Roof Age and Homeowners Insurance in Florida

The full picture

Roof age and homeowners insurance in Florida: the 15-year rule

The rule is in section 627.7011(5), Florida Statutes, added in a 2022 special session for homeowners policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2022. In plain terms:

• An insurer may not refuse to issue or renew a homeowners policy solely because the roof is less than 15 years old.
• For a roof 15 years or older, the insurer must let you have it inspected by an authorized inspector, at your expense, before requiring a replacement.
• If that inspection shows five or more years of useful life remaining, the insurer may not refuse to issue or renew solely because of age.

An authorized inspector must be approved by the insurer and be a licensed home inspector, building code inspector, contractor (roofing contractors were added in 2024), engineer or architect, or someone else the insurer recognizes as qualified. Ask the insurer which inspectors it accepts before booking one.

Roof age runs from the last date 100 percent of the roof surface was built or replaced under the building code in effect at the time. If the roof was replaced in stages that together covered the whole surface, age runs from the start of the first stage. Fixing one slope does not reset the clock.

The statute covers only refusals and nonrenewals based solely on age. It does not set premiums or address decisions based on a roof’s condition. As of October 2026, the subsection has not changed since 2024. Two 2026 bills, HB 815 and SB 808, would have broadened it, but both died in committee on March 13, 2026.

How insurers look at shingle, tile and metal roofs

Each insurer sets its own guidelines. The clearest published example is Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, the state-created insurer. As of October 2026, its inspection requirements and a roof age answer updated in March 2026 single out shingle and other soft roofs more than 25 years old, and tile, slate, clay, concrete and metal roofs more than 50 years old. Those roofs need either documentation of at least five years of remaining useful life or proof of a full replacement, and Citizens’ underwriters decide eligibility. Citizens also requires a four-point inspection with applications for homes more than 20 years old. Private insurers set their own limits, so ask rather than assume.

Other roof points to check when you shop for coverage:

• Proof of replacement. A Citizens January 2023 bulletin, for example, lists a finaled permit record or a licensed contractor’s proof of completed work with a paid-in-full invoice, and says inspection forms do not count.
• Separate roof deductible. Florida law lets insurers offer one, capped at the lesser of 2 percent of the dwelling limit or 50 percent of the roof’s replacement cost, with a premium credit and a signed-form option to reject it. It does not apply to some losses, including hurricane roof losses (s. 627.701(10)).
• Roof valuation. The Department of Financial Services notes that federal guidelines for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans allow a roof to be insured at actual cash value (depreciated value), so check how yours is covered.
• Wind mitigation features. Roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections and secondary water resistance go on the state’s mitigation inspection form, revised for inspections on or after April 1, 2026. See our wind mitigation guide.

The 25 percent roof rule and the 2022 change

The Florida Building Code has long said that no more than 25 percent of a roof or roof section may be repaired, replaced or recovered in any 12-month period unless the whole roof system or section is brought up to current code (section 706.1.1 of the Existing Building volume).

In 2022 the Legislature added an exception in section 553.844(5). If the existing roof was built, repaired or replaced in compliance with the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, and 25 percent or more of it is being worked on, only that portion must meet the code in effect. Local governments may not amend this exception. The 2007 edition took effect on March 1, 2009, so the date on the last reroof permit is a practical first check.

A roof installed under an earlier code may still face the 25 percent limit, which can turn a large repair into a full replacement. The local building official decides how the rule applies to a given job.

For site-built single-family homes built before the Florida Building Code took effect in 2002, the same statute calls for a secondary water barrier and stronger roof-deck fastening when the roof is replaced. In the wind-borne debris region, homes with an insured value (or, if uninsured, a just value) of $300,000 or more may also need roof-to-wall connection work, but only when it can be done for about 15 percent of the reroof cost. Broward County also sits in the code’s High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, which has its own roofing provisions. Our permits guide covers the basics.

Buying a home with an older roof

• Find the real roof age. Look up the reroof permit and its final inspection date. For unincorporated areas, check Palm Beach County, Broward County or St. Lucie County. Inside a city such as Boca Raton or Port St. Lucie, ask the city’s building department.
• Get insurance quotes early. Give your agent the roof’s age, material and permit details.
• Order the inspections insurers ask for. Beyond a general home inspection, many insurers want a four-point inspection on older homes and a wind mitigation report.
• Condos work differently. In most condominiums the roof is a common element, and Florida law makes the association responsible for maintaining common elements (s. 718.113); see our condo renovation guide.

Selling a home with an older roof

Before you list, gather the permit number and final inspection date, the contractor’s invoice, warranty paperwork and repair records. If the roof is 15 years or older, a pre-listing inspection can show whether it likely has five or more years of useful life left, though the buyer’s insurer decides which inspectors and reports it accepts.

Florida sellers are generally expected to disclose known defects that materially affect value and are not readily observable; a Florida real estate attorney can explain how that applies to your sale. See our guides on preparing your house for market and renovations before selling.

Replacing the roof or offering a credit

• Insurability at closing. A buyer using a mortgage needs a policy to close. If insurers will not write the home with the current roof, a credit alone does not change the roof the insurer sees.
• Lender rules. The buyer’s lender limits how much a seller can contribute and what a credit may pay for, so get the loan officer’s approval first.
• Time. A replacement needs a contract, permit, inspections and a final sign-off before closing.
• Paperwork. A buyer will want the finaled permit, any transferable warranty and final lien releases. When a permitted job’s contract is over $5,000, the building department needs a copy of the notice of commencement before the first inspection (s. 713.135).
• Price. Sometimes the cleanest path is pricing the roof into the list price.

Either way, get written quotes from more than one licensed roofing contractor and check each license with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Cost depends on roof size and pitch, material, deck condition, the code upgrades the permit triggers and the contractor’s schedule.