Florida Roof Age Insurance Rules: The 15-Year Law and What It Means

Roof age is one of the first questions on a Florida homeowners application, and it comes up often in nonrenewal letters. Florida law does put limits on how insurers can use roof age, but the protection is narrower than many people assume. It covers refusals based “solely” on age, and it leaves room for decisions based on condition.

Here’s what the statute says as of October 2026, how roof age is calculated, how roof deductibles work and how the 25% repair rule fits in.

What does Florida law say about roof age and homeowners insurance?

The rule is in section 627.7011(5), Florida Statutes, and it applies to homeowners policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2022. It has two parts.

Roofs under 15 years old. An insurer “may not refuse to issue or refuse to renew a homeowner’s policy insuring a residential structure with a roof that is less than 15 years old solely because of the age of the roof.”

Roofs 15 years or older. The 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” as a condition of issuing or renewing. If that inspection “indicates that the roof has 5 years or more of useful life remaining,” the insurer may not refuse to issue or renew solely because of roof age.

Your roof	What section 627.7011(5) says
Under 15 years old	Insurer can’t refuse to write or renew solely because of roof age
15 years or older, inspection shows 5+ years of life left	Insurer can’t refuse to write or renew solely because of roof age
15 years or older, inspection shows under 5 years of life	The statute’s protection doesn’t apply; replacement may be required
Any age, roof in poor condition	The statute doesn’t stop decisions based on condition or other underwriting reasons

What the roof age law doesn’t do

The key word is “solely.” The statute stops refusals based only on the roof’s age. It doesn’t stop an insurer from acting on a roof with visible damage, leaks or missing shingles, and it doesn’t control the price. A carrier can still rate an older roof differently under its filed rates, apply a roof deductible where the law allows one, or decline the home for other reasons, such as the plumbing or electrical findings on a 4-point inspection.

The subsection is written for homeowner’s insurance policies. If you insure a rental home under a dwelling policy, ask your agent how that carrier handles roof age.

Who counts as an authorized roof inspector?

Under section 627.7011(5)(a), an authorized inspector must be approved by the insurer and be one of these:

1. A home inspector licensed under section 468.8314
2. A building code inspector certified under section 468.607
3. A general, building or residential contractor licensed under section 489.111, or a roofing contractor
4. A professional engineer licensed under section 471.015
5. A professional architect licensed under section 481.213
6. Any other person or entity the insurer recognizes as qualified to complete a general inspection of a home

Because the inspector has to be approved by the insurer, ask your agent which inspectors or report formats your carrier accepts before you book one. You pay for the inspection.

How is a roof’s age calculated?

Section 627.7011(5)(d) measures roof age from “the last date on which 100 percent of the roof’s surface area was built or replaced” under the building code in effect at the time. If the roof was redone in sections, age runs from the first partial replacement once later work finishes the whole surface.

In practice, carriers look for a roofing permit or a final invoice. If your roof was replaced but the paperwork is missing, your city or county building department’s permit records are the place to start. On older Lakeland homes, the 4-point form also asks for the date of the last roofing permit, so the same document does double duty.

How do roof deductibles work in Florida?

Section 627.701(10) lets an insurer add a separate roof deductible to a homeowners policy, within these limits:

• It can’t exceed the lesser of 2% of Coverage A (the dwelling limit) or 50% of the cost to replace the roof.
• Your premium has to include an actuarially sound credit for it.
• It applies only to claims adjusted on a replacement cost basis.
• It doesn’t apply to a total loss under Florida’s valued policy law, a roof loss from a hurricane, a tree fall or other hazard that punctures the roof deck, or a repair of less than 50% of the roof.

The insurer can offer it when the policy is first issued or add it at renewal with notice, and in both cases you can reject it by signing a form approved by the Office of Insurance Regulation. When a roof deductible applies, section 627.7011(3)(a) lets the insurer limit the roof payment to actual cash value until you show proof you paid the deductible.

The 25% roof repair rule under section 553.844

If your roof was installed under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, a partial repair doesn’t automatically mean a whole new roof. Section 553.844(5) says that when such a roof has “25 percent or more” repaired, replaced or recovered, “only the repaired, replaced, or recovered portion is required to be constructed in accordance with the Florida Building Code in effect.”

That exception depends on the existing roof meeting the 2007 code or a later edition. Roofs installed under older codes don’t get it, so ask your roofer and the building department what the code requires before you sign a repair contract.

Citizens’ own roof rules

Citizens Property Insurance has underwriting rules on top of the statute. Citizens says roofs older than 25 years for “soft” coverings such as shingles, or 50 years for “hard” coverings such as tile, slate, clay, concrete or metal, “require documentation showing at least five years of remaining useful life.” Citizens’ 4-point form also says its roof section can take the place of its separate roof inspection form when photos of every slope are attached.

Roof decisions for Lakeland and Polk County homes

If you’re replacing a roof in Lakeland, two local details matter. First, homes in the city’s local historic districts, including Dixieland, Beacon Hill and the Lake Morton districts, need a Certificate of Review before a roof replacement. The city says staff can approve roof replacements as a minor project, but build that step into your timeline. Second, a new roof is also the moment to add features that count on a wind mitigation inspection, such as qualifying deck nailing, roof-to-wall connections and secondary water resistance. Ask your roofer what the job will include before work starts.

What to have ready before you request a quote

1. Roof covering type (shingle, tile, metal) and the year of the last full replacement
2. The roofing permit number or final invoice
3. A roof inspection or 4-point report if the roof is 15 or older
4. A wind mitigation report, if you have one
5. Your current declarations page, including any roof deductible
6. Any nonrenewal notice that cites the roof

With those in hand, you can request a homeowners quote and a licensed agent will tell you which carriers fit your roof’s age and condition. You can also read more about our homeowners coverage or see our carriers.