Roof inspections in Winter Park, FL

The roof section of the 4-point form records the covering material, roof age, remaining useful life, the date of the last roofing permit, and whether the roof was fully or partly replaced. It also records overall condition. Citizens requires a 4-point inspection on properties more than 20 years old, which covers a large share of Winter Park homes.

• Cracked, cupped or curling shingles
• Granule loss that leaves bare asphalt or felt showing
• Shingle tabs or tiles that have come loose, split or gone missing
• Soft spots when the decking is checked from the attic
• Water stains on ceilings or the underside of the deck

Citizens asks for documented remaining life on soft roofs such as shingle past 25 years, and on hard roofs such as tile or metal past 50. A separate wind mitigation form, valid up to five years, covers attic items you cannot see: deck nailing, roof-to-wall connectors and any sealed roof deck.

Order one before you buy or sell an older house, and when an insurer letter questions the roof. Owners occupy 66.2 percent of homes here, so many roofs belong to people who will deal with the insurer directly. Order one after a storm too. Hurricane Irma brought peak gusts near 69 knots to Orlando, and Matthew's damage in the county came mainly from falling branches and trees.

A storm-damage claim has a deadline. Notice of a new or reopened claim must reach your insurer within 1 year of the loss. Do not climb up yourself: during Ian, one county death came from a man falling off a ladder while clearing debris from his roof.

Roof work needs a permit from City of Winter Park Building & Permitting Services. Under Fla. Stat. 489.147, a roofer may not offer you anything of value for an inspection or a claim, and may not advise you on coverage.