Miami-Dade County ยท Census-designated place
Roofing in Three Lakes, Florida
Bonita Lakes and Three Lakes. Those are two of the main neighborhoods in this Miami-Dade community of about 16,500 people, and the homes here are newer than the county average. The median home was built in 1997, while the county median is 1980. That gap changes what most roof questions here look like, and it changes who you deal with for permits.
Updated October 2026
Housing age
How old are the roofs in Three Lakes
Most homes here were built in the late 1990s, so many original roofs are now in their late twenties. That suggests a fair number of owners will face a roof replacement in the next several years. Only 9.4 percent of homes predate 1980, so the older-roof problems common in older county neighborhoods are less common here.
Newer construction also means fewer homes are recent. Just 5.5 percent of units were built in 2010 or later. Many roofs are therefore in a middle age range, where a roof inspection is worth doing before the next storm season.
Insurer documentation
Insurance rules that depend on roof age
Citizens Property Insurance asks for documentation when a shingle roof is older than 25 years, and for a tile, metal or similar roof older than 50 years. The insurer wants proof of at least five years of remaining useful life. If your roof falls near the 25-year line, ask your insurer or agent what paperwork applies to your policy.
- Main neighborhoods are Deerwood, Bonita Lakes and Three Lakes.
- Water makes up 16.6% of the place's total area.
Permits
Who issues roof permits in Three Lakes
Three Lakes is unincorporated, so the Miami-Dade County Regulatory and Economic Resources office issues building permits here. Before booking any work, review the county building and permits page.
Of Florida's counties, Miami-Dade and one other fall within the Florida Building Code's High Velocity Hurricane Zone. South Florida adopted its strong hurricane provisions after Hurricane Andrew, and those provisions apply within that zone. Any roof work here should follow those county requirements.
Florida's 25 percent rule limits how much of a roof you can repair or replace in a 12-month period without replacing the whole roof system. Ask the county building office how the rule applies to your roof before you start.
Building permits
Miami-Dade County Regulatory and Economic Resources (RER) - Building & Permits
Official building pageOffice names and links only. Fees, forms and timing change; check the official page.
Weather
Storms and rain in this area
Each year the Atlantic hurricane season opens June 1 and closes November 30, and statistically its peak falls on September 10. Miami-Dade took major damage in Hurricane Irma, with about 1,000 homes reported with major damage in the county.
Rain here is heavy. At Miami International Airport, the normal year brings 67.41 inches, and 76.6 percent of it falls from May through October. A 1-hour rain in a 10-year storm falls at 3.36 inches an hour, so check gutters and drains before the wet season.
Services
Roofing services in Three Lakes
- Roof replacementTear-off, deck, code items and the two inspections.Re-roofs in Three Lakes
- Roof repairLeaks, lifted shingles, cracked tile and flashing.Repairs in Three Lakes
- Roof inspectionsRoof age, condition and what an insurer asks about.Inspections in Three Lakes
- Commercial roofingLow-slope systems, drainage and the code for buildings.Commercial roofs in Three Lakes
- New construction roofingDry-in, the sheathing inspection and the code edition.New construction in Three Lakes
- GuttersSizing for Florida rain, downspouts and fascia.Gutters in Three Lakes
Questions
Three Lakes roofing questions
What is the 25% roof rule in Florida?
Under the 25 percent rule, you may only repair, replace or recover a set portion of an existing roof within any 12-month span. If more than 25 percent of the roof area is involved, the whole roof covering must be replaced or recovered. Roofs built or repaired under the 2007 code or a later one are exempt. Ask the Miami-Dade building office how the rule applies to your particular roof.
Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), read Oct 5, 2026
What is the new law in Florida about roofs?
The Florida Building Code's Eighth Edition went into force on December 31, 2023. Starting December 31, 2026, the Ninth Edition takes effect, and any permit application filed on or after that date has to meet its standards. Miami-Dade is also in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone. Check with the county building office for the rules that apply to your permit.
Source: FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, read Oct 5, 2026
Is roofing in Three Lakes, FL harder to permit?
Permits here are issued by Miami-Dade County Regulatory and Economic Resources, since Three Lakes is unincorporated. The county is in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, so roof work follows those provisions. Ask the county office for the current requirements before you apply, and confirm the Notice of Commencement timing.
Source: Miami-Dade County Regulatory and Economic Resources (RER) - Building & Permits, read Oct 5, 2026
Will my insurer require roof documents if my roof is older than 25 years?
Citizens Property Insurance requires documentation of at least five years of remaining useful life for shingle roofs older than 25 years, and for tile, metal or similar roofs older than 50 years. Your policy and your insurer or agent decide what applies to you. Ask them directly.
Source: Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17), read Oct 4, 2026
How much rain should my gutters handle in Three Lakes?
NOAA Atlas 14 gives a 1-hour rain in a 10-year storm at 3.36 inches an hour here. A 5-minute downpour in the same storm reaches 10.8 inches an hour. Gutters and downspouts should move water away from the roof and foundation. Have them checked before the June to October rain season.
Source: NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Three Lakes 2020 Census internal point (25.6427, -80.4000), read Oct 5, 2026
Miami-Dade County
More in Miami-Dade County
Sources for this page(26)
- 1.Median year homes were built: 1997. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 2.Share of homes built before 1980: 9.4%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 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.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.Share of homes built 2010 or later: 5.5%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 6.Permit office: Miami-Dade County Regulatory and Economic Resources (RER) - Building & Permits. Miami-Dade County Regulatory and Economic Resources (RER) - Building & Permits. Read Oct 10, 2026.
- 7.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.
- 8.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 9.Hurricane Irma (2017). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 10.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 11.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 12.Wikipedia, 'Three Lakes, Florida' (revision 1374945670). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 13.People (2020 Census): 16,540. U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census counts (POP100, HU100) via TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 layer 28 (Census Designated Places). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 14.Residents 65 and older: 10.8%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B01001, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 15.Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 66.6% (3,563 of 5,348). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 16.U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census counts (POP100, HU100) via TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 (AREALAND/AREAWATER). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 17.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B01001, via Census Reporter API, U.S. Census Bureau (via Census Reporter). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 18.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17), Citizens Property Insurance. Read Oct 4, 2026.
- 19.Miami-Dade County Regulatory and Economic Resources (RER) - Building & Permits, Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 20.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 21.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 22.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Three Lakes 2020 Census internal point (25.6427, -80.4000), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 23.U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census counts (POP100, HU100) via TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 layer 28 (Census Designated Places), U.S. Census Bureau. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 24.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, floridaroof.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 25.Miami-Dade County RER notice, Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 26.Florida Statutes, section 713.135 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
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