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Repairs ยท Longboat Key

Roof repair in Longboat Key, FL

In 2024, Hurricane Helene pushed a storm tide of 6.68 ft above MHHW past the USGS sensor on Longboat Key. Milton followed with 5.04 ft. Water and wind found the weak spots on island roofs: flashing, vents, ridge caps and valleys.

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Updated October 2026

Two-storey white historic house surrounded by palms and shrubs along a sandy path in daylight.
Close view across a gray shingle roof slope with a black pipe boot, a palm and a green lawn below.Our work
Photo: Longboat Key FL Jordan House06 by Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped

Longboat Key figures this page uses

Share of homes built before 2000
93.3%
Median year homes were built
1980
Housing units (ACS 5-year)
9,935
Owner-occupied share of occupied homes
93.6%

Storm damage

Where Longboat Key roofs leak after a storm

FEMA's field teams found that damaged roof coverings were a primary source of water intrusion in high winds. Lost ridge vents are a common weak point. In one FEMA example, ceilings collapsed although the only visible damage was missing ridge shingles and vent.

Flashing is the next place to look. Leaks follow wall-to-roof joints, changes of slope and roof openings, which are the spots the code requires flashing. Soffits also fail often in hurricanes, and water gets in behind them.

Here, 93.3 percent of homes were built before 2000, and the median build year is 1980. That suggests many Longboat Key roofs have seen more than one hurricane season of wear. Check older roofs for loose tabs, exposed felt and soft decking.

Repair or replace

How the 25% rule affects the choice between repairing and replacing

In any 12-month period, patching in Florida cannot cover more than 25 percent of a roof or roof section. Beyond that point, the entire roof or section has to be replaced or recovered. One exception exists for a roof built, repaired or replaced to the 2007 Florida Building Code or later. For that roof, the repaired portion alone must meet today's code.

With Helene and Milton both hitting in 2024, a second repair within 12 months can push a roof over that line. The island also has 9,935 housing units, and 93.6 percent of occupied homes are owner-occupied, so most of these decisions fall to the owner.

Mobile homes make up 4.2 percent of housing units here. Because they follow the HUD code, check with the building office to learn which rules govern your home.

Permits and safety

Permits and safe steps after a storm

Longboat Key requires a FEMA Substantial Damage/Improvement form with every building permit. Repairs subject to that review must be permitted through the Town. Confirm with the Town's Building Division whether a small repair needs a permit.

The town is split between Manatee County and Sarasota County, with 4,759 of its 2,020 residents on the Sarasota side and 2,746 on the Manatee side. Permits still come from the Town. Sarasota County's virtual re-roof inspections are a county service.

  • Stay off a wet or damaged roof.
  • Photograph damage from the ground.
  • Cover openings with a tarp only if you can do it safely from the ground or a ladder.
  • Check ceilings for stains and sagging.
  • Within 1 year of the date of loss, tell your insurer about it.
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Questions

Roof repair in Longboat Key: questions

What is the 25% roof rule in Florida?

The Florida Building Code allows repair, replacement or recovery of no more than 25 percent of a roof or roof section in any 12-month period, unless the whole roof or section is replaced or recovered. If the roof was built, repaired or replaced to the 2007 code or a later one, an exception applies. In that case, current code covers only the repaired portion. After the two 2024 storms on Longboat Key, a second repair in the same year can matter.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof repair

Do I need a permit for a roof repair on Longboat Key?

The Town of Longboat Key Building Division handles roof permits. The Town requires a FEMA Substantial Damage/Improvement form with every building permit, and repairs subject to that review must be permitted. Florida code lets the building official approve ordinary minor repairs without a permit, so ask the Building Division before work starts.

Source: Town of Longboat Key, Post Hurricane Helene & Milton Building Permitting Information (official), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof repair

How old does a roof have to be before my insurer can ask about it?

When a roof is 15 years or older, you can have an authorized inspector examine it at your expense, and the insurer has to allow that. If the inspection shows 5 or more years of useful life remaining, the insurer may not refuse or non-renew based on age alone. With a median home build year of 1980 on Longboat Key, many roofs may be near or past that age. For details on how this affects your own coverage, ask your agent or insurance company.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof repair

Where do roofs usually fail in a hurricane?

FEMA teams found water intrusion most often where roof coverings were damaged or ridge vents and soffits were lost. Flashing at wall joints, slope changes and roof openings is another common leak point. Milton brought 5.04 ft above MHHW at the Longboat Key sensor in 2024, with significant waves on top, so inspect these areas after any major storm.

Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Milton, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof repair

Nearby

Roof repair near Longboat Key

Sources for this page(33)
  1. 1.Share of homes built before 2000: 93.3%. U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  2. 2.Median year homes were built: 1980. U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  3. 3.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Helene. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  4. 4.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Milton. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  5. 5.Housing units (ACS 5-year): 9,935. U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25001, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  6. 6.Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 93.6%. U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  7. 7.Mobile homes, share of housing units: 4.2%. U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  8. 8.Permit office: Town of Longboat Key - Building Division (Planning, Zoning & Building). Town of Longboat Key - Building Division (Planning, Zoning & Building). Read Oct 10, 2026.
  9. 9.Town of Longboat Key, Post Hurricane Helene & Milton Building Permitting Information (official). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  10. 10.Town of Longboat Key, Building Division (official). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  11. 11.Wikipedia, "Longboat Key, Florida" (secondary source). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  12. 12.Computed from the 2020 Census Block Assignment File and 2020 block counts. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  13. 13.Sarasota County Planning and Development Services - Building (official; Internet Archive snapshot 2026-04-19). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  14. 14.Hurricane Eta (2020). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Eta. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  15. 15.Hurricane Ian (2022). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Ian. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  16. 16.FEMA FL-RA2. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  17. 17.FBCR Ch. 9. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  18. 18.Citizens 4-Point Inspection Form, Sample Form Insp4pt 03 25. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  19. 19.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026. FBC text read from UpCodes (unofficial transcription): check floridabuilding.org or the ICC viewer before quoting (spec 8.7).
  20. 20.Florida Statutes, section 553.844 (2026). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  21. 21.2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., chapter 9 roof assemblies (ICC viewer). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  22. 22.FBC-B 2023 Ch. 1. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  23. 23.Florida Statutes, section 627.70132 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  24. 24.Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  25. 25.U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API, U.S. Census Bureau (via Census Reporter). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  26. 26.Town of Longboat Key - Building Division (Planning, Zoning & Building), Town of Longboat Key. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  27. 27.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Eta, NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  28. 28.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Ian, NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  29. 29.Wikipedia, "Sarasota County, Florida" and "Sarasota, Florida" (secondary), Wikipedia. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  30. 30.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, stations USW00012871 and USC00089176 VENICE, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  31. 31.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration 24-hour depth estimates at the Longboat Key 2020 Census internal point (27.4005, -82.6442), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  32. 32.U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census (POP100) via TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020, U.S. Census Bureau. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  33. 33.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17), Citizens Property Insurance. Read Oct 4, 2026.

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Roof repair in Longboat Key

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