Quick answer: On November 3, 2026, Treasure Coast Today published my article on Florida’s roof age law, Florida Statute 627.7011. If your roof is 15 years or older, your insurer “must allow a homeowner to have a roof inspection performed by an authorized inspector at the homeowner’s expense before requiring the replacement of the roof.” Here is why I wrote it, and the three things that inspection should document.
Why I wrote it for the Treasure Coast
When a non-renewal letter over roof age arrives, it can read like an ultimatum: replace the roof or lose the policy. For a roof 15 years or older, the law puts an inspection first.
On a tile roof, age and condition are not the same thing. The tile is not the waterproofing layer. The underlayment beneath it is, and it wears fastest where the water goes: valleys, perimeter edges and flashing transitions. I wrote the article so homeowners from Stuart and Palm City to Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce know to ask for that inspection. Treasure Coast Today ran it as sponsored content from our company.
The three things an inspection should document
Whoever does the inspection, the report should show:
- Condition, area by area. What the inspector actually saw on the tile, any flat sections, the underlayment where it was checked, and the flashing around vents, walls and other openings.
- Each problem, where it is, with a dated photo. Leaks, cracked or loose tile, worn underlayment, damaged roof decking and failed flashing, each one pinned to a spot on the roof.
- What was fixed, and who signed. Any repairs made before the report was signed, the inspector’s view of remaining useful life and why, anything that wasn’t inspected, and the inspector’s license number.
A report that can’t point to where each problem is, and what was done about it, gives you and your agent very little to work with. For the other papers to keep with it, see my roof-age documentation checklist.
Read the full article
The full piece covers what the statute says, the five parts of a credible five-year roof certification, what to ask your agent in writing, and five questions to ask before signing a replacement contract: Florida Roof Age Law: Roof Inspection Before Replacement (Treasure Coast Today, November 3, 2026). The statute text is on our Florida Roof Age Law page; my other articles are on In the News.
Mike McGilvary Roofing, Inc. is a Florida Certified Roofing Contractor (CCC1331721). Contact MMR to schedule an inspection.
Questions and answers
Does Florida’s roof age law apply on the Treasure Coast?
Yes. Florida Statute 627.7011 is state law, so it applies in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties as it does in Palm Beach County. Its roof-age rules apply to homeowners’ insurance policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2022.
Who can do the inspection?
The statute calls for an “authorized inspector,” who must be approved by the insurer. The list includes licensed home inspectors, certified building code inspectors, licensed general, building or residential contractors, roofing contractors, professional engineers and architects. Ask your agent which credentials your carrier accepts before you schedule.
What if the inspection shows five years of life left?
The statute says the insurer “may not refuse to issue or refuse to renew a homeowner’s insurance policy solely because of roof age if an inspection of the roof of the residential structure performed by an authorized inspector indicates that the roof has 5 years or more of useful life remaining.” That is why the written report matters.
