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Inspections ยท Sanford

Roof inspections in Sanford, FL

Mobile homes are only 2.7 percent of Sanford's housing units, so most roofs you will hear about here sit on site-built houses. The median home was built in 1994, and 29.5 percent date from before 1980. That suggests many original roofs are well past 15 years old.

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Updated October 2026

Modern concrete city hall building with a curved facade, palm trees, flagpole and entrance drive under cloudy 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: Sanford City Hall FL by Connor Williams, CC BY 2.0, cropped

Sanford figures this page uses

Median year homes were built
1994
Mobile homes, share of housing units
2.7%
Share of homes built before 1980
29.5%

The 15-year rule

Why a 15-year-old roof triggers questions from insurers

A house built in the median year of 1994 is older than any roof Florida law treats as automatically acceptable. Solely because a roof is under 15 years old, no insurer in Florida may decline to write or renew a homeowner's policy. Past that age, the question gets more involved.

For a roof 15 years or older, the insurer must let you have an authorized inspector check it at your own expense. If that inspection shows 5 or more years of useful life left, the insurer cannot refuse or non-renew solely for age. Many Sanford roofs fall in this window. Senate staff note the rule does not apply to mobile home policies, which matters for the 2.7 percent of local housing that is mobile homes.

Citizens sets its own age lines: documentation of five years of remaining life for shingle roofs older than 25 years, and for tile, slate or metal roofs older than 50 years. Citizens also requires a 4-point inspection on homes more than 20 years old. Only 17.1 percent of Sanford homes were built in 2010 or later, so most local houses are past that mark.

Inspection scope

What a roof inspection checks in Seminole County

The roof section of the 4-point form records the covering material, roof age, remaining useful life, date of the last roofing permit, whether the replacement was full or partial, and overall condition. Slope-by-slope photos are an acceptable substitute for the standalone Roof Inspection Form. Permit history comes from the City of Sanford Building Division, so ask for it before the inspector arrives.

  • Look for curling or cupping shingles, cracks, and granules piling up in the gutters.
  • 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 inside the home point to an active leak.

A wind mitigation inspection looks at items you cannot see from the ground: deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections and any sealed roof deck. The current form is OIR-B1-1802, effective April 1, 2026, and it stays valid up to five years if nothing changes. Inspectors are expected to see the structure in person and photograph it.

Timing

When to order an inspection in Sanford

Order one before you buy or sell, since the roof's age and remaining life often decide whether an insurer will write the policy. If your insurer mails a notice about how old your roof is, that's the time to order an inspection. Order one after a storm. Seminole County reported 3,058 structures affected by Hurricane Ian in 2022, and the St. Johns River reached near-record or record flooding at Sanford.

Florida law limits what a roofer may say. Under Fla. Stat. 489.147, a roofing contractor may not offer anything of value for an inspection or advise you on coverage. Check with your insurer or agent to learn what your particular policy calls for. Within one year of the date of loss, the insurer must receive notice of a new claim.

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Questions

Roof inspections in Sanford: questions

What is the 25% roof rule in Florida?

The 25% rule is a building code provision about repairing roofs, and our sources here do not state its terms, so confirm the current wording with the City of Sanford Building Division. The age rules we can cite are different: Fla. Stat. 627.7011(5) sets a 15-year line for insurers, and Citizens uses 25 years for shingle roofs. With a median build year of 1994 in Sanford, many roofs are near these ages, so ask the building office which rule applies to your repair.

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 my roof for an insurer in Florida?

The insurer must approve the inspector, who can be a licensed home inspector, a certified building code inspector, a licensed general, building or residential contractor, a roofing contractor, an engineer or an architect. Citizens' Roof Inspection Form must be signed by a contractor, building code inspector or Florida-licensed home inspector. With 29.5 percent of Sanford homes built before 1980, confirm with your insurer who it accepts 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

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

The 15-year roof rule is Fla. Stat. 627.7011(5), and it is written for homeowner's policies, so whether it reaches a mobile home policy depends on how your insurer writes that coverage. For a roof 15 years or older, the insurer must let the homeowner have an authorized inspector check it at the homeowner's expense before requiring replacement. It may not refuse or non-renew solely for roof age if that inspection shows 5 years or more of useful life remaining. Mobile homes are 2.7 percent of Sanford's housing units, so confirm with your insurer or agent which age rules govern 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

How long is a wind mitigation inspection good for?

The wind mitigation form, OIR-B1-1802, is valid for up to five years if no material changes are made to the structure and no inaccuracies are found on it. The current revision took effect April 1, 2026. In Seminole County, where the median home was built in 1988, many houses were built under older codes, which is why the form asks about the building code era.

Source: 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

Related: Roof inspections

Nearby

Roof inspections near Sanford

Sources for this page(38)
  1. 1.Median year homes were built: 1994. 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.Mobile homes, share of housing units: 2.7%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  4. 4.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API, table B25034. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  5. 5.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.
  6. 6.Permit office: City of Sanford Building Division. City of Sanford Building Division. Read Oct 10, 2026.
  7. 7.Hurricane Ian (2022). NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Ian (2022). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  8. 8.NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Ian (2022). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  9. 9.City of Sanford, History and Historic Preservation. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  10. 10.Share of homes built before 1980: 29.5%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  11. 11.Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  12. 12.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  13. 13.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  14. 14.Insp4pt 03 25. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  15. 15.Citizens 4-Point Inspection Form, Sample Form Insp4pt 03 25. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  16. 16.OIR form. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  17. 17.Florida Statutes, section 627.711 (2026). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  18. 18.Florida Statutes, section 489.147 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  19. 19.Florida Statutes, section 627.70132 (2026). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  20. 20.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  21. 21.Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26). Read Oct 4, 2026.
  22. 22.City of Sanford Building Division, City of Sanford Building Division. Read Oct 5, 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. 24.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  25. 25.Fla. Stat. 489.105(3)(e), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  26. 26.Florida Statutes, section 489.113 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  27. 27.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  28. 28.Florida Statutes, section 713.135 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  29. 29.U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census (TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 MapServer: POP100, HU100, AREALAND, AREAWATER), U.S. Census Bureau. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  30. 30.U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census (TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 MapServer: POP100, HU100, AREALAND, AREAWATER), U.S. Census Bureau. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  31. 31.NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (2017), National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  32. 32.NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (2016), National Weather Service. 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 Sanford 2020 Census internal point (28.7894, -81.2756), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  35. 35.NWS Melbourne, Lightning Information Center, National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  36. 36.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, floridaroof.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  37. 37.Miami-Dade County RER notice, Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  38. 38.Seminole County Government, Building Division, Seminole County Government. Read Oct 5, 2026.

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Roof inspections in Sanford

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