New construction ยท Palm Beach County
New construction roofing in Palm Beach County, FL
Palm Beach County permitted 2,495 new single-family homes in 2025, down from 4,244 in 2020, plus 1,503 units in buildings of five or more. Every one of those roofs is built to the edition of the Florida Building Code in force when its permit was submitted, and that edition changes on December 31, 2026.
Updated October 2026
New construction roofing in Palm Beach County, in short
A new roof here is permitted with the building by the county Building Division or the city, then inspected at sheathing and dry-in and again at the finished roof. Permits submitted on or after December 31, 2026 fall under the Ninth Edition. From October 1, 2026 the county also wants a Flood Legend with new-construction applications, and the builder must warrant the home for a year.
Growth
Where the county is still building
New housing has slowed but not stopped. Census permit counts show 4,244 single-family homes in 2020, 2,897 in 2024 and 2,495 in 2025. Multi-unit permits rose from 1,035 units in 74 buildings of five or more units in 2024 to 1,503 units in 67 such buildings in 2025.
Westlake shows where the open land was. Incorporated June 22, 2016 on former farmland, it is the county's 39th and newest municipality. Countywide, only 9.2% of homes were built in 2010 or later, so new roofs remain a small share of what stands.
Code
Eighth or Ninth Edition: the date decides
A Palm Beach County home whose permit application goes in now is built to the Eighth Edition of the Florida Building Code, in force since December 31, 2023. Its successor, the Ninth Edition, starts December 31, 2026, and governs every permit application and set of plans submitted from that day on. A house submitted this fall and one submitted in January can be built to different editions.
Either way, the code orders the inspections: framing with trusses and connectors, then sheathing and dry-in, then exterior walls and soffits in progress, then roofing, then final (FBC-B 110.3). For shingle and metal roofs, dry-in means one of three underlayment methods, from a fully adhered membrane over the whole deck to two layers of felt-type underlayment with cap nails (FBC-R R905.1.1.1).
Site rules
Flood Legend, gutters and downspouts
From October 1, 2026, Palm Beach County's Building Division requires a Flood Legend with permit applications for new construction, substantial improvements and standalone equipment installations. Flood exposure runs wide here: 47,856 flood insurance policies are in force countywide.
The roof edge has its own rule. Gutters with downspouts are required on new homes whose eaves project less than 6 inches, except at gable rakes or over a lower roof, and downspouts must discharge at least 1 foot from the wall (FBC-R R318.5). The county gutters page covers sizing for local rain.
Who does what
Builders, roofers and the defect law
A general, building or residential contractor must subcontract roofing unless it holds a roofing certificate or registration. The one exception lets it install asphalt or fiberglass shingles, or wood shingles and shakes, on a new building of its own construction; tile, metal and membrane roofs go to a roofing contractor (Fla. Stat. 489.113(3)).
Under Fla. Stat. 553.837, in force since July 1, 2025, the builder of a new home warrants it for a year against equipment, material or workmanship defects that materially violate the Florida Building Code. Wear and tear, settling, damage the owner causes and acts of God such as natural disasters fall outside that duty. Owners may also hire a private provider for plan review or inspections (Fla. Stat. 553.791).
New construction
New construction roofing by town in Palm Beach County
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Questions
New construction roofing in Palm Beach County: questions
Which code edition applies to a new home permitted in Palm Beach County?
The edition in force when the permit application is submitted. Applications submitted before December 31, 2026 fall under the 2023 Eighth Edition; those submitted on or after that date must comply with the Ninth Edition. The rule is statewide, so it is the same whether your lot is unincorporated, with the county Building Division, or inside a city such as Wellington or Palm Beach Gardens. Ask your builder which date your application carries.
Source: Ninth Edition notice, Oct 2026.
Does a new home in Palm Beach County need gutters?
Only if its eaves are short. The Florida Building Code requires gutters with downspouts on buildings whose eaves project less than 6 inches, except at gable end rakes or on a roof above another roof, and the downspouts must carry water at least 1 foot from the wall. Where they are optional, the county's rain is the case for them: 61.75 inches a year at the West Palm Beach airport.
Source: FBC-R R318.5, Oct 2026.
Can my builder install the roof without a roofing contractor?
Only for shingle roofs on a building of its own construction. Florida requires a general, building or residential contractor to subcontract roofing unless it holds a roofing certificate or registration; the exception covers asphalt or fiberglass shingles and wood shingles or shakes on its own new building. A tile, metal or membrane roof needs a roofing contractor even then. With 2,495 single-family homes permitted in Palm Beach County in 2025, it is worth asking your builder who will roof yours.
Source: Fla. Stat. 489.113, Oct 2026.
Does the builder's one-year defect duty cover storm damage?
No. Fla. Stat. 553.837 makes a builder warrant a new home for one year against code-violating defects in equipment, material or workmanship, but it excludes acts of God such as a natural disaster, along with normal wear and tear, settling and owner-caused defects. Palm Beach County has seen 13 FEMA declarations since 2016, so a new roof here may meet a storm early. For storm damage, talk to your insurer or agent about what your policy covers.
Source: Fla. Stat. 553.837, Oct 2026.
Palm Beach County
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Sources for this page(31)
- 1.U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey county annual files (co2025a.txt, co2020a.txt). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 2.Wikipedia, 'Westlake, Florida'. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 3.New residential building permits, 2025 (county total): 2,495 single-family units; 230 units in 2-4 unit buildings; 1,503 units in 67 buildings with 5+ units. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, county annual file co2025a.txt (estimates with imputation). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 4.New residential building permits, 2024 (county total): 2,897 single-family units; 157 units in 2-4 unit buildings; 1,035 units in 74 buildings with 5+ units. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, county annual file co2024a.txt (estimates with imputation). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 5.New residential building permits, 2020 (county total): 4,244 single-family units; 156 units in 2-4 unit buildings; 3,099 units in 111 buildings with 5+ units. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, county annual file co2020a.txt (estimates with imputation). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 6.Share of homes built 2010 or later: 9.2%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 7.Palm Beach County PZB - Building Division home page. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 8.NFIP flood insurance policies in force: 47,856. OpenFEMA FIMA NFIP Redacted Policies v2 (count query: effective on or before and terminating after 2026-10-05). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 9.Permit office: Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning & Building - Building Division. Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning & Building - Building Division. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 10.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 11.FEMA disaster and emergency declarations since 2016 (excluding COVID-19): EM-3377 Hurricane Matthew; EM-3385 Hurricane Irma; EM-3419 Hurricane Dorian; EM-3533 Hurricane Isaias; EM-3584 Tropical Storm Ian; EM-3587 Tropical Storm Nicole; EM-3622 Hurricane Milton; DR-4283 Hurricane Matthew; DR-4337 Hurricane Irma; DR-4468 Hurricane Dorian; DR-4673 Hurricane Ian; DR-4680 Hurricane Nicole; DR-4834 Hurricane Milton. OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2 (declarations since 2016-01-01 for this county). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 12.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 13.Miami-Dade County RER notice. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 14.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026. FBC text read from UpCodes (unofficial transcription): check floridabuilding.org or the ICC viewer before quoting (spec 8.7). Source URL inherited from C-3 (the research cites it "as C-3").
- 15.2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Chapter 9 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026. FBC text read from UpCodes (unofficial transcription): check floridabuilding.org or the ICC viewer before quoting (spec 8.7). Source URL inherited from COM-29 (the research cites it "as COM-29").
- 16.2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Chapter 3 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026. FBC text read from UpCodes (unofficial transcription): check floridabuilding.org or the ICC viewer before quoting (spec 8.7).
- 17.Florida Statutes, section 489.113 (2026). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 18.Florida Statutes, section 553.837 (2026). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 19.Florida Statutes, section 553.791 (2026). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 20.National Roofing Contractors Association, National Roofing Contractors Association. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 21.FBCR Ch. 9, International Code Council (Florida Building Commission). Read Oct 4, 2026.
- 22.Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 4, 2026.
- 23.FBC-B 2023 Ch. 1, International Code Council (Florida Building Commission). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 24.FBCR 2023 Ch. 9, International Code Council (Florida Building Commission). Read Oct 4, 2026.
- 25.OIR form, Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. Read Oct 4, 2026.
- 26.FBCR Ch. 2, International Code Council (Florida Building Commission). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 27.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 v2, 5-minute 10-year rates at ten Florida points (8.71 in/hr Orlando to 11.3 in/hr West Palm Beach), NOAA National Weather Service, Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026. Ten points pulled 2026-10-05 through the PFDS endpoint.
- 28.NWS Miami, 'Palm Beach Gardens EF-2 Tornado - April 29th, 2023' StoryMap, NOAA / National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 29.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service), NOAA / National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 30.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology, NOAA / National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 31.NWS Miami, Weather Safety - Lightning, NOAA / National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.
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New construction roofing in Palm Beach County
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