What if my roof is 15 years old or more?

The insurer must allow you to have the roof inspected, at your expense, before it requires a replacement. If the inspection shows at least 5 years of useful life left, it can't refuse coverage based on roof age alone.

Does my whole roof have to be replaced after a partial repair?

Not always. If the roof was built under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, Florida law says only the part being repaired or replaced has to meet the current code (Fla. Stat. 553.844).

What is a roof deductible?

Some Florida policies now carry a separate deductible for roof claims. You must be given the chance to opt out, and it can't apply to a hurricane roof loss (Fla. Stat. 627.701).

Roof age and your home insurance in Florida — From Elona’s desk

Q: How old can my roof be for insurance in Florida?

There's no single cutoff. By law an insurer can't refuse to write or renew a home solely because the roof is under 15 years old. For an older roof, it must let you get an inspection first (Fla. Stat. 627.7011).

There’s no single age at which a Florida roof becomes uninsurable. Florida law says an insurer can’t refuse to write or renew your home solely because the roof is under 15 years old, and if it’s older, the insurer has to let you prove it still has life left before it demands a new one.

That’s the law. In practice, roof age is still one of the first things insurers look at, and it can decide which companies will quote you at all. Here’s how it fits together.

The 15-year rule

Since July 2022, Florida law has set a floor for homeowners policies (Fla. Stat. 627.7011):

Under 15 years old: an insurer can’t refuse to issue or renew your policy solely because of the roof’s age.
15 years or older: before an insurer can require you to replace the roof, it has to let you have the roof inspected by an authorized inspector. You pay for the inspection.
5 years of life left: if that inspection shows the roof has at least 5 years of useful life remaining, the insurer can’t refuse coverage based on roof age alone.

The word to notice is “solely.” An insurer can still decline a home for other reasons, including the roof’s condition, a leak, or damage.

Two details in the law: the roof’s age is counted from the last time the whole roof was built or replaced, and the rule covers homeowners policies, not mobile home policies.

What insurers actually look at

Age is a shortcut. What insurers really want to know is how much life the roof has left, and that depends a lot on what it’s made of. Shingle roofs generally wear out faster than tile or metal.

Citizens, Florida’s state-created insurer, shows how this plays out: it asks for documentation of at least 5 years of remaining life on shingle-type roofs older than 25 years and tile or metal roofs older than 50. Private insurers set their own rules, and some are stricter.

That’s why the date your roof was installed matters so much. Find the permit, the roofer’s invoice, or the date on a past inspection. “About fifteen years” is not something an underwriter can work with.

The roof inspection

If your roof is getting older, an inspection is how you show its condition. It’s often done as part of a 4-point inspection, which covers the roof along with the electrical, plumbing and heating and cooling. Florida has since added roofing contractors to the list of people who can do that roof inspection.

If you’re replacing the roof anyway, get a wind mitigation inspection afterwards. A new roof often changes the answers on that form, and the insurer can only credit what it can verify.

The 25 percent question

You may have heard that if a quarter of your roof is damaged, the whole thing has to be replaced. That used to be a common worry under the building code.

Florida changed it in 2022 for newer roofs. If your roof was built, repaired or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, and 25 percent or more of it is being repaired or replaced, only the part being worked on has to meet the current code (Fla. Stat. 553.844). Older roofs don’t get that exception, which is one more reason the installation date matters.

Roof deductibles

Some Florida policies now include a separate roof deductible. The rules (Fla. Stat. 627.701):

You must be offered the chance to opt out, by signing a state-approved form.
It has to show as a dollar amount on your declarations page or renewal notice.
It can’t apply to a roof loss from a hurricane, a tree or other object that punctures the roof deck, a total loss of the home, or a repair of less than half the roof.

If you’re not sure whether you have one, check your declarations page.

Good to know

Keep the paperwork. Permit, invoice, warranty and photos of the finished roof. You’ll need them every time you shop.
Don’t wait for a notice. If your roof is approaching the age where insurers get nervous, talk to me before your renewal, not after.
Repairs count. Fixing a leak or damaged section and documenting it can change how the roof reads on an inspection.
Roof claims after a storm. If you sign a roofing contract soon after a declared emergency, Florida generally gives you a short window to cancel it. Read before you sign anything.

Want me to look at your roof situation?

Tell me the year your roof went on and what it’s made of, or upload your declarations page at /quote/ with any inspection you have. I’ll tell you which doors are open, and what would open more of them.

Talk to Elona