Got a letter from your insurance company about your roof?
If you own a home in Charlotte, Lee or Collier County, you may have opened a letter from your insurance company asking about your roof. It might ask for a roof inspection report, warn that your policy won’t renew, or tell you your coverage is changing because of your roof’s age.
Don’t panic, but don’t ignore it either. Most of these letters come with a deadline, and waiting until the last week leaves you scrambling to find a roofer. This guide covers what Florida law says about roof age and insurance, what an inspection looks for, and your options.
What Florida law says about roof age and insurance
Under Florida law, roof age alone can’t cost you coverage on a newer roof. An older roof gets a fair shot through an inspection. The rules are in Section 627.7011(5), Florida Statutes:
- Roof under 15 years old: Your insurer can’t refuse to write or renew your homeowner’s policy solely because of the roof’s age.
- Roof 15 years or older: Before your insurer can require a new roof, it must let you get a roof inspection by an authorized inspector, at your own expense.
- Five years of life left: If that inspection shows your roof has 5 or more years of useful life remaining, the insurer can’t refuse or non-renew you based on age alone.
Note the word “solely.” An insurer can still act on a roof’s actual condition: missing shingles, cracked tiles, soft decking or active leaks. That’s why the inspection matters so much.
Who counts as an authorized inspector? The law lists licensed home inspectors, certified building code inspectors, licensed general, building or residential contractors, roofing contractors, engineers and architects. The inspector also has to be approved by your insurer, so check with your agent before you book.
The inspections your insurer may ask for
Your insurer may ask for one of two inspections. They are not the same thing, and one doesn’t replace the other.
| Inspection | What it checks | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 4-point inspection | Roof, plumbing, electrical and HVAC | Insurers use it to decide whether to cover a home, most often an older one |
| Wind mitigation inspection | Wind-resistant features of the roof, walls and openings, such as how the roof deck and roof-to-wall connections are attached | Florida law requires insurers to offer discounts for verified wind-resistant features, which can lower your premium |
On the roof portion, an inspector looks at the roof’s age, the covering’s condition, signs of leaks, and how much useful life is left. If your roof is borderline, it pays to know that before your insurer’s deadline, not after.
Your options: repair or replace?
The right answer depends on what an inspection actually finds, not on the roof’s age alone.
- Your roof is in good shape. An inspection showing 5 or more years of useful life gives you something concrete to send your insurer.
- Your roof needs repairs. Fixing problem areas such as damaged shingles, cracked tiles or flashing may be enough to keep your roof insurable.
- Your roof is near the end of its life. Replacement is the long-term fix. A new roof also restarts the 15-year clock under Florida law.
A note on Florida’s “25% rule.” In the past, repairing 25% or more of a roof could trigger a full replacement to bring it up to code. Since a 2022 change to Section 553.844, Florida Statutes, roofs built, repaired or replaced to the 2007 Florida Building Code or later only need the repaired section brought up to current code. For older roofs the old rule can still apply, which is one more reason to get an honest assessment early.
Find out where your roof stands, for free
Giza Roofing Solutions is a family-owned roofer serving all of Charlotte, Lee & Collier counties, and Cape Coral is our home community. If your insurer is asking about your roof, here’s how we help:
- Free roof inspection, boots on your roof. A sales associate physically gets on your roof. It’s not just a drone flyover.
- Same-day answers. If you’re home, we review the inspection and estimate with you before we leave. If not, you get a detailed review and estimate the same day.
- Straight talk on repair vs. replace. If repairs will do the job, we’ll tell you.
- Fast scheduling. For re-roofs, we pull permits once the estimate is signed, then order materials and call to schedule within 24 hours of receiving permits.
- Financing available. We offer financing through Hearth for qualifying projects.
Don’t wait until the week your renewal is due. Schedule your free roof inspection today.
This article is general information, not legal or insurance advice. Talk to your insurance agent about your specific policy.