Can my insurer drop me because my roof is old?

Not on age alone in the circumstances Florida Statute 627.7011 covers. An insurer may not refuse to issue or renew a homeowner policy on a residential structure with a roof less than 15 years old solely because of roof age. For a roof 15 years or older, the insurer must allow an inspection by an authorized inspector at your expense before requiring replacement, and may not refuse coverage solely on age if the inspection shows 5 years or more of useful life remaining.

Does storm damage over 25 percent of my roof mean a full replacement?

Not necessarily. Under the exception added by Senate Bill 4-D in 2022, if the roofing system or roof section was built, repaired, or replaced in compliance with the 2007 Florida Building Code or any subsequent edition, only the repaired, replaced, or recovered portion has to be constructed to the code in effect. If the roof does not meet the 2007 code, the original 25 percent rule still applies.

Who can perform the roof inspection my insurer requires?

Florida Statute 627.7011 refers to an inspection performed by an authorized inspector at the homeowner’s expense. Confirm with your insurer which inspector credentials it will accept before you pay for a report, since acceptance is what determines whether coverage continues.

Storm and insurance roof damage in Tampa Bay

After a storm, two separate rulebooks apply to your roof at the same time. The Florida Building Code decides how much of it has to be brought to current standards. Florida insurance statute decides what your insurer can and cannot do about the roof’s age. They are worth understanding separately.

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House exterior showing damage to the roof and wall

What your insurer cannot do because of roof age

Florida Statute 627.7011 sets out three things clearly. An insurer may not refuse to issue or refuse to renew a homeowner policy on a residential structure with a roof less than 15 years old solely because of the age of the roof.

For a roof that is at least 15 years old, the insurer must allow you to have a roof inspection performed by an authorized inspector, at your expense, before requiring replacement of the roof.

And the insurer may not refuse to issue or renew solely because of roof age if that inspection indicates the roof has 5 years or more of useful life remaining. Age triggers the inspection. Age alone does not decide the outcome.

Why the 25 percent question decides your claim scope

Storm damage frequently lands above 25 percent of a roof section. Before 2022 that could force a full replacement to current code. Senate Bill 4-D changed the calculus: if the roofing system or roof section complies with the 2007 Florida Building Code or a later edition, only the repaired, replaced, or recovered portion has to meet current code.

This matters for a claim because it changes what is reasonably owed. A roof built in 2015 and a roof built in 2003 with identical storm damage can produce genuinely different scopes, and the difference is the code edition, not the damage.

A note on how the roof-claim market got here

The Florida House staff analysis behind the 2022 change is unusually direct about its motivation. It describes claim solicitations related to roofs and the fraudulent use of the 25 percent rule, including contractors going door to door offering inspections and telling homeowners their insurance may replace the entire roof if they file a claim.

That history is why post-storm door-knocking gets a cool reception from adjusters, and why documenting your own damage before anyone offers you a free inspection is worth the ten minutes.

Florida Building Code, Existing Building, Chapter 6, Section 611.1.1 says this:

“Not more than 25 percent of the total roof area or roof section of any existing building or structure shall be repaired, replaced, or recovered in any 12 month period unless the entire roofing system or roof section conforms to the requirements of this code.”

Read on its own, that is the sentence that used to force full replacements. Cross 25 percent, bring the whole roof to current code.

Then 2022 changed it

Senate Bill 4-D and its House companion HB 3D amended section 553.844 of the Florida Statutes to add an exception.

If the roofing system or roof section was built, repaired, or replaced in compliance with the 2007 Florida Building Code or any later edition, then only the repaired, replaced, or recovered portion has to meet the current code. The rest of the roof stays as it is.

So the question is what your roof already meets

The 2007 code is what introduced two requirements worth knowing about. A roof replacement had to include a secondary water barrier, and roof-decking attachments and fasteners had to be strengthened or corrected during reroofing.

That second one is exactly what a Hillsborough County Progress Check inspection looks at.

Worth being precise about

SB 4-D did not delete the 25 percent rule. It added an exception. A roof that does not meet the 2007 code is still exposed to full replacement.

Source: Florida House of Representatives staff analysis of HB 3D (2022D), Roof Repair, Replacement, and Recovering Requirements. The current code is the 8th Edition (2023). The 9th Edition takes effect December 31, 2026.