Florida roof inspection: The Florida Guide
By Marcy Doleman, Commercial roofing estimator. Reviewed by Hal Winstead, Editor, licensed roofing contractor. Some afternoons stay with you. I was up on a low-slope TPO roof over a school gymnasium in Tallahassee, checking the perimeter metal for a pre-purchase estimate, when I put my foot through a rotted deck panel hidden under a perfectly painted coating. The coating looked great from the parking lot. The substrate underneath was mush. My leg went through to the ceiling tile, which is how I learned that particular school had a four-year-old leak history the seller somehow forgot to mention. You don't need a roof that bad to make an inspection worth it. You just need to know what you're standing on. If you want to see who actually covers this work, roofing companies in Florida is where I would start.
That's the thing about Florida roofs, and why I end up telling property managers to stop relying on a quick glance from the ground. A real roofing companies in Florida directory listing will get you names, but the inspection is where the truth comes out. I've been doing this for a long time, and I have been wrong about this before, so I don't guess anymore. I cut test cuts. I check flashings. I look at what the last guy didn't. Give me twenty minutes on a roof and I can usually tell you more than a drone pilot with a camera can see in an hour.
Now let's talk about what a real Florida roof inspection means when you're dealing with commercial buildings, because it ain't the same as the residential checklist your neighbor uses. It's not a magic bullet either. It's just a carefull look, by someone who knows what they're looking at, before you sign something or file a claim. Here is the guide.
What I'm actually looking for up there
If you hire me to look at a warehouse roof in Orlando or a strip mall in Fort Myers, I'm not just walking the membrane and texting you a thumbs-up. I'm looking at the roof deck from underneath where I can, because that's where hidden damage shows up first. I'm pulling back the corners of flashings at the penetrations — the pipes, the curb units, the drains — because that's where TPO and modified bitumen roofs fail first. I'm checking the fasteners. Call it a pet peeve, but I can't tell you how many roofs I've seen with corroded fasteners popping the membrane.
I'm also taking a hard look at the age of the roof and comparing it to what the owner says the age is. People lie. Sometimes they don't know. We call it the "new roof" that's actually a recoated twenty-year-old roof, and the coating is hiding alot of sins. A proper inspection documents the condition, sure. But the main job is to tell you what's going to hurt you in the next three years, not just what looks bad right now.
Who gets to call themselves a contractor
Florida is a little different from other states, and this trips up out-of-state property owners all the time. Roofing contractors are licensed by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, which we just call the DBPR. And there are two kinds of licenses you need to know about. A certified roofing contractor has a license number that starts with the letters CCC, and that license means they can pull permits and work anywhere in the state. A registered contractor, on the other hand, has a number starting with RC, and they can only work in the local jurisdiction that actually licensed them.
What does that mean for you? It means when you're looking at a bid, that RC license might be perfectly legal for a local job, but it's not a statewide license. I've seen contractors with an RC license try to chase work two counties over, and that's a problem. Always verify the number is active on the DBPR roll before you let anyone on your roof. I don't care how good their truck looks. A few minutes on the state website saves you a whole lot of grief later.
The permit rule, and why you don't skip it
Here's where I sound like a nagging mom, but I'll say it anyway. A roof replacement in Florida requires a permit from the local building department, and that means an inspection. If a contractor offers to skip the permit so you can save some cash, that is your cue to walk away. I have seen this go sideways so many times. An unpermitted roof can complicate an insurance claim something fierce, and when you go to sell the building, the underwriter or the buyer's inspector will figure it out, and the deal falls apart.
And this isn't just about being honest. There's a real construction issue behind it. In Florida, the local building department also enforces what people call the "25% rule." The older version of the code said if you repaired or replaced more than 25% of a roof in a twelve-month period, you had to bring the entire roof up to current code. That was harsh, and it caught a lot of people off guard. But the rules changed with SB 4-D in 2022. Now, if a roof was built, repaired, or replaced to the 2007 Florida Building Code or any later edition, then the contractor only has to bring the section they're working on up to current code. A full replacement isn't automatically triggered just because you're patching a big leak. But — and this is a big but — roofs completed before the 2007 code took effect back in March of 2009 generally don't qualify. So a 2005 roof might still be subject to the old rule. It depends entirely on the age of your roof and what code edition it was built under.
What I would actually do: Check your roof's permit history at the local building department before you start any repair. That tells me what code edition it was built to, which tells me wether the 25% rule is still a threat. It's a ten-minute phone call that can save you from a mandatory full replacement.
The wind mitigation inspection money-saver
Now let's talk about one of the smartest things you can do, and it doesn't cost much. It's called a wind mitigation inspection, and it's not about finding leaks. It documents how your roof is actually constructed to resist high winds. That means the roof covering, the deck attachment, how the roof is tied to the walls, the roof geometry, whether there's secondary water resistance under the shingles or membrane, and how the windows and doors are protected against wind-borne debris.
Why should you care? Because Florida law requires insurers to offer premium discounts for qualifying features, and the standard inspection form is the OIR-B1-1802. If you have a newer roof with the right clips and straps, you could be leaving significant discounts on the table every single year. The inspection typically costs a few hundred dollars depending on access, but it costs far less than the annual discount it can open up. I tell everyone to do it before renewal season. The inspector fills out the form, you hand it to your agent, and you see what happens.
What I would actually do: Before I even quote a reroof, I'd have a wind mitigation inspection done on the existing structure if one isn't already on file. It gives you negotiating power and tells me if the roof-to-wall connections are adequate for the new system.
When the insurance company comes calling
Listen, I'm an estimator, not a licensed adjuster, and I don't give legal advice about your policy. But here's what I do see on the ground. A lot of times, the insurer will request an inspection of a commercial roof before they bind a policy, and they're looking for that wind mitigation form and general condition. If the roof is at the end of it's life, they might require a replacement before they'll write the coverage at all. The specific criteria vary by policy, so you really need to read your declarations page and talk to your agent.
What I also see is owners using a roof inspection as a pre-emptive strike before they file a claim. They suspect they have storm damage, so they have a contractor or an independent inspector look first to document the loss. That is smart. Just make sure whoever you hire isn't going to be the same guy who bids the repair, because you want an honest assessment of what's actually there, not a sales pitch. Check the Citizens Property Insurance Corporation rules if you're with them, because they have their own inspection requirements. And if you're a homeowner, the My Safe Florida Home program has some resources too, though my focus is the flat stuff.
The questions I get asked
How long does a Florida roof inspection take?
For a commercial flat roof, I usually budget an hour to an hour and a half on site, depending on how many penetrations there are and how easy the access is. A big warehouse with a hundred roof curbs takes longer than a simple box. The written report takes me another day to put together because I want the photos and the notes to line up properly.
Do I need a separate roof inspection to get insurance?
Sometimes. If your insurer requires one, they'll usually tell you exactly what form they want filled out, and that's often the OIR-B1-1802 wind mitigation form. A general condition report might not be enough for them. Ask what they need first, because you don't want to pay for the wrong inspection twice.
Can I do the inspection myself?
You can look, sure, but you can't issue a profesional report that a bank or an insurer will accept. More importantly, you probably won't know what you're looking at. I've been doing this for decades and I still get surprised by what's under a coating system. The money you spend on a pro is cheap insurance against making a bad decision based on what looks good from the ground.
What's the difference between a roof inspection and a roof certification?
A certification is a written statement that the roof is sound for a certain period, usually two or three years, and it carries liability with it. A lot of contractors won't certify a roof they didn't install, because they don't know what's under the surface. An inspection just tells you the condition at that moment. Both have their place, but don't confuse the two when you're reading bids.
How do I know if I need a repair or a full replacement?
That's the million-dollar question, and the answer is different for every roof. It depends on the age, the type of membrane, how many times it's been patched, and the condition of the deck. I've seen TPO roofs that looked shot at fifteen years and modified bitumen roofs that were still going strong at twenty-five. You can't tell without an inspection and probably a couple of test cuts.
Do you inspect TPO and modified bitumen roofs differently?
Yes, but the basics are the same. I'm looking at seam integrity on TPO, and I'm looking for alligatoring and blisters on mod bit. On a coating system, I'm looking for where the coating has worn through and exposed the substrate. The roof geometry doesn't change how I look at drainage, though. Standing water is standing water.