Roof repair in Fort Meade, FL

Florida's code caps patching at 25 percent of a roof or roof section across any 12-month period. If your repairs go past that cap, the whole roof or section must be replaced or recovered. This is the legal line between repair and replacement for a Fort Meade house.

There is one exception. A roof built, repaired or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or a later edition only has to meet current code in the portion you are repairing. Local governments have no power to alter that exception. The median home here was built in 1978, but that says nothing about any one roof. A roof falls under the 25 percent rule exception only if it was built, repaired or replaced in compliance with the 2007 Florida Building Code or any later edition, and the 2007 code took effect March 1, 2009, so confirm when your roof covering was last done before assuming the exception applies.

A permit for a small patch is not automatic. Florida's code leaves minor repairs to the building official's approval, and in Fort Meade that office is the City of Fort Meade Building Department, which issues permits and does inspections. Describe the repair to them before work starts.

• Stay off the roof. Look it over from the ground, then again from inside the attic.
• Look for missing or curled tabs, exposed felt, soft decking and stains on ceilings.
• Photograph damage before anything is moved, and cover openings only from a safe position.
• Mobile homes are 24% of Fort Meade housing units, so check metal edges and tie-downs too.

Roofing contractors in Florida are barred by law from soliciting insurance claims or giving advice about coverage. Your insurer or agent is the one to tell you what your policy pays for after a Helene-type wind event. A claim on a new loss must reach the insurer within 1 year of the date of loss.