Skip to content

Palm Beach County ยท Town

Roofing in Gulf Stream, Florida

Gulf Stream was planned in the early 1920s around the Gulf Stream club, so many of its homes are old enough that roof age matters. Census estimates put the median build year at 1979, and about 53 percent of homes were built before 1980. If your roof is original or near it, the questions below are the ones to check first.

Request a quote407-242-2840

Updated October 2026

Low aerial view over a gray-blend shingle roof with gables and valleys, palm trees, a street and parked cars behind.

At a glance

Gulf Stream homes at a glance

People (2020 Census)
954
Median year homes were built
1979
Share of homes built before 1980
53.3%
Share of homes built 2010 or later
10.5%
Owner-occupied share of occupied homes
90.8%

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

Roof age here

Roof age in a town where most homes predate 1980

Most homes in Gulf Stream are older than a typical roof lasts. The Census median build year is 1979, and 53.3 percent of homes were built before 1980. That suggests many original roofs are now several decades old, though the actual roof may have been replaced since the house went up.

Age matters for insurance. For shingle roofs over 25 years old, and for tile, slate, clay, concrete or metal roofs over 50 years old, Citizens Property Insurance will want paperwork showing at least five years of remaining useful life. Ask your insurer or agent which rule applies to your roof.

Permits and rules

Permits, code and the 25 percent rule in Gulf Stream

Roof permits in Gulf Stream are handled through the Town of Gulf Stream permit page. Check that page before work starts, since the town's permit process is the one that applies to your address.

The 25 percent rule limits how much of a roof can be repaired or replaced in a 12-month period without bringing the whole roof system up to current code. Not more than 25 percent of the roof area may be repaired, replaced or recovered in any 12-month period unless the entire roof covering is replaced or recovered.

Building permits

Town of Gulf Stream - Permits

Official building page

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

Storms and rain

Storms and rain in Gulf Stream

Palm Beach County is not in the Florida Building Code's High Velocity Hurricane Zone, which covers only Miami-Dade and Broward. Hurricane Irma in 2017 brought storm surge of 2 to 4 feet above ground along coastal northern Palm Beach County, and a sensor on the Intracoastal Waterway in Boca Raton read 3.05 feet.

Rain is heavy here. NOAA gives the 1991-2020 normal at West Palm Beach International Airport as 61.75 inches a year, and about 67 percent of that falls from May through October. Storms in the Atlantic basin are tracked from June 1 through November 30 each year.

NOAA Atlas 14 estimates a 1-hour rain in a 10-year storm at 3.51 inches an hour. Gutters, drains and roof edges should handle that volume without overflow.

Local record

On record for Gulf Stream

  • Planned in the early 1920s around the Gulf Stream club; named for the Atlantic current it faces.
  • 33.1% of all housing units are vacant and held for seasonal, recreational or occasional use.
  • Median owner-occupied home value or more.

Services

Roofing services in Gulf Stream

Questions

Gulf Stream roofing questions

What is the 25% rule for roofing in Florida?

Within any 12-month window, the 25 percent rule caps the share of an existing roof that may be fixed or replaced. Not more than 25 percent of the roof area may be repaired, replaced or recovered unless the entire roof covering is replaced. When the current roof was built or repaired under the 2007 code or newer, just the section that was repaired has to satisfy today's code. A city or county cannot change that exception through its own ordinance. Confirm how it applies to your roof with the Town of Gulf Stream permit office.

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 main change is the building code edition. Florida's 2023 Building Code became effective on December 31, 2023. Permit applications filed on or after December 31, 2026 will need to comply with the Ninth Edition, which goes into force that day. Ask the Town of Gulf Stream permit office which edition applies to your project before you sign a contract.

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 Gulf Stream?

Census data shows a median build year of 1979 for Gulf Stream homes, and 53.3 percent were built before 1980. That suggests many original roofs are past the age most roofs are replaced. Check your roof's installation date and permit history, and ask your insurer what documentation it needs.

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

Does Palm Beach County use the High Velocity Hurricane Zone rules?

No. The High Velocity Hurricane Zone covers Miami-Dade and Broward counties only, so Palm Beach County is not in it. Roofs in Gulf Stream fall under the ordinary Florida Building Code rules. Confirm the wind requirements for your project with the Town of Gulf Stream permit office.

Source: 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

Related: Roof repair

How much rain does Gulf Stream get?

NOAA gives the 1991-2020 normal at West Palm Beach International Airport as 61.75 inches a year, and about 67 percent falls from May through October. NOAA Atlas 14 estimates a 1-hour rain in a 10-year storm at 3.51 inches an hour. Gutter and drain capacity should be checked against those numbers.

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

Related: Gutters

Nearby

Near Gulf Stream

Palm Beach CountyOur 20 counties

Palm Beach County

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.Share of homes built before 1980: 53.3%. 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.Wikipedia, 'Gulf Stream, Florida' (revision 1375548398). 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 B25035, B25034, B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  6. 6.Permit office: Town of Gulf Stream - Permits. Town of Gulf Stream - Permits. Read Oct 10, 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.Hurricane Irma (2017). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  9. 9.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25004, 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.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  13. 13.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  14. 14.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  15. 15.People (2020 Census): 954. U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census counts (POP100, HU100) via TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 layer 26 (Incorporated Places). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  16. 16.Share of homes built 2010 or later: 10.5%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  17. 17.Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 90.8% (344 of 379). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  18. 18.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25077, 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.Town of Gulf Stream - Permits, Town of Gulf Stream. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  21. 21.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  22. 22.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, floridaroof.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  23. 23.Miami-Dade County RER notice, Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  24. 24.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  25. 25.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (AL142016), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  26. 26.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Dorian (AL052019), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  27. 27.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Gulf Stream 2020 Census internal point (26.4860, -80.0574), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.

South Fork Roofing

Roofing in Gulf Stream: tell us about yours.

Answer a few questions about your roof, or call.

Request a quote407-242-2840
CallGet a quote