Roof replacement in West Palm Beach, FL

Under the Florida Building Code, a permit becomes invalid if work doesn't start within 6 months of issue, or if work is suspended or abandoned for 6 months (FBC-B 105.4.1). A job counts as in active progress when the permit has passed an inspection within the last 180 days. The city's Building Division can tell you the status of a permit on your address, which also matters later: the Citizens 4-point form asks for the date of the last roofing permit.

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Sometimes not, and the code decides. A full tear-off is required when the old roof is water-soaked or too deteriorated to be a base, when it already has two or more layers, or when it is wood shake, slate, or clay or cement tile (FBC-R R908.3). The 8th Edition also marks its roof re-cover sections 'Reserved,' so ask the city's Building Division how it treats an overlay before planning one. On a house from the city's 1988 median year, a tear-off also lets the deck nailing be checked against today's table.

It changes what the report records. The state form, OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26), asks about deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections, the roof covering and its product approval, and whether there is a secondary water barrier. A re-roof to current code adds re-nailing and a sealed deck, so a new inspection after the job documents them; the form stays valid up to five years if nothing material changes. What any credit is worth is between you and your insurer or agent. Half the city's homes predate 1988, so an older report may describe an earlier roof.