any replacement was full or partial. Citizens requires the 4-point report for properties more than 20 years old.

The inspector also looks for damage: cracking, curling, granule loss, exposed felt, missing or loose tiles, soft decking and visible leaks. With photos of each roof slope, the 4-point roof section can replace the separate Roof Inspection Form.

A wind mitigation inspection is different. Form OIR-B1-1802 asks about roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections and the sealed roof deck. Miami-Dade County sits in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, and that zone is one of the choices on the form. Its findings count for up to five years, unless the structure changes.

Timing

When to order an inspection here

  • Buying: 78.5 percent of Miami Beach housing units are in buildings of 10 or more units, so ask the association who owns and maintains the roof before you order anything.
  • Selling: only 40.9 percent of occupied homes are owner-occupied, so many sellers deal with a board or landlord on roof records.
  • Insurer letter about roof age: the 15-year rule lets you get your own inspection before replacement is demanded.
  • After a storm: Irma in 2017 put surge 4-6 feet above ground along Biscayne Bay, so check for leaks and lifted tiles.

Roofers may not offer you anything of value for an inspection or urge you to file a claim. Florida Statute 489.147 also bars them from advising on coverage. Your insurer or agent answers coverage questions. For permit questions, confirm with the City of Miami Beach Building office.

Request a roof inspection

Questions

Roof inspections in Miami Beach: questions

Can my insurer force a new roof because it is 15 years old?

Not on age alone. When a roof is 15 years or older, Florida lets you pay for your own inspection by someone the insurer accepts, such as a roofing contractor, engineer or home inspector. A result of 5 or more years of useful life left protects you from refusal or non-renewal for age. About 67.3 percent of Miami Beach homes were built before 1980, so this question comes up here often. Confirm details with your insurer or agent.

Source: Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof inspections

What does the roof section of the 4-point form ask?

It records covering material, roof age, remaining useful life, date of the last roofing permit, and full or partial replacement with the percentage replaced. It also lists overall condition and damage. Citizens requires a 4-point report for properties more than 20 years old. With the median Miami Beach home built in 1969, that requirement reaches many properties here.

Source: Insp4pt 03 25, read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof inspections

Is a wind mitigation inspection the same as a roof inspection?

No. The wind mitigation form, OIR-B1-1802, checks roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections, roof shape, covering and opening protection. It is valid up to five years if nothing changes. Miami-Dade County is in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, which is one of the form's choices. Your insurer decides how any discount applies.

Source: OIR form, read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof inspections

Do I need a roof inspection if I live in a condo building here?

Often the association owns and maintains the roof, so ask the board for its inspection and permit records first. In Miami Beach, 78.5 percent of housing units are in buildings of 10 or more units, against 40.2 percent countywide. Your unit's insurer forms may still ask about the roof, so request the records in writing.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof inspections

Nearby

Roof inspections near Miami Beach

Sources for this page(31)
  1. 1.Median year homes were built: 1969. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  2. 2.Share of homes built before 1980: 67.3%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  3. 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. 4.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.
  5. 5.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.
  6. 6.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  7. 7.Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 40.9% (17,002 of 41,600). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  8. 8.Hurricane Irma (2017). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  9. 9.Permit office: City of Miami Beach - Building. City of Miami Beach - Building. Read Oct 10, 2026.
  10. 10.Residents 65 and older: 18.8%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B01001, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  11. 11.Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  12. 12.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  13. 13.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  14. 14.Insp4pt 03 25. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  15. 15.Citizens 4-Point Inspection Form, Sample Form Insp4pt 03 25. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  16. 16.OIR form. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  17. 17.Florida Statutes, section 489.147 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  18. 18.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  19. 19.Fla. Stat. 489.147-, Florida Legislature. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  20. 20.City of Miami Beach - Building, City of Miami Beach. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  21. 21.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  22. 22.Wikipedia, 'Miami Beach, Florida' (revision 1376428064), Wikipedia. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  23. 23.miamidade.gov, miamidade.gov. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  24. 24.Florida Statutes, section 713.135 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  25. 25.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  26. 26.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  27. 27.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, floridaroof.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  28. 28.Miami-Dade County RER notice, Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  29. 29.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology, NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  30. 30.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Miami Beach 2020 Census internal point (25.8114, -80.1449), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  31. 31.U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census counts (POP100, HU100) via TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 (AREALAND/AREAWATER), U.S. Census Bureau. Read Oct 5, 2026.

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Roof inspections in Miami Beach

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