Roof inspections in North Miami, FL

On the roof portion of the 4-point form, the inspector notes the covering material, the roof's age, how much useful life is left, the date of the most recent roofing permit, and whether that replacement covered the whole roof or only part. For properties more than 20 years old, Citizens requests this form. With only 43.5 percent of occupied homes here owner-occupied, buyers and landlords may see it often.

Citizens also wants documentation of at least five years of remaining life for shingle roofs older than 25 years and hard roofs such as tile or metal older than 50 years. A written inspection from a contractor, building code inspector or home inspector with photos of each slope can supply that record.

A separate wind mitigation form, OIR-B1-1802, covers the attic items you cannot see from the ground. It is valid up to five years if nothing about the structure changes. Miami-Dade sits in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, which that form treats as its own category.

• Look for cracked or curled shingles, granules wearing off, and asphalt or felt showing through.
• Missing, loose or cracked tabs or tiles
• Soft spots in the decking
• You may spot leaks in the attic or as marks on the ceilings inside your home.

Order one before you buy or sell, when your insurer sends a letter about roof age, or after a storm. Hurricane Irma in 2017 brought a 74-kt gust at Opa-locka Airport, so a check after a major wind event is reasonable.

Be careful with door-to-door offers. Florida law bars contractors from advertising to urge a roof claim, from offering anything of value for an inspection, and from advising on what your policy covers. Questions about coverage go to your insurer. Permit questions go to the City of North Miami Building Department.