Roof repair in New Port Richey, FL

Florida's building code sets a 12-month ceiling on patching: 25 percent of a roof or roof section. Exceed it on a New Port Richey house and the covering on the entire roof section has to be replaced or recovered. A roof built or redone to the 2007 Florida Building Code or later is the exception, and for those only the repaired area must satisfy today's code.

Age decides which side of that line you are on. The median home here was built in 1980, and 51% of housing units predate 1980. That suggests many original roofs here are well past 2007 vintage, so a large repair may trigger the full-roof requirement.

Mobile homes make up 14.5 percent of the city's housing units. Their roofs are repaired by the same rules on permits and contractor scope, so ask the building office what applies to yours.

Roof permits in New Port Richey go through the City Building Division, which handles construction review, permitting and inspections within city limits. The state code leaves small repairs to the building official, who may approve ordinary minor repairs without a permit. Call the Building Division before work starts and ask.

• Stay off a wet or damaged roof. Look from the ground.
• Photograph missing shingles, exposed felt and ceiling stains.
• Put a tarp or dry-in on any opening, then keep the receipts.
• Check the attic for daylight, wet insulation and soft decking.

Florida law bars a roofing contractor from advising you on coverage or from offering anything of value for a roof inspection. Coverage questions go to your own insurer or agent, not to the roofer. The statute also requires a bold notice in every residential roof contract telling you to check coverage first.