Roof age and home insurance in Florida
A roof-age renewal or non-renewal notice may prompt you to review roof records, policy language, and requests for information.
Florida law limits how an insurer may use roof age, but your notice, policy, and insurer’s requirements still apply.
What the law says about roof age
Florida law says an insurer cannot refuse or non-renew a homeowner’s policy solely because a roof is under 15 years old.[1]
For a roof that is 15 years old or older, the insurer must allow an inspection by an authorized inspector, at the homeowner’s cost, before requiring replacement.[1] A roof with at least 5 years of useful life remaining cannot be refused on age alone.[1]
Read the reason listed in your notice and keep a copy with your policy documents.
Read your policy and ask your agent how the insurer’s rules apply to your home.
What useful life means in context
NRCA says most new roofs are designed for about 20 years of useful service.[2] Slate, clay tile, and certain metal roofs can last longer.[2]
That guidance does not determine the condition of a particular roof. Materials, past work, and visible wear may be part of a condition review.
If an insurer allows an inspection under the roof-age rule, it provides information about remaining useful life. It does not change your policy or replace the notice.
Gather prior inspection reports, repair records, permits, photographs, and paperwork from past roof work.
Ask what documentation the insurer wants, who may provide it, and where it should be sent. Request the answer in writing when possible.
Citizens has separate roof requirements
Citizens requires proof of full replacement for shingle roofs over 25 years old and for tile, slate, or metal roofs over 50 years old.[3] Its underwriters will review documentation showing at least 5 years of remaining useful life.[3] Some exceptions apply.[3]
This applies to Citizens, not every private insurer. Review current Citizens materials and ask how its rules apply to your property.
Citizens also requires a four-point inspection, including the roof, for properties over 20 years old.[4]
A four-point inspection includes the roof, but it does not promise coverage or renewal. Review the requested report and its purpose.
Keep notices, policy pages, inspection reports, and roofing records together.
What a roof condition review may note
An inspection can describe the roof’s present condition. NRCA lists cracked, warped, or missing shingles; loose seams; deteriorated flashing; and excess granules in gutters as warning signs.[2]
NRCA also lists cracked paint, discolored plasterboard, and peeling wallpaper indoors as warning signs.[2]
These signs do not determine what an insurer will decide. Note them when speaking with a roofing company, inspector, or agent.
Read the report for descriptions of the roof’s condition and documents the insurer requested. Ask the report’s author to explain unclear wording.
A roofer can assess roof condition. Your agent can explain the policy and insurer request.
How Howe.to can help
Answer a few questions, then see the named roofing companies available in your area. You choose which companies may contact you about roofing, and nobody else receives your request.
Howe.to is not a contractor. A roofing company you choose can assess your roof’s condition.