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Inspections ยท Longwood

Roof inspections in Longwood, FL

Mobile homes are 1.4 percent of Longwood's housing units, so nearly every roof here falls under the Florida Building Code and the insurer rules for site-built homes. Many of those homes are older. Roof inspections tend to be ordered when a house is bought, sold, or questioned by an insurer.

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Updated October 2026

Yellow single-storey city hall building beside a green directional sign and a tall palm under blue sky.
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: Longwood City Hall FL by Connor J Williams, CC BY 2.0, cropped

Longwood figures this page uses

Share of homes built before 1980
41.9%
Median year homes were built
1983
Owner-occupied share of occupied homes
69.4%
Mobile homes, share of housing units
1.4%

Housing age

Longwood home age and the 15-year line

In Longwood, 41.9 percent of homes were built before 1980, and the median home dates to 1983. The county median is 1988. Seminole County has 29.1 percent built before 1980, so Longwood skews older than the county around it.

Build year says nothing certain about the roof on top. A roof may have been replaced twice since 1983. Still, that suggests many original roofs here are well past 15 years, which is where insurer rules start to matter. Meanwhile 19.2 percent of Longwood homes went up in 2010 or later, and those roofs are likely newer.

15-year rule

What insurers ask about a Longwood roof

Under Florida Statute 627.7011(5), an insurer may not refuse a policy solely because the roof is under 15 years old. When your roof hits 15 years, you can pay an authorized inspector yourself, and your insurer is required to accept that inspection. Five or more years of useful life left on that report bars a refusal or non-renewal based only on age.

For a Longwood home over 20 years old, Citizens asks for a 4-point inspection covering electrical, plumbing, HVAC and roof. The roof section records the covering material, roof age, remaining useful life, last permit date, whether the replacement was full or partial, and a damage list. Citizens also wants documented remaining life of at least five years on shingle roofs older than 25 years.

We cannot tell you what your policy covers or how your insurer will rule. Ask your insurer or agent. The rule reaches only homeowners' policies issued or renewed since July 1, 2022.

Inspection basics

Inspection checklist and when to order

Inspectors check for cracking, curling, heavy granule loss, exposed asphalt or felt, missing or loose tabs, soft decking, and signs of leaks in the attic or on ceilings. A wind mitigation inspection adds attic items you cannot see from the ground, such as deck nailing and roof-to-wall connectors, recorded with photos.

  • Buying a home: 69.4 percent of Longwood homes are owner-occupied, so most sales involve a seller's roof.
  • Selling: a current report answers a buyer's roof question up front.
  • An insurer letter about roof age: the 15-year inspection above is your option to show remaining life.
  • After a storm: Seminole County saw 4,939 residential structures affected in Hurricane Irma.

For repairs after any inspection, the 25 percent rule can apply. Check permit requirements with City of Longwood Permitting and Inspections, and see Seminole County Building Division resources for storm damage repair.

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Questions

Roof inspections in Longwood: questions

Do I need a roof inspection to sell my Longwood home?

Florida law does not require one for a sale. Many sellers order one anyway because 41.9 percent of Longwood homes were built before 1980, and buyers often ask about roof age. A report that lists the covering, remaining life and any damage can answer that early. If a buyer's insurer wants proof of remaining useful life, the report helps there too.

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

What is the 15-year roof rule in Florida?

Under Florida Statute 627.7011(5), an insurer cannot decline a policy solely because the roof is under 15 years old. For a roof 15 years or older, it must let you have an authorized inspector check it. If 5 or more years of useful life remain, the insurer may not refuse or non-renew solely for age. In Longwood, where the median home dates to 1983, this rule reaches many owners. How this plays out for your own policy is something your insurer or agent can explain.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API, table B25035, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Roof inspections

Who can inspect a roof for my insurer?

An authorized inspector must be accepted by the insurer and be a licensed home inspector, a certified building code inspector, a licensed general, building or residential contractor, a roofing contractor, an engineer, an architect, or someone the insurer recognizes as qualified. Citizens also takes a Florida-licensed home inspector or building code inspector on its roof form, with photos of each slope. That matters for the 41.9 percent of Longwood homes built before 1980.

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 long does a wind mitigation inspection last?

OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26) is the current form, and it became effective April 1, 2026. The form can remain valid for up to five years, provided the structure has had no material changes and the form contains no inaccuracies. Its questions cover the building code era, roof covering, deck attachment, and roof-to-wall connections. With 69.4 percent of Longwood homes owner-occupied, many owners can reuse one report across insurance renewals. Your insurer or agent is the right contact for finding out how this applies to your policy.

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

Nearby

Roof inspections near Longwood

Sources for this page(34)
  1. 1.Share of homes built before 1980: 41.9%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  2. 2.Median year homes were built: 1983. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  3. 3.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API, table B25035. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  4. 4.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.
  5. 5.City of Longwood, Historic District. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  6. 6.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API, table B25034. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  7. 7.Hurricane Ian (2022). NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Ian (2022). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  8. 8.Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 69.4%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  9. 9.Hurricane Irma (2017). NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (2017). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  10. 10.Permit office: City of Longwood Permitting and Inspections. City of Longwood Permitting and Inspections. Read Oct 10, 2026.
  11. 11.Seminole County Government, Building Division. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  12. 12.Mobile homes, share of housing units: 1.4%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  13. 13.Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026). 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 Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  17. 17.Citizens 4-Point Inspection Form, Sample Form Insp4pt 03 25. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  18. 18.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Read Oct 5, 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.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  21. 21.OIR form. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  22. 22.Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  23. 23.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API, U.S. Census Bureau (via Census Reporter). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  24. 24.NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Ian (2022), National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  25. 25.NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (2017), National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  26. 26.City of Longwood Permitting and Inspections, City of Longwood Permitting and Inspections. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  27. 27.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.
  28. 28.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  29. 29.NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (2016), National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  30. 30.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Longwood 2020 Census internal point (28.7014, -81.3484), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  31. 31.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration 24-hour depth estimates at the Longwood 2020 Census internal point (28.7014, -81.3484), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  32. 32.NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (annual/seasonal), access-data API, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  33. 33.U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census (TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 MapServer: POP100, HU100, AREALAND, AREAWATER), U.S. Census Bureau. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  34. 34.U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census (TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 MapServer: POP100, HU100, AREALAND, AREAWATER), U.S. Census Bureau. Read Oct 5, 2026.

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Roof inspections in Longwood

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