Roof inspections in Highland Park, FL

Florida Statute 627.7011(5) draws the line at 15 years. A roof younger than that cannot be the sole reason an insurer declines to write or renew your homeowner's policy. At 15 years and older, you gain the right to hire an authorized inspector at your own cost. A finding of 5 or more years of useful life left stops the insurer from dropping you for age alone.

The insurer has to accept the inspector you choose, so ask it first. The statute lists licensed home inspectors, certified building code inspectors, licensed contractors, engineers and architects, plus anyone else the insurer recognizes as qualified. What your policy covers is a question for your insurer or agent, not for a roofer.

Applying to Citizens brings a separate requirement: a 4-point inspection for any property more than 20 years old. With 62.8 percent of Highland Park homes built before 1980, many local applicants would fall under that line. The roof section records covering material, roof age, remaining useful life, last permit date and overall condition.

An inspector looks for the damage items insurers ask about: cracked or curling shingles, heavy granule loss, exposed felt, loose or missing tabs, soft decking and visible leaks. They also photograph each roof slope. For a wind mitigation form, they check attic items you cannot see, such as deck nailing and roof-to-wall connectors.

• Before you buy or sell a Highland Park home, so the roof's condition is known up front.
• When an insurer's letter cites roof age and you want the 15-year inspection.
• After a Polk County storm, such as the 2016 tornado touchdown that knocked over a few trees near Highland Park.
• Before a Citizens application, which asks for a roof section on the 4-point form.

Roofers face limits on insurance talk. Fla. Stat. 489.147 bars a contractor from offering anything of value for an inspection and from advising on coverage. Questions about what your Highland Park policy pays belong with your insurer or agent.