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Inspections ยท Lake Mary

Roof inspections in Lake Mary, FL

Mobile homes make up 4.4 percent of Lake Mary's housing units, and they matter here because Florida's 15-year roof rule does not apply to mobile home policies. The median home was built in 1997. That suggests many original roofs are well past 15 years. An inspection tells you how much life is left before an insurer asks.

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Updated October 2026

Curved brick city hall sign with dark lettering surrounded by shrubs, palms and a brick planter ring.
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: Lake Mary, FL City Hall 2025 by Wikisteveb4, CC0, cropped

Lake Mary figures this page uses

Median year homes were built
1997
Mobile homes, share of housing units
4.4%
Owner-occupied share of occupied homes
62.9%

Florida roof rules

What the 15-year rule and insurer forms ask

Under Fla. Stat. 627.7011(5), an insurer cannot refuse or non-renew a homeowner's policy solely because a roof is under 15 years old. At 15 years, you have the right to hire an authorized inspector at your own expense before the insurer can require a new roof. If that inspection shows 5 or more years of useful life, age alone is not grounds to refuse.

Lake Mary's median build year of 1997 sits well past that 15-year line. Countywide, the median is 1988, so Seminole County has older housing overall. A roof is often replaced after the house is built, so check the permit history before assuming the age.

Citizens Property Insurance sets its own lines. Soft roofs such as shingle older than 25 years, and hard roofs such as tile or metal older than 50 years, need documentation of at least five years of remaining life. For a Lake Mary property more than 20 years old, Citizens also wants the full 4-point inspection with its roof section. Whether any of this touches your policy is a question for your insurer or agent.

Inspection scope

What a Lake Mary roof inspection checks

The 4-point form's roof section asks for the material, the age, the years of life left, the last permit date and whether the last job was full or partial. It adds overall condition and a damage list. Photos of every slope can stand in for the separate Roof Inspection Form.

  • Curling, cracking or cupped shingles, and bare spots where granules have worn off
  • Exposed asphalt or exposed felt
  • Missing, loose or cracked tabs or tiles
  • Soft spots in the decking
  • Water stains in the attic or on ceilings below the roof

A wind mitigation inspection is a separate form, OIR-B1-1802, valid up to five years if nothing material changes. It covers attic items you cannot see from the ground, such as roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connectors and a sealed roof deck. Roof permits in Lake Mary come from the City of Lake Mary Building Division, which is where to confirm your permit history.

Timing

When to order an inspection in Lake Mary

Order one when you buy or sell, since a 1997 median build year suggests many buyers will meet a roof near or past 15 years. Book one soon after a renewal letter from your insurer mentions roof age. Book one after a storm too. Notice of a new property claim must reach your insurer within 1 year of the loss date, and a supplemental claim within 18 months.

Be careful with anyone who offers something of value for an inspection or urges you to file a claim. Fla. Stat. 489.147 bars roofing contractors from doing that, and from advising you on what your policy covers. Check coverage with your insurer before signing any roofing contract.

Soldiers Creek floods from time to time, but flooding in a yard is not roof damage. Seminole County also lists storm damage repair resources through its Building Division.

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Questions

Roof inspections in Lake Mary: questions

Does the 15-year roof rule apply to my mobile home?

The 15-year roof rule is Fla. Stat. 627.7011(5), and it covers homeowner policies. For a roof 15 years or older, your insurer must let you have an authorized inspector check it at your expense before requiring a replacement. It may not refuse or non-renew solely for roof age if that inspection shows 5 or more years of useful life left. In Lake Mary, 4.4 percent of housing units are mobile homes, so check with your agent about how your policy type is rated.

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

Related: Roof inspections

Who can inspect my roof for my insurer?

The statute lists who counts as an authorized inspector, and your insurer must also accept the person. The list includes a licensed home inspector, a building code inspector, a licensed general, building, residential or roofing contractor, a professional engineer, or an architect. Anyone else the insurer names as qualified can also serve. About 62.9 percent of Lake Mary homes are owner-occupied, so most homeowners here deal with this directly. Ask your insurer for its accepted inspectors before you book.

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

Related: Roof inspections

How old is a typical Lake Mary roof?

Lake Mary's median home dates to 1997, which suggests many original roofs are well past 15 years. About 27.2 percent of housing units were built in 2010 or later, so newer roofs are common too. Permit records at the City of Lake Mary Building Division show when a roof was last replaced.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API, table B25034, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof inspections

Can a roofer tell me what my policy covers?

No. Under Fla. Stat. 489.147, a roofing contractor may not advise on coverage unless licensed as a public adjuster. The statute also requires a bold notice in residential roof contracts telling you to check coverage with your insurer before signing. With Seminole County's 2017 Hurricane Irma damage assessments in mind, take storm and policy questions to your insurer or agent.

Source: Florida Statutes, section 489.147 (2026), read Oct 4, 2026

Related: Roof inspections

Nearby

Roof inspections near Lake Mary

Sources for this page(37)
  1. 1.Median year homes were built: 1997. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  2. 2.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API, table B25035. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  3. 3.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API, tables B25034/B25035. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  4. 4.City of Lake Mary, Lake Mary History. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  5. 5.City of Lake Mary, Flood Facts. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  6. 6.Permit office: City of Lake Mary Building Division. City of Lake Mary Building Division. Read Oct 10, 2026.
  7. 7.Seminole County Government, Building Division. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  8. 8.Mobile homes, share of housing units: 4.4%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  9. 9.Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 62.9%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  10. 10.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API, table B25034. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  11. 11.Hurricane Irma (2017). NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (2017). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  12. 12.Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  13. 13.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  14. 14.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  15. 15.Insp4pt 03 25. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  16. 16.Citizens 4-Point Inspection Form, Sample Form Insp4pt 03 25. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  17. 17.Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  18. 18.OIR form. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  19. 19.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  20. 20.Florida Statutes, section 627.70132 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  21. 21.Florida Statutes, section 489.147 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  22. 22.City of Lake Mary Building Division, lakemaryfl.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  23. 23.Fla. Stat. 489.147-, Florida Legislature. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  24. 24.NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (2017), National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  25. 25.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API, table B25024, U.S. Census Bureau (via Census Reporter). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  26. 26.NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Ian (2022), National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  27. 27.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  28. 28.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, floridaroof.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  29. 29.Miami-Dade County RER notice, Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  30. 30.Florida Statutes, section 713.135 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  31. 31.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  32. 32.U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census (TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 MapServer: POP100, HU100, AREALAND, AREAWATER), U.S. Census Bureau. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  33. 33.NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (annual/seasonal), access-data API, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  34. 34.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Lake Mary 2020 Census internal point (28.7662, -81.3260), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  35. 35.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration 24-hour depth estimates at the Lake Mary 2020 Census internal point (28.7662, -81.3260), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  36. 36.NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (2016), National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  37. 37.City of Lake Mary, Lake Mary Housing, lakemaryfl.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.

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Roof inspections in Lake Mary

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