Roof inspections in Princeton, FL

Under Florida Statute 627.7011(5), an insurer cannot refuse or non-renew a homeowner policy solely because the roof is under 15 years old. When a roof is older, your insurer has to allow an authorized inspector to examine it, and you cover that cost. Age by itself is not a valid reason to turn you down or drop your coverage once an inspection finds 5 or more years of useful life remaining.

The roof section of the 4-point form records the covering material, roof age, remaining useful life, last permit date and the percentage replaced. Citizens requires that form for properties more than 20 years old. Your own policy's requirements are something your agent or insurer can spell out for you.

The wind mitigation form, OIR-B1-1802, asks about roof covering, deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections and sealed roof deck. Provided nothing material changes, the result remains valid for as long as five years. Miami-Dade sits in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, so product approval and attachment details matter on this form.

An inspector looks for cracking, curling, granule loss, exposed felt, missing or cracked tiles, soft decking and leaks in the attic or on ceilings. For wind forms, the inspector also photographs attic items you cannot see, such as deck nailing and roof-to-wall connectors.

• Before buying: 69.3 percent of occupied homes here are owner-occupied, so resale roofs matter.
• Before selling, so a buyer's inspector finds no surprises.
• After an insurer letter citing roof age or condition.
• After a storm. The 2017 Irma damage in Miami-Dade shows how far storms reach.

Roof permits in Princeton come from the Miami-Dade County Regulatory and Economic Resources building office, since Princeton is unincorporated. Confirm permit history there. A roofer who inspects may not offer you anything of value for the inspection or push you to file a claim under Florida Statute 489.147.