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Inspections ยท Westwood Lakes

Roof inspections in Westwood Lakes, FL

About 22 percent of Westwood Lakes residents are 65 or older, and most own their homes. Many of you are likely dealing with an insurer letter or a sale. An inspection tells you the roof's real condition and remaining life, which is what the insurer and the buyer both ask about.

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Updated October 2026

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.

Westwood Lakes figures this page uses

Median year homes were built
1957
Share of homes built before 1980
94.3%
Residents 65 and older
22%
Owner-occupied share of occupied homes
76.8%

Housing age

Why roof age comes up so often in Westwood Lakes

Here, 94.3 percent of homes were built before 1980, against 49.6 percent across Miami-Dade County. The median home dates to 1957. That says nothing about any single roof, since most have been replaced at least once. It does mean roof age comes up more often here than in newer parts of the county.

With 97.8 percent of housing units being single-family detached homes, nearly every inspection here is of a house with its own roof, not a shared building roof. You are the one who decides when to order it.

Once your roof reaches 15 years, a Westwood Lakes homeowner has a right under state law: your insurer must let you hire an authorized inspector, at your own expense, before it requires replacement. If that inspector reports 5 or more years of useful life left, the insurer cannot refuse or non-renew over age alone.

Insurer forms

What your insurer's forms ask about the roof

The roof section of the 4-point form records the covering material, roof age, remaining useful life, last roofing permit date, and the percentage replaced. The inspector also notes damage such as soft decking, exposed felt, missing tabs and attic leaks. Citizens asks for this form on properties more than 20 years old, which describes most Westwood Lakes houses.

Citizens also wants documented proof of at least five years of remaining life on shingle roofs older than 25 years, or on tile and metal roofs older than 50 years.

The wind mitigation form, OIR-B1-1802, is a different document. It stays good for up to five years unless the structure changes. Miami-Dade sits in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, so the form's questions about deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections and the sealed roof deck matter here. What your answers do to your premium is a question for your insurer or agent.

Timing

Knowing the right time to schedule an inspection, and what the inspector looks at, helps you plan ahead

  • Buying or selling: you learn the covering, age and remaining life before closing.
  • An insurer letter about roof age: the inspection can show whether 5 or more years of life remain.
  • After a storm: the damage list shows cracked tabs, exposed felt or leaks. Unless the insurer receives notice within 1 year of the loss, a new claim is barred.
  • Applying or renewing with Citizens: the 4-point roof section, with photos of each slope.

A roofer's visit covers the covering, age, permit history and leaks, plus the attic items you cannot see. South Fork Roofing will tell you what the roof shows. What your policy covers is for your insurer or agent to say.

Request a roof inspection

Questions

Roof inspections in Westwood Lakes: questions

Do Westwood Lakes homes need a roof inspection because of their age?

The law does not require one by age alone. But 94.3 percent of Westwood Lakes homes were built before 1980, so many roofs are likely near or past 15 years. Once a roof hits 15 years, your insurer must let you have an authorized inspector check it. An insurer may not refuse coverage or non-renew only because of age once the inspector finds 5 or more years of useful life remaining.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof inspections

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

It records covering material, roof age, remaining useful life, date of the last roofing permit, full or partial replacement and the percentage replaced, overall condition and damage. Citizens requires a 4-point inspection for properties more than 20 years old, and with the median Westwood Lakes home built in 1957, that covers most houses here. Photos of every roof slope let the roof section stand in for the separate Roof Inspection Form.

Source: Insp4pt 03 25, read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof inspections

Who is allowed to inspect my roof for the insurer?

Your insurer must accept the authorized inspector who performs the work. The list includes licensed home inspectors, building code inspectors, general, building or residential contractors, roofing contractors, engineers and architects. Because 76.8 percent of Westwood Lakes homes are owner-occupied, most readers make this choice themselves. Confirm with your insurer who it accepts before you book.

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

Do I need a permit if the inspection leads to a repair?

Roof permits in Westwood Lakes come from Miami-Dade County Regulatory and Economic Resources, since this is an unincorporated area. Under the 25 percent rule, repairing more than 25 percent of a roof section in 12 months can require replacing the whole section. Confirm the details with the county building office before work starts.

Source: Miami-Dade County Regulatory and Economic Resources (RER) - Building & Permits, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof inspections

Nearby

Roof inspections near Westwood Lakes

Sources for this page(31)
  1. 1.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, 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.Median year homes were built: 1957. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  5. 5.Share of homes built before 1980: 94.3%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. 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.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. 8.Residents 65 and older: 22%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B01001, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  9. 9.Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 76.8% (2,561 of 3,336). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  10. 10.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.
  11. 11.Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  12. 12.Insp4pt 03 25. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  13. 13.Citizens 4-Point Inspection Form, Sample Form Insp4pt 03 25. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  14. 14.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  15. 15.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  16. 16.Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  17. 17.OIR form. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  18. 18.Florida Statutes, section 627.70132 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  19. 19.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  20. 20.Florida Statutes, section 489.147 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  21. 21.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026. FBC text read from UpCodes (unofficial transcription): check floridabuilding.org or the ICC viewer before quoting (spec 8.7).
  22. 22.Miami-Dade County Regulatory and Economic Resources (RER) - Building & Permits, Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  23. 23.Florida Statutes, section 553.842 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  24. 24.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  25. 25.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  26. 26.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology, NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  27. 27.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  28. 28.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Westwood Lakes 2020 Census internal point (25.7247, -80.3693), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  29. 29.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration 24-hour depth estimates at the Westwood Lakes 2020 Census internal point (25.7247, -80.3693), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  30. 30.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, floridaroof.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  31. 31.Miami-Dade County RER notice, Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.

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Roof inspections in Westwood Lakes

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