Palm Beach County ยท Census-designated place
Roofing in The Acreage, Florida
The Acreage sits on the line between developed eastern Palm Beach County and the agricultural west, about 18 miles northwest of West Palm Beach. That setting means county rules, not a city hall, govern your roof. Most homes here are single-family houses with a median build year of 1996, so roof age and insurer inspection rules matter to many owners.
Updated October 2026
Home age
How old are roofs in The Acreage?
The median home here was built in 1996, against 1986 for Palm Beach County. Only 6.9 percent of homes predate 1980, and 8.6 percent were built in 2010 or later. By our arithmetic, that leaves about 84.5 percent built between 1980 and 2009. That suggests many roofs in town have been replaced once already, but the date of your own roof is the only number that counts.
Insurers look at roof age. Florida Statute 627.7011(5) bars insurers from turning down or declining to renew a policy only because the roof is less than 15 years old. For a roof 15 or older, you may have an authorized inspector check it at your own expense. If that inspection shows 5 or more years of useful life left, age alone cannot be the reason to refuse or drop you. Check with your insurer or agent to see how this plays out on your own policy.
Rules
Permits and the 25 percent rule
The Acreage is unincorporated, so roof permits come from the Palm Beach County Building Division, part of Planning, Zoning & Building. Before any work begins, verify the current permit requirements with that office. Your roof here is not held to the stricter High Velocity Hurricane Zone standards that apply to Miami-Dade and Broward.
Florida's 25 percent rule says that repairing or replacing more than 25 percent of a roof section in 12 months means replacing that whole section. An exception applies if the roof itself was built, repaired or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later. After that, just the section you repaired has to meet present code. A 1996 house with its original roof does not qualify for that exception.
Permits expire. Work must start within 6 months of issuance, and a permit also lapses if work stops for 6 months. Applications are treated as abandoned 180 days after filing unless you pursue them. The Ninth (2026) Edition of the code takes effect December 31, 2026, and applications filed on or after that date must follow it.
Building permits
Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning & Building - Building Division
Official building pageOffice names and links only. Fees, forms and timing change; check the official page.
Weather
Storms and rain that test roofs here
Hurricane Milton's EF-3 tornado on October 9, 2024 crossed The Acreage and intensified near Northlake Boulevard at the north end of town. Roofs here have faced real wind, not just rain. Hurricane season here stretches from June 1 through November 30, with the busiest stretch around September 10.
Rain is heavy and seasonal. At West Palm Beach Intl Airport, 67.3 percent of normal annual rain falls from May to October, and August is the wettest month at 8.68 inches. Expect a 100-year storm to dump 15.2 inches of rain within a single day. Local flooding sometimes closes roads every year, so ask where water drains off your roof and lot.
Hiring
Checking a roofer before you sign
Florida law says a contractor holding out as a roofing contractor must be certified or registered as one. Ask for the license number and look it up with the state. Any product sold as hurricane or impact protection must carry Florida product approval, searchable by FL number in the Florida Building Commission lookup.
Get a Notice of Commencement recorded before the crew starts. The permit card cautions that if you skip this step, you could end up paying for the same improvements twice. Once recorded, the notice has to be posted at the job site ahead of the first inspection.
Local record
On record for The Acreage
- Wikipedia notes isolated local flooding every year that sometimes closes roads.
- Hurricane Milton's EF-3 tornado (Oct 9, 2024) crossed The Acreage and intensified near Northlake Boulevard at its north end.
- 95.2% of housing units are single-family detached homes.
Services
Roofing services in The Acreage
- Roof replacementTear-off, deck, code items and the two inspections.Re-roofs in The Acreage
- Roof repairLeaks, lifted shingles, cracked tile and flashing.Repairs in The Acreage
- Roof inspectionsRoof age, condition and what an insurer asks about.Inspections in The Acreage
- Commercial roofingLow-slope systems, drainage and the code for buildings.Commercial roofs in The Acreage
- New construction roofingDry-in, the sheathing inspection and the code edition.New construction in The Acreage
- GuttersSizing for Florida rain, downspouts and fascia.Gutters in The Acreage
Questions
The Acreage roofing questions
What is the 25 percent roof rule in The Acreage?
It is the Florida Building Code rule that more than 25 percent of a roof section cannot be repaired or replaced in 12 months without redoing the whole section. The exception covers roofs built or replaced under the 2007 code or later. The Acreage's median home dates to 1996, so a roof from the original build does not qualify. The Palm Beach County Building Division issues permits here.
Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), read Oct 5, 2026
Who issues roof permits in The Acreage?
The Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning & Building Division issues them. The Acreage is an unincorporated census-designated place, so no town hall handles permits. Verify the latest steps with the county building office. Under the terms, a permit expires if work hasn't started within 6 months or if activity sits idle for 6 months.
Source: Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning & Building - Building Division, read Oct 5, 2026
Can my insurer drop me because my roof is 15 years old?
Not on age alone if you take the inspection route. For a roof 15 or older, you may have an authorized inspector check it at your own expense. If it shows 5 or more years of useful life left, the insurer may not refuse or non-renew solely for age. Many homes here date to 1996, so this affects owners. Reach out to your insurer or agent for details on your coverage.
Source: Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026), read Oct 4, 2026
How do I tell if a roofer is lying?
Ask for the license number and check it with the state before you sign anything. Under Fla. Stat. 489.113(3), a contractor may not advertise as a roofing contractor unless certified or registered as one. Also ask for the Florida product approval number on any shingles or tiles sold as hurricane protection, and look it up on the Florida Building Commission site by FL number. Many homes in this area were built around 1996, so an older roof may need a closer look. A roofer who refuses to give a license number or product approval number is a red flag.
Source: Florida Statutes, section 489.113 (2026), read Oct 5, 2026
When is the wettest time for roofs in The Acreage?
May through October. At West Palm Beach Intl Airport, 67.3 percent of normal annual rain falls in those months, and August is the wettest at 8.68 inches. Hurricane season is in effect from June 1 through November 30. Schedule inspections before June where you can.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service), read Oct 5, 2026
Palm Beach County
More in Palm Beach County
Sources for this page(31)
- 1.Median year homes were built: 1996. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 2.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 3.Share of homes built before 1980: 6.9%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 4.Share of homes built 2010 or later: 8.6%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 5.Wikipedia, 'The Acreage, Florida' (revision 1376961744). 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.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.
- 11.Permit office: Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning & Building - Building Division. Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning & Building - Building Division. Read Oct 10, 2026.
- 12.NWS Miami, 'Hurricane Milton' StoryMap (Oct 9, 2024 tornado outbreak; preliminary data). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 13.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 14.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 15.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 16.Single-family detached share of housing units: 95.2%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 17.People (2020 Census): 41,654. U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census counts (POP100, HU100) via TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 layer 28 (Census Designated Places). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 18.Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 92.7% (12,236 of 13,197). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 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.Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 4, 2026.
- 22.Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning & Building - Building Division, Palm Beach County Planning. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 23.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, floridaroof.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 24.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 25.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 26.Miami-Dade County RER notice, Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 27.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration 24-hour depth estimates at The Acreage 2020 Census internal point (26.7742, -80.2769), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 28.Florida Statutes, section 489.113 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 29.Florida Statutes, section 553.842 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 30.Florida Building Commission, Florida Building Commission. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 31.Florida Statutes, section 713.135 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
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