Skip to content

Inspections ยท South Miami

Roof inspections in South Miami, FL

Mobile homes are only 0.3 percent of South Miami's housing units, so nearly every roof here sits on a site-built house. Many of those houses are old: 68.2 percent were built before 1980. That suggests plenty of the roofs over them are past 15 years, the age when Florida law and insurers start asking questions.

Request a quote407-242-2840

Updated October 2026

Highway ramp curves toward glass and stone high-rise towers under a blue sky with clouds and palms.
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: Downtown Dadeland skyline from SR 826 ramp - from by Ivan Curra, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped

South Miami figures this page uses

Median year homes were built
1969
Owner-occupied share of occupied homes
60.2%
Residents 65 and older
16.2%
Share of homes built before 1980
68.2%

Housing age

Older South Miami houses and roofs near 15 years

South Miami's median build year is 1969, eleven years earlier than the 1980 county median, by our arithmetic. A house from that era has usually been reroofed at least once, and some of those replacements may now be past 15 years themselves.

About 60.2 percent of occupied homes are owner-occupied, so most inspection decisions belong to people who live under the roof. Residents 65 and older make up 16.2 percent of the population. If you are in that group, ask for photos of every slope so you can follow what the inspector reports.

Florida rules

Common homeowner questions about the 15-year roof rule and the 4-point form

Florida law lets a homeowner's insurer treat a roof under 15 years old as acceptable on age alone. Fla. Stat. 627.7011(5)(b) bars refusing or declining to renew a policy solely for that reason. Once your South Miami roof reaches 15 years, age becomes a question the insurer can raise.

At that point the insurer must let you hire an authorized inspector, at your own expense. When a report shows 5 or more years of useful life remaining, an insurer cannot refuse or non-renew a policy based on age alone. Inspectors can include roofing contractors, home inspectors, engineers and architects the insurer recognizes. Your own insurer or agent is the one to say what that means for your South Miami policy.

One part of the 4-point form is about the roof alone. It records the covering, roof age, remaining useful life, last permit date, whether any replacement was full or partial, and overall condition. Citizens asks for this inspection on properties over 20 years old, and the 1969 median build year here puts many South Miami houses past that line.

Timing

When to order a roof inspection in South Miami

  • Buying: an inspection shows remaining life before closing, which matters when 68.2 percent of homes predate 1980.
  • Selling: a written report with photos answers a buyer's insurer questions early.
  • Insurer letter: if your insurer cites roof age, you may have an authorized inspector check it at your expense.
  • After a storm: Hurricane Andrew hit South Miami in 1992, and Miami-Dade sits in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone.

A roofer's inspection follows what the forms ask: the covering, age, remaining life, permit history, damage list and leaks. Damage items include cracking, curling, granule loss, missing or cracked tiles, soft decking and attic leaks. The City of South Miami Building Division handles roof permits in this area.

Request a roof inspection

Questions

Roof inspections in South Miami: questions

Does my 15-year-old roof have to be replaced in South Miami?

Not because of age alone. Under Fla. Stat. 627.7011(5)(c), an insurer must allow you to have an authorized inspector check a roof that is 15 years or older. Should that inspection find 5 or more years of useful life remaining, age alone is not a basis for the insurer to refuse or non-renew. With 68.2 percent of South Miami homes built before 1980, many owners will meet this question. Your insurer or agent can explain how this applies to your particular policy.

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

What does the roof section of the 4-point inspection record?

It records the covering material, roof age, remaining useful life, date of the last roofing permit, full or partial replacement and percentage replaced, overall condition, and any damage. A 4-point inspection is what Citizens requires once a property passes the 20-year mark. South Miami's median home was built in 1969, so many owners here may be asked for one. You can submit photos of every roof slope instead of the separate Roof Inspection Form.

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

Who can sign a roof inspection for my insurer in South Miami?

Your insurer has to accept the person who performs the inspection. Acceptable inspectors include a licensed home inspector, a building code inspector, a licensed general, building, residential or roofing contractor, a professional engineer, or an architect. A contractor, a building code inspector or a Florida-licensed home inspector must sign Citizens' Roof Inspection Form, and photos of each slope go with it. With 60.2 percent of South Miami homes owner-occupied, most owners will be choosing this person themselves.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof inspections

How long does a wind mitigation inspection last?

Form OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26), the current version, stays valid for up to five years as long as the structure has no material changes and no inaccuracies turn up. It checks items like roof deck attachment and roof-to-wall connections, which sit in the attic where you cannot see them. In Miami-Dade, which is in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, the form sorts the home as HVHZ.

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 inspections

Nearby

Roof inspections near South Miami

Sources for this page(29)
  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.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, 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, B25034, B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  4. 4.Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 60.2% (2,833 of 4,704). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  5. 5.Residents 65 and older: 16.2%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B01001, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  6. 6.Share of homes built before 1980: 68.2%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  7. 7.Wikipedia, 'South Miami, Florida' (revision 1376768488). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  8. 8.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.
  9. 9.Permit office: City of South Miami - Building Division. City of South Miami - Building Division. Read Oct 10, 2026.
  10. 10.Mobile homes, share of housing units: 0.3%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  11. 11.Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  12. 12.Insp4pt 03 25. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  13. 13.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  14. 14.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  15. 15.Citizens 4-Point Inspection Form, Sample Form Insp4pt 03 25. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  16. 16.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  17. 17.Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  18. 18.OIR form. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  19. 19.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API, U.S. Census Bureau (via Census Reporter). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  20. 20.City of South Miami - Building Division, City of South Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  21. 21.Official website: City of South Miami, Historic Preservation Board, Official website. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  22. 22.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  23. 23.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  24. 24.Wikipedia, 'List of municipalities in Florida', Wikipedia. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  25. 25.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  26. 26.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology, NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  27. 27.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  28. 28.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  29. 29.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the South Miami 2020 Census internal point (25.7085, -80.2951), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.

South Fork Roofing

Roof inspections in South Miami

Answer a few questions about the job, or call.

Request a quote407-242-2840
CallGet a quote