Palm Beach County ยท Town
Roofing in Haverhill, Florida
Haverhill began with permanent homes built in the 1940s on rural flatwood pineland among the Everglades wetlands. That history matters for your roof. The town's median home was built in 1984, and about 43 percent of homes here were built before 1980. Many of these roofs are likely past the age where insurers start asking questions, so knowing your roof's age and documented condition is the first step.
Updated October 2026
Housing age
What is the typical age of a roof in Haverhill, and why should that matter to you
The U.S. Census American Community Survey places the median build year for Haverhill homes at 1984, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 years. Only about 14 percent of homes were built in 2010 or later. That suggests many original or early roofs are now 25 years old or more, depending on the material and when it was last replaced.
For a soft-material roof such as shingle that is over 25 years old, Citizens Property Insurance asks for proof that at least five years of useful life remain. Hard roofs like tile or metal are held to a 50-year threshold instead. If your roof is past 25 years, keep your installation receipts and any inspection reports together, and confirm what your insurer requires with your agent.
Florida rules
Single-family homes and the 25 percent roof rule
About 87 percent of Haverhill's housing units are single-family detached homes, compared with 45.5 percent for Palm Beach County as a whole. Most roofing work here is therefore on single homes, where you are the one making the decision, not a condominium board.
Under the Florida Building Code, no more than 25 percent of a roof can be repaired, replaced or recovered in any 12-month period unless the entire roof system is replaced. If your existing roof was built or repaired under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, only the repaired portion must meet current code. Ask the Town of Haverhill Building Department how this applies to your roof before you start.
- First permanent homes were built in the 1940s on rural flatwood pineland among Everglades wetlands.
- 86.7% of housing units are single-family detached homes.
Permits and rain
Permits in Haverhill and the rain your roof takes
You apply for roof permits in Haverhill through the Town of Haverhill Building Department. Check the department's current page before you start, because the Florida Building Code's Ninth Edition takes effect December 31, 2026, and applications submitted on or after that date must comply with it.
Rain is a large factor locally. NOAA Atlas 14 estimates a 10-year, one-hour rain here falls at 3.44 inches per hour, and a 24-hour 10-year storm brings 9.1 inches. Those totals are why roof flashing, gutters and drainage matter as much as the shingles themselves.
Building permits
Town of Haverhill - Building Department
Official building pageOffice names and links only. Fees, forms and timing change; check the official page.
Storms
Hurricane season and what Palm Beach County has seen
Atlantic hurricane season stretches from June 1 through November 30, and the statistical high point falls on September 10. Storm activity tends to cluster between mid-August and mid-October. Palm Beach County sits outside the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, a designation that applies only to Miami-Dade and Broward.
During Hurricane Irma in 2017, storm surge produced 2 to 4 feet of inundation along coastal northern Palm Beach County, and a sensor in Boca Raton read 3.05 feet. Haverhill is inland, but wind-driven rain still reaches roofs here. Confirm your roof's condition and documentation with the Building Department and your insurer.
Services
Roofing services in Haverhill
- Roof replacementTear-off, deck, code items and the two inspections.Re-roofs in Haverhill
- Roof repairLeaks, lifted shingles, cracked tile and flashing.Repairs in Haverhill
- Roof inspectionsRoof age, condition and what an insurer asks about.Inspections in Haverhill
- Commercial roofingLow-slope systems, drainage and the code for buildings.Commercial roofs in Haverhill
- New construction roofingDry-in, the sheathing inspection and the code edition.New construction in Haverhill
- GuttersSizing for Florida rain, downspouts and fascia.Gutters in Haverhill
Questions
Haverhill roofing questions
What is the 25% roof rule in Florida?
Under the 25 percent rule, you can repair, replace or recover no more than a quarter of a roof within any 12-month window, unless the entire roof system gets replaced. Under the Florida Building Code, no more than 25 percent of total roof area can be worked on in that window. When your roof was built or repaired under the 2007 code or newer, only the section that was repaired has to satisfy today's code. Confirm how it applies to your roof with the Town of Haverhill Building Department.
Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), read Oct 5, 2026
What is the new law in Florida about roofs?
The 2023 Florida Building Code, Eighth Edition, went into effect on December 31, 2023. The Ninth Edition, dated 2026, becomes effective December 31, 2026, and permit applications submitted on or after that date must comply with it. Check with the Town of Haverhill Building Department for how the change affects your project.
Source: FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, read Oct 5, 2026
How old are most homes in Haverhill?
The median home in Haverhill was built in 1984, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 years. About 43 percent of homes were built before 1980. Roofs on homes this age are likely near or past 25 years, so keep records of your roof's installation and condition.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API, read Oct 5, 2026
Does Haverhill have many mobile homes?
The Census survey reports 0 percent of Haverhill's housing units as mobile homes. Most homes here are single-family detached houses, at about 87 percent of units. Your roof rules will generally follow single-family home requirements.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API, read Oct 5, 2026
How heavy is rain in Haverhill?
NOAA Atlas 14 estimates a 10-year storm here drops 3.44 inches in one hour and 9.1 inches in 24 hours. Heavy downpours like these test flashing, gutters and drainage. Have your roof's water-shedding details checked after heavy storms.
Source: NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Haverhill 2020 Census internal point (26.6910, -80.1217), read Oct 5, 2026
Palm Beach County
More in Palm Beach County
Sources for this page(27)
- 1.Median year homes were built: 1984. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 2.Share of homes built 2010 or later: 14.3%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 3.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 4.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.
- 5.Single-family detached share of housing units: 86.7%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 6.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 7.Hurricane Matthew (2016). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (AL142016). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 8.Hurricane Dorian (2019). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Dorian (AL052019). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 9.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.
- 10.Permit office: Town of Haverhill - Building Department. Town of Haverhill - Building Department. Read Oct 10, 2026.
- 11.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 12.Hurricane Irma (2017). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 13.Wikipedia, 'Haverhill, Florida' (revision 1377377577). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 14.Share of homes built before 1980: 43.4%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 15.Mobile homes, share of housing units: 0%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 16.People (2020 Census): 2,187. U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census counts (POP100, HU100) via TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 layer 26 (Incorporated Places). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 17.Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 77.5% (672 of 867). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 18.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17), Citizens Property Insurance. Read Oct 4, 2026.
- 19.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (AL142016), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 20.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Dorian (AL052019), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 21.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 22.Town of Haverhill - Building Department, Town of Haverhill. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 23.Miami-Dade County RER notice, Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 24.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Haverhill 2020 Census internal point (26.6910, -80.1217), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 25.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration 24-hour depth estimates at the Haverhill 2020 Census internal point (26.6910, -80.1217), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 26.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 27.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, floridaroof.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
South Fork Roofing
Roofing in Haverhill: tell us about yours.
Answer a few questions about your roof, or call.