ReRoof ReportFlorida roof age & insurance check
Enter your roof's install year, or look up the re-roof permit for homes in Manatee and Charlotte counties. The check shows your roof's age and which Florida insurance and building-code rules apply to it, with the source for each.
What this check tells you
The result has five parts, each tied to a rule or a published source:
- Roof age, with how we got it: a county re-roof permit, the year you entered, or the year the home was built (the oldest the roof could be).
- Florida's 15-year rule. Under §627.7011(5), an insurer may not refuse to issue or renew a homeowners policy solely because the roof is under 15 years old. For a roof 15 years or older, the insurer must let you have it inspected by an inspector the insurer approves, at your expense. If that inspection shows at least 5 years of remaining useful life, age alone is not a reason to refuse. The rule applies to policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2022.
- Citizens' thresholds. Citizens Property Insurance asks for documentation of at least 5 years of remaining useful life once a shingle or flat roof is over 25 years old, or a tile, metal or other hard roof is over 50. Applications for homes over 20 years old need a 4-point inspection.
- The 25% rule. For roofs built before the 2007 Florida Building Code, replacing 25% or more of the roof within 12 months means bringing the whole roof up to current code. Roofs built to the 2007 code or later are exempt: only the repaired part must meet code (§553.844(5)).
- Service life. Where your roof sits within a typical Florida lifespan for its material.
How the verdict is set
| Verdict | When |
|---|---|
| Under 15 years | The roof is under 15 years old and under about 75% of a typical Florida life for its material. |
| Inspection window | 15 years or older, but under about 75% of typical life. An inspection showing remaining life is the usual next step if an insurer asks. |
| Time to plan | At or past about 75% of typical life, or past a Citizens age threshold if you're insured with Citizens. |
| Past typical service life | Older than the top of the typical Florida range for the material. |
The 75% mark is our planning rule of thumb, not a legal threshold. Insurers judge condition as well as age, and two roofs of the same age can be in very different shape.
Typical Florida roof lifespans used in the check
| Material | Typical FL life | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Architectural shingle | 15–20 yrs | 12–25 yrs |
| 3-tab shingle | 12–15 yrs | 10–18 yrs |
| Concrete tile (whole roof system) | 20–30 yrs | 18–35 yrs |
| Clay tile (whole roof system) | 25–35 yrs | 20–40 yrs |
| Standing-seam metal | 35–50 yrs | 25–60 yrs |
| 5V-crimp metal | 25–35 yrs | 20–45 yrs |
| Flat: modified bitumen or TPO | 12–18 yrs | 10–20 yrs |
How we find the roof's age
For homes in Manatee County (re-roof permits since 2017) and Charlotte County (permits 2000–2016), the address search looks for the most recent re-roof permit on the property. Everywhere else, and when no permit is on file, we use the year you enter. If you don't know it, the year the home was built gives the oldest the roof could be. Our guide to finding your roof's age lists the permit search for each county.
If your roof was replaced in phases, insurers often date it by the oldest section. Ask yours how they date it before you rely on the newer date.
What this check does not do
- It does not interpret your policy. Your policy terms and your insurer's underwriting rules control.
- It cannot see your roof's condition. A roof under 15 years old can still fail an inspection.
- It does not cover private insurers' own age cutoffs. Those guidelines are not public.
Next steps: roof inspections for insurance, what to do if your insurer says you need a new roof, and the full Florida roof insurance rules.