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Roofing in Belle Glade, Florida

Belle Glade sits on the southeastern shore of Lake Okeechobee, and that location shapes the roofs here. The town's housing is older than the county's, and mobile homes make up a larger share of units. Before you plan any roof work, you need to know the house's age, its construction type, and which office issues your permit.

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Updated October 2026

Overcast daytime view down a small-town street with low storefronts, traffic signals, and parked cars on both sides.
Photo: Belle Glade FL West Avenue A01 by Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped

At a glance

Belle Glade homes at a glance

People (2020 Census)
16,698
Median year homes were built
1979
Share of homes built before 1980
50.9%
Share of homes built 2010 or later
9.5%
Owner-occupied share of occupied homes
42.6%

Census figures; each one is listed in the sources at the end of this page.

Housing age

How old are the homes in Belle Glade

Most homes in this area date back to 1979. Countywide, the median is 1986, so Belle Glade's housing runs about seven years older than the county as a whole.

About half of the town's homes, 50.9 percent, were built before 1980. Only 9.5 percent went up in 2010 or later. Many original roofs in town are likely past 25 years old, which is the age where Citizens requires documentation of remaining life.

Mobile and manufactured homes

Mobile homes and roof replacement in Belle Glade

Mobile homes make up 12.8 percent of housing units here. Across Palm Beach County the share is 2.8 percent, so a roof job in Belle Glade is more likely to involve a manufactured home than it would be elsewhere in the county.

Ask the building office which code applies to the home before you choose materials.

Permit office

Permits and reviews in Belle Glade

Roof permits in Belle Glade are handled by the City of Belle Glade's Building and Permitting office. The city page names that function. Call or visit that office to confirm current forms and fees.

Unless work begins within 6 months of issue, the permit lapses. Your work stays classified as active so long as an inspection is passed within 180 days. Plan your schedule around those dates.

If more than 25 percent of a roof is repaired, replaced or recovered in any 12-month period, the whole roof covering generally has to be replaced. Only a roof built to the 2007 Florida Building Code or later can limit that to the repaired part.

Building permits

City of Belle Glade - Building and Permitting

Official building page

Office names and links only. Fees, forms and timing change; check the official page.

Storms and rainfall

Storms and rain in Belle Glade

Hurricane Milton produced a tornado about 6 miles east-northeast of Belle Glade on October 9, 2024. Hurricane Matthew brought tropical-storm-force winds to coastal areas of Palm Beach County in 2016.

The 1991 to 2020 normal annual rainfall at Belle Glade on Lake Okeechobee is 55.22 inches. A 10-year, 24-hour storm drops 6.61 inches, so check that your gutters and drains can carry it.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, and the statistical peak falls on September 10. Schedule roof work with that window in mind.

Local record

On record for Belle Glade

  • On the southeastern shore of Lake Okeechobee; nicknamed 'Muck City' for the muck soil where sugarcane grows.
  • Hit by the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane.
  • During Hurricane Milton (Oct 9, 2024) a tornado was observed about 6 miles east-northeast of Belle Glade.
  • 12.8% of housing units are mobile homes.

Services

Roofing services in Belle Glade

Questions

Belle Glade roofing questions

What is the 15 year roof rule in Florida?

The 15 year roof rule comes from Fla. Stat. 627.7011(5). If a roof is 15 years or older, the insurer must let the homeowner have an authorized inspector check it at the homeowner's expense before requiring replacement. The insurer may not refuse or non-renew a policy solely because of roof age if that inspection shows 5 or more years of useful life remaining. Belle Glade homes have a median build year of 1979, so many owners will meet this rule at renewal. The separate 25 percent rule in the Florida Building Code is a building permit rule, not an insurance rule.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

What is the new law in Florida about roofs?

The Eighth Edition of Florida's 2023 Building Code took effect on December 31, 2023. On or after December 31, 2026, permit applications must comply with the Ninth Edition, which takes effect that day. Belle Glade permits are handled by the city's Building and Permitting office, so confirm which edition applies to your job.

Source: FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

How old are most homes in Belle Glade?

The median home in Belle Glade was built in 1979, and 50.9 percent of homes were built before 1980. Countywide the median is 1986. Many original roofs are likely past 25 years old, which is when Citizens requires documentation of remaining useful life.

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

Do mobile homes need special roofing rules in Belle Glade?

Mobile homes make up 12.8 percent of housing units in Belle Glade, compared with 2.8 percent across Palm Beach County. Buildings made before March 1, 2002 follow the Standard Building Code. Ask the permitting office which code applies to your home before you pick a roofing product.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof replacement

How much rain should a Belle Glade roof handle?

The 1991 to 2020 normal annual rainfall at Belle Glade on Lake Okeechobee is 55.22 inches. A 24-hour storm in a 10-year event drops 6.61 inches, and a 100-year event drops 11.1 inches. Check gutters and drains against those totals.

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

Nearby

Near Belle Glade

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More in Palm Beach County

Sources for this page(27)
  1. 1.Median year homes were built: 1979. 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.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  5. 5.Share of homes built before 1980: 50.9%. 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.Share of homes built 2010 or later: 9.5%. 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.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25004, B01001, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  8. 8.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  9. 9.Mobile homes, share of housing units: 12.8%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  10. 10.Hurricane Matthew (2016). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (AL142016). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  11. 11.Hurricane Dorian (2019). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Dorian (AL052019). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  12. 12.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.
  13. 13.Permit office: City of Belle Glade - Building and Permitting. City of Belle Glade - Building and Permitting. Read Oct 10, 2026.
  14. 14.NOAA Storm Prediction Center, preliminary storm reports 2024-10-09 (12Z-12Z). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  15. 15.Wikipedia, 'Belle Glade, Florida' (revision 1378508652). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  16. 16.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  17. 17.People (2020 Census): 16,698. U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census counts (POP100, HU100) via TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 layer 26 (Incorporated Places). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  18. 18.Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 42.6% (2,388 of 5,607). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  19. 19.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17), Citizens Property Insurance. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  20. 20.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (AL142016), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  21. 21.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Dorian (AL052019), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  22. 22.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  23. 23.City of Belle Glade - Building and Permitting, City of Belle Glade. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  24. 24.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  25. 25.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration 24-hour depth estimates at the Belle Glade 2020 Census internal point (26.6922, -80.6660), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  26. 26.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, floridaroof.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  27. 27.Miami-Dade County RER notice, Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.

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