Roof inspections in Palm Beach, FL

An inspector looks for the damage items insurers list: cracking, curling, heavy granule loss, exposed asphalt or felt, loose or missing tabs or tiles, soft decking and visible leaks in the attic or on ceilings. The 4-point form's roof section also records covering material, age, remaining useful life, last permit date and overall condition.

Because 64.9 percent of Palm Beach housing units sit in buildings with 10 or more units, many owners share one roof through an association. Ask your association for its roof records and inspection reports before ordering your own.

Wind mitigation uses a different document, form OIR-B1-1802. It covers roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections and roof shape, and it stays valid up to five years if nothing material changes.

• Before buying or selling, so roof age and condition are on paper.
• When your insurer's letter mentions roof age, since you have the right to an authorized inspector's report.
• After a named storm, before filing anything or signing a repair contract.
• Before any repair that nears the 25 percent line, because a roof built or redone to the 2007 code or later may only need the repaired part to meet current code.

With 39 percent of Palm Beach units held for seasonal or occasional use, many roofs sit unwatched for months. A leak can run a long time before anyone sees it, so an inspection before and after the summer storm season makes sense for those homes.

Florida Statute 489.147 bars a roofer from giving you anything of value in exchange for an inspection, and from advising you on what your coverage includes. Your insurer or agent is the right contact for any question about what your policy will pay. Permit questions go to the Town of Palm Beach Planning, Zoning & Building Department, which also publishes a Post-Storm Permitting Plan.