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Inspections ยท Winter Haven

Roof inspections in Winter Haven, FL

Mobile homes make up 6.2 percent of Winter Haven's housing units, and a roof inspection works differently for them than for a site-built house. The 15-year insurance rule in Florida law does not apply to mobile home policies. Site-built homes here follow it, so the roof's age decides when you should order an inspection.

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Updated October 2026

White single-story city hall building with a flagpole and a Winter Haven City Hall sign on the lawn.
Top-down drone view of a gray-blend shingle roof with ridges, valleys and roof vents, lawn on both sides and a white fence at the left edge.Our work
Photo: Winter haven city hall winter haven florida by Connor J. Williams, CC BY 3.0, cropped

Winter Haven figures this page uses

Median year homes were built
1990
Share of homes built before 1980
33.8%
Mobile homes, share of housing units
6.2%
Seasonal, recreational or occasional-use homes (share of all units)
6.2%

Housing age

Why the age of Winter Haven roofs matters

The median home here was built in 1990, and 33.8 percent of homes predate 1980. That suggests many original roofs are likely past 15 years, and some past 25. An inspection tells you how much life the covering has left, which a glance from the driveway cannot.

Florida Statute 627.7011(5) sets the 15-year line. A Winter Haven roof under 15 years old cannot be the sole reason an insurer declines to write or renew your homeowner's policy. For an older roof, the insurer must let you have an authorized inspector check it, at your expense. A finding of 5 or more years of remaining life means roof age alone cannot be the basis for refusing you or dropping your policy.

The statute's list of authorized inspectors names a licensed home inspector, a building code inspector, a roofing or residential contractor, a professional engineer and an architect. The insurer has to accept the person you pick. Ask your insurer or agent whom it takes before you book anyone.

Inspection scope

What the roof inspector checks and writes down

The 4-point form that Citizens asks for has a roof section. It records the covering material, roof age, remaining useful life, the date of the last roofing permit, how much was replaced and the overall condition. Citizens requires the 4-point inspection for homes more than 20 years old.

  • Cracking, cupping or curling of the shingles
  • Heavy granule loss, bare asphalt or exposed felt
  • Missing, loose or cracked tabs or tiles
  • Soft spots in the decking
  • Leaks seen from the attic or as stains on ceilings

Citizens wants documentation of at least five years of remaining life for shingle roofs older than 25 years. Metal, tile and similar hard roofs get a 50-year line. A shingle roof near 1990 vintage may already be at that mark.

A separate wind mitigation form, OIR-B1-1802, covers roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections and sealed roof deck. Much of that is in the attic, where you cannot easily see it. A completed form can serve for up to five years, unless the structure changes or an error turns up.

Timing

When to order an inspection in Polk County

Order one when you buy, when you sell, or when your insurer sends a roof-age letter. Order one after a storm too. Polk County has taken Hurricane Irma, with 96 homes or businesses destroyed, and Hurricane Milton, which brought an 87 mph gust at Winter Haven Gilbert Airport.

Claim timing is strict. Notice of a new or reopened claim must reach your insurer within 1 year of the loss, and a supplemental claim within 18 months. Florida law also bars a roofer from offering anything of value for a roof inspection or advising you on coverage. Your insurer or agent answers coverage questions.

If your roof is in one of the five National Register historic districts, such as Interlaken, ask the city building office whether review applies. For permit history or later work, the City of Winter Haven runs its building permits through an online portal.

Request a roof inspection

Questions

Roof inspections in Winter Haven: questions

Does the 15-year roof rule apply to mobile homes in Winter Haven?

The 15-year roof rule is found in Florida Statute 627.7011(5), which covers homeowner's policies. Roofs that have reached 15 years of age are eligible for an inspection by an approved examiner, paid for by the homeowner. An insurer may not deny coverage or decline to renew solely because of the roof's age if that inspection confirms at least 5 years of remaining useful life. An insurer also may not refuse a policy solely because a roof is less than 15 years old. In Winter Haven, 19.3 percent of residents are 65 and older, so many households may face this question. For a mobile home policy, ask your insurer or agent what roof documentation it wants and whether it accepts a roofer's inspection.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API (release acs2024_5yr), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof inspections

What if my Winter Haven roof is older than 15 years?

Your insurer must let you have an authorized inspector check it at your expense. If the inspection shows 5 or more years of useful life left, the insurer may not refuse or non-renew solely because of roof age. The rule applies to homeowner policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2022. Confirm with your insurer who counts as an authorized inspector.

Source: Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof inspections

What does Citizens want to see for an older roof?

Citizens requires documentation of at least five years of remaining useful life for shingle roofs older than 25 years, and for hard roofs older than 50 years. It also asks for a 4-point inspection on properties more than 20 years old. The roof section records material, age, remaining life, permit date and damage. Photos of each roof slope are part of the form.

Source: Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17), read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof inspections

How long is a wind mitigation inspection good for?

The current form, OIR-B1-1802, is valid for up to five years. That holds only if no material changes were made to the structure and no errors are found on the form. A new roof covering would count as a material change. Ask your insurer how it applies the form to your Winter Haven home.

Source: Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26), read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof inspections

Nearby

Roof inspections near Winter Haven

Sources for this page(44)
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  2. 2.Share of homes built before 1980: 33.8%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API (release acs2024_5yr). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  3. 3.City of Winter Haven, Our Lakes. Read Oct 5, 2026.
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  12. 12.Seasonal, recreational or occasional-use homes (share of all units): 6.2%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25004 and B25001, via Census Reporter API (release acs2024_5yr). Read Oct 5, 2026.
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Roof inspections in Winter Haven

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