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Inspections ยท Belle Glade

Roof inspections in Belle Glade, FL

About 12.8 percent of the housing units in Belle Glade are mobile homes, and the 15-year roof rule does not reach their policies. Just over half of the town's homes went up before 1980. Below: what an inspection checks and when to order one.

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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.
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.Our work
Photo: Belle Glade FL West Avenue A01 by Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped

Belle Glade figures this page uses

Median year homes were built
1979
Share of homes built before 1980
50.9%
Mobile homes, share of housing units
12.8%
Owner-occupied share of occupied homes
42.6%

Housing age

Belle Glade's older homes and mobile homes

The median home here was built in 1979, and 50.9 percent of homes predate 1980. That suggests many original roofs are long past 15 years, though a replacement may have been done since. Palm Beach County as a whole has a median build year of 1986, so Belle Glade runs older than the county.

Mobile homes make up 12.8 percent of units here, against 2.8 percent countywide. Those homes follow federal HUD rules, not the Florida Building Code. The Senate's staff analysis leaves mobile home policies outside the 15-year roof statute, so a Belle Glade mobile home owner should ask the insurer what it wants to see.

Only 42.6 percent of occupied homes are owner-occupied. If you rent a home out, the inspection report is the document your insurer or a buyer will want to see.

The 15-year rule

What the 15-year rule and insurer forms ask of a Belle Glade roof

State law bars an insurer from dropping or declining a homeowner's policy over roof age alone when the roof is younger than 15 years. Once a roof reaches 15, you may hire an authorized inspector at your own cost. If that report shows 5 or more years of useful life left, age alone is not grounds for refusal or non-renewal.

On properties more than 20 years old, Citizens requires a 4-point inspection. With the 1979 median build year here, many Belle Glade homes cross that line. The roof section records covering material, roof age, remaining life, last roofing permit, and damage. Photos of every slope let it stand in for the stand-alone roof form.

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

Ordering one

Knowing the right time to book an inspection, and which parts of the roof the inspector examines

The inspector looks at the damage list insurers use: cracking, curling, granule loss, exposed felt, missing or loose tabs, soft decking, and leaks on the underside of the decking or on ceilings. A wind mitigation inspection adds attic items you cannot see, such as deck nailing and roof-to-wall connections.

  • Before you buy or sell a home built before 1980, which describes about half of Belle Glade homes.
  • When an insurer sends a letter about roof age.
  • After a storm. A tornado was observed about 6 miles east-northeast of Belle Glade during Hurricane Milton on October 9, 2024.
  • Before a wind mitigation form, which stays valid up to five years if nothing material changes.

Roof permits are handled by the City of Belle Glade Building and Permitting office. Confirm with that office whether your roof needs a permit before work starts. A roofer cannot advise you on what your policy covers, so take coverage questions to your insurer or agent.

Request a roof inspection

Questions

Roof inspections in Belle Glade: questions

What is the 15 year roof rule in Florida?

Under Fla. Stat. 627.7011(5), an insurer cannot refuse a homeowner's policy solely because the roof is under 15 years old. If your roof is 15 years old or more, you can bring in an authorized inspector of your choosing, and the insurer must allow it, though you cover the cost. If that inspection shows 5 or more years of useful life left, the insurer may not refuse or non-renew for age alone. In Belle Glade, where 50.9 percent of homes predate 1980, many owners may face this.

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

Does the 15-year rule apply to my mobile home in Belle Glade?

Whether the 15-year roof rule reaches a mobile home policy is a question for your insurer, because the provision in Fla. Stat. 627.7011(5) is written for homeowner's policies. Where this rule applies, an insurer cannot decline coverage or non-renew a policy solely because the roof is under 15 years old. If your roof is 15 years or older, you can pay for an authorized inspector to check it, and the insurer cannot refuse or non-renew solely for age when that inspection shows 5 or more years of useful life remaining. In Belle Glade, 50.9 percent of homes were built before 1980, so many roofs here are old enough to matter. Ask your insurer or agent what roof documentation they require.

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 inspections

Who can do a roof inspection for my insurer?

State law lists licensed home inspectors, building code inspectors, licensed contractors including roofing contractors, engineers, and architects, and your insurer has to accept the one you choose. Citizens wants its roof form signed by a contractor, building code inspector or Florida-licensed home inspector, with photos of each slope. With the median Belle Glade home built in 1979, ask your insurer which of these it accepts before you book.

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

How long do I have to report storm damage to my roof?

Notice must reach your insurer within 1 year of the date of loss for a new or reopened claim, or the claim is barred. A supplemental claim gets 18 months. Hurricane Milton came through on October 9, 2024, and a tornado was seen about 6 miles east-northeast of Belle Glade. Your own deadline is something your insurer or agent can confirm.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center, preliminary storm reports 2024-10-09 (12Z-12Z), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof inspections

Nearby

Roof inspections near Belle Glade

Sources for this page(33)
  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.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.
  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.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.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  6. 6.Hurricane Matthew (2016). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (AL142016). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  7. 7.Hurricane Dorian (2019). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Dorian (AL052019). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  8. 8.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.
  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.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.
  11. 11.NOAA Storm Prediction Center, preliminary storm reports 2024-10-09 (12Z-12Z). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  12. 12.Permit office: City of Belle Glade - Building and Permitting. City of Belle Glade - Building and Permitting. Read Oct 10, 2026.
  13. 13.Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  14. 14.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  15. 15.Insp4pt 03 25. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  16. 16.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  17. 17.Citizens 4-Point Inspection Form, Sample Form Insp4pt 03 25. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  18. 18.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  19. 19.OIR form. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  20. 20.Florida Statutes, section 489.147 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  21. 21.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  22. 22.Florida Statutes, section 627.70132 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  23. 23.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (AL142016), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  24. 24.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Dorian (AL052019), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  25. 25.City of Belle Glade - Building and Permitting, City of Belle Glade. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  26. 26.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  27. 27.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  28. 28.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  29. 29.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.
  30. 30.Wikipedia, 'Belle Glade, Florida' (revision 1378508652), Wikipedia. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  31. 31.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology, NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  32. 32.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, floridaroof.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  33. 33.Miami-Dade County RER notice, Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.

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