Roof inspections in Palm Beach Shores, FL

Under Florida Statute 627.7011(5), an insurer may not refuse to issue or renew your policy solely because a roof is under 15 years old. Once a roof reaches 15 years, the insurer must let you hire an authorized inspector, at your expense. If that inspector finds 5 or more years of useful life left, the insurer may not refuse or non-renew you for age alone. That rule applies to policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2022.

The roof section of the 4-point form records the covering material, roof age, remaining useful life, last permit date, whether replacement was full or partial, and overall condition. Citizens requires this inspection for properties more than 20 years old. Photos of every slope let the form replace the separate Roof Inspection Form. Ask your insurer or agent which form your policy needs.

Citizens also wants proof of at least five years of remaining life for shingle roofs older than 25 years, and for tile or metal roofs older than 50 years. Whether your own policy covers a given loss is for your insurer or agent to answer, and the 25.7 percent... of seasonal homes here are no exception.

An inspector looks at the damage items the insurer forms list: cracking, curling, heavy granule loss, exposed felt or asphalt, loose or missing tabs or tiles, soft spots in the decking, and leaks in the attic or on ceilings. A wind mitigation inspection adds attic items you cannot see from the ground, such as deck nailing and roof-to-wall connectors. Photos back each finding.

• Before you buy or sell a home in town.
• After a notice from your insurer that mentions roof age.
• After a named storm, since Hurricane Irma in 2017 put 2-4 ft of surge above ground along coastal Palm Beach County.
• Before leaving for the season, if your home sits empty.

Roof work here goes through the Town of Palm Beach Shores Building Department, which also handles roof permits. Confirm permit steps with that office before work starts. The site sits between the Atlantic and the lagoon, and water is 43.8% of the town's area.