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New construction ยท West Palm Beach

New construction roofing in West Palm Beach, FL

Only 11.6% of West Palm Beach homes were built in 2010 or later, yet the population rose from 117,415 in the 2020 Census to an estimated 122,290. Anyone building here now builds to the 2023 Florida Building Code, and permits submitted on or after December 31, 2026 fall under the Ninth Edition.

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Updated October 2026

A roof deck sheathed in red-brown ZIP System panels with black seam tape, a bucket and a ladder on the deck, homes and a street behind.

West Palm Beach figures this page uses

Share of homes built 2010 or later
11.6%
People (2020 Census)
117,415
Population estimate (ACS 5-year)
122,290
Share of homes in buildings with 10+ units
38.5%

Local know-how

Building new in West Palm Beach

New construction is a thin slice of a city whose median home dates to 1988, two years newer than the county's. Countywide, the Census Bureau's permit survey counted 2,495 single-family units permitted in 2025, down from 4,244 in 2020, plus 1,503 units in 67 buildings of five or more units, more than a third of the year's total. Multi-unit building is already a big part of the city's housing: 38.5% of homes here are in buildings of 10 or more units.

Permits inside the city come from the Development Services Building Division. The code lists the inspections for a new building in order: foundation, framing, sheathing with the roof dry-in, exterior wall coverings and soffits, roofing, and final (FBC-B 110.3). The roof appears twice, so build both visits into the schedule.

Flood paperwork is changing too. From October 1, 2026, Palm Beach County's Building Division requires a Flood Legend with new-construction permit applications; ask the city's Building Division about its own requirement for your lot.

Code

What a new West Palm Beach roof is built to

Roof sheathing on a new house is fastened with ring-shank nails, ASTM F1667 RSRS-03, or RSRS-01 or RSRS-04 on panels 15/32 inch or thinner (FBC-R R803.2.3.1). Shingle and metal roofs then get one of three dry-in methods: a fully adhered membrane over the whole deck, membrane strips or tape over every joint under the underlayment, or two layers of felt-type underlayment (R905.1.1.1).

Where eaves project less than 6 inches, the code requires gutters and downspouts that discharge at least 1 foot from the wall (R318.5). FEMA's Hurricane Michael advisory adds that soffits should be fastened at the wall and the fascia, since the 2007 code requires them to resist wall-level wind loads.

Since July 1, 2025, Fla. Stat. 553.837 requires the builder to warrant a new home for 1 year against defects in equipment, material or workmanship that cause a material violation of the Florida Building Code. Normal wear, settling, owner-caused defects and natural disasters are excluded. That is the builder's duty under the statute.

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Questions

New construction roofing in West Palm Beach: questions

Which code edition applies to a new home I permit in West Palm Beach?

It depends on the date the permit application goes in. The Eighth Edition, the 2023 Florida Building Code, has governed new permits since December 31, 2023, and any application filed on or after December 31, 2026 has to meet the Ninth Edition instead. If your plans are drawn now and submitted around that date, ask the city's Building Division in Development Services which edition your review will use, since the roof details follow the edition.

Related: New construction roofing

Can I be my own builder on a new house in West Palm Beach?

Florida's owner-builder exemption lets an owner who acts as his or her own contractor, and personally supervises the work, improve a one- or two-family residence for their own use (Fla. Stat. 489.103(7)(a)1.). The roof still has to meet the code and pass the sheathing and roofing inspections like any other. Ask the city's Building Division what it requires of owner-builders before you apply, and plan who will install the roof itself.

Related: New construction roofing

Does a new home in West Palm Beach need gutters?

Only in some cases under the code. FBC-R R318.5 requires gutters with downspouts where the eaves project less than 6 inches, except at gable-end rakes or a roof above another roof, and the downspouts must discharge at least 1 foot from the wall. In a city whose airport averages 61.75 inches of rain a year, gutters can still earn their place on wider eaves by moving that water away from the walls; the gutters page for West Palm Beach covers sizing.

Related

Sources for this page(56)
  1. 1.Share of homes built 2010 or later: 11.6%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  2. 2.People (2020 Census): 117,415. U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census counts (POP100, HU100) via TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 layer 26 (Incorporated Places). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  3. 3.Population estimate (ACS 5-year): 122,290. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B01003, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  4. 4.U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey county annual files (co2025a.txt, co2020a.txt). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  5. 5.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.
  6. 6.Share of homes in buildings with 10+ units: 38.5%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  7. 7.Permit office: City of West Palm Beach - Development Services - Building Division. City of West Palm Beach - Development Services - Building Division. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  8. 8.Palm Beach County PZB - Building Division home page. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  9. 9.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  10. 10.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  11. 11.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  12. 12.Miami-Dade County RER notice. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  13. 13.2023 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").
  14. 14.2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Chapter 8 (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).
  15. 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. 16.2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., R318.5 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription); FBC-Building 1503.7. Read Oct 5, 2026. FBC text read from UpCodes (unofficial transcription): check floridabuilding.org or the ICC viewer before quoting (spec 8.7).
  17. 17.FEMA. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  18. 18.Florida Statutes, section 489.113 (2026). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  19. 19.Florida Statutes, section 553.837 (2026). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  20. 20.Florida Statutes, section 489.103 (2026). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  21. 21.New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect (2024-02-13), Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  22. 22.Florida Building Code, Ninth Edition (2026): effective-date notice, Miami-Dade County RER. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  23. 23.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Ch. 1 (105.4.1 permit expiration, 110.3 required inspections), UpCodes viewer. Read Oct 5, 2026. unofficial transcription; verify on floridabuilding.org
  24. 24.2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Ch. 8 (R803.2.3.1 sheathing nails), UpCodes viewer. Read Oct 5, 2026. unofficial transcription; verify on floridabuilding.org
  25. 25.2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Ch. 9 (R903.4.2 gutters, R905.1.1.1 dry-in, R905.2.8.5 drip edge, R905.3 tile), UpCodes viewer. Read Oct 5, 2026. unofficial transcription; verify on floridabuilding.org
  26. 26.2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Ch. 3, R318.5 (gutters and downspout discharge), UpCodes viewer. Read Oct 5, 2026. unofficial transcription; verify on floridabuilding.org
  27. 27.Hurricane Michael in Florida, Recovery Advisory 2 (FL-RA2), June 2019, FEMA. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  28. 28.Fla. Stat. 489.113(3), Qualifications for practice; subcontracting (2026 Florida Statutes), The Florida Senate. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  29. 29.Fla. Stat. 553.837, builder warranties (2026 Florida Statutes; HB 623, effective July 1, 2025), The Florida Senate. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  30. 30.Fla. Stat. 489.103, Exemptions (2026 Florida Statutes), subsections (7) and (9), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  31. 31.U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census counts (POP100, HU100) via TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 layer 26 (Incorporated Places), U.S. Census Bureau. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  32. 32.U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, county annual file co2025a.txt (estimates with imputation), U.S. Census Bureau. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  33. 33.City of West Palm Beach - Development Services - Building Division, City of West Palm Beach. Read Oct 5, 2026. Official page checked 2026-10-05. Official municipal page opened in a browser on 2026-10-05; it names the building/permit function. The site refuses scripted requests.
  34. 34.NRCA roofing guidelines and consumer resources (roof life about 20 years; fall and spring checks), National Roofing Contractors Association. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  35. 35.Senate staff analysis, SB 808 (2026), pp. 3-4 (history of the statewide code), The Florida Senate. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  36. 36.Fla. Stat. 627.7011(5), roof age and homeowners policies (2026 Florida Statutes), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  37. 37.Fla. Stat. 718.112(2)(g), Structural integrity reserve study (2026 Florida Statutes), The Florida Senate. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  38. 38.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Ch. 2 Definitions (High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, wind-borne debris region), UpCodes viewer. Read Oct 5, 2026. unofficial transcription; verify on floridabuilding.org
  39. 39.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Ch. 1 (102.8, 105.1, 105.2.2, 107, 110.3), International Code Council (Florida Building Commission). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  40. 40.Tropical Cyclone Climatology, NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  41. 41.Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26), effective April 1, 2026, Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  42. 42.Wikipedia, 'List of municipalities in Florida', Wikipedia. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  43. 43.Wikipedia, 'West Palm Beach, Florida' (revision 1375341943), Wikipedia. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  44. 44.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API, U.S. Census Bureau. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  45. 45.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API, U.S. Census Bureau. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  46. 46.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Nicole (AL172022), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  47. 47.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Ian (AL092022), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  48. 48.NWS Miami, 'Palm Beach Gardens EF-2 Tornado - April 29th, 2023' StoryMap, NWS Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  49. 49.NWS Miami, 'Hurricane Milton' StoryMap (preliminary data); NHC Tropical Cyclone Report AL142024, NWS Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  50. 50.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Isaias (AL092020), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  51. 51.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology, NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  52. 52.Official website: City of West Palm Beach, Historic Preservation, Official website: City of West Palm Beach. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  53. 53.Florida Building Commission, 'Setting New Standards for Safety: The Florida Building Code' (2004 publication; wind-speed figures in it are outdated and not used), Florida Building Commission. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  54. 54.Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning & Building - Building Division, Palm Beach County. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  55. 55.Palm Beach County PZB - Building Division, Self-Issued Reroof Applications, Palm Beach County PZB - Building Division. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  56. 56.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service). Read Oct 5, 2026.

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New construction roofing in West Palm Beach

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