Roof repair in Winter Park, FL

The Florida Building Code caps patching at 25 percent of a roof or roof section in any 12-month period. Go over that, and the roof covering on the entire roof or section has to be replaced or recovered. A roof section can be divided by flashing, a change in elevation or roof type, so a house with several sections gives you more room.

One carve-out matters here. A roof built, repaired or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or a later edition only has to bring the repaired portion up to current code, even past 25 percent, and a city cannot amend that. Median construction in 1976 suggests many Winter Park roofs have not had a full code-era replacement, so confirm your roof's history first.

A repair is reconstruction or renewal of part of a roof for maintenance. The building official decides if a minor repair can go without a permit, so ask City of Winter Park Building & Permitting Services before work starts. Reroofs do not require plans examination.

Stay off the roof. The Weather Service recorded a fatal fall from a ladder during Ian debris clearing in Orange County, and another man fell off his roof cleaning Milton debris. Look from the ground, photograph what you see, and keep wet-weather covering to what you can do from the ground or an attic.

Be careful with anyone who offers to inspect for an insurance claim. Under Florida law a roofer may not offer anything of value for an inspection or claim, and may not advise on coverage. Your insurer or agent answers coverage questions. The statute bars a new claim unless the insurer gets notice within a year of the date of loss.