Florida’s 15-year roof age rule states that home insurance companies cannot deny an application for coverage or refuse to renew a policy solely based on the age of the home’s roof if the roof is less than 15 years old. If the roof is 15 years old or more, the insurer must allow the homeowner to pay for an inspection. If the inspection determines that the roof has at least five years of useful life remaining, the insurer cannot refuse to issue or renew the policy.
The 15-year roof age rule in Florida protects consumers from unexpected insurance nonrenewals while giving insurance companies clear guidelines for limiting risk exposure.
How Florida's 15-year roof rule works
The 15-year roof rule prohibits Florida home insurance companies from denying coverage or nonrenewing policies solely because of the age of a property’s roof. According to Florida Statute 627.7011(5), if your roof is:
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Less than 15 years old, insurers can’t refuse to issue or renew your policy because of the roof’s age.
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More than 15 years old, you have the right to hire and pay for an authorized inspector to evaluate your roof, and your insurance company cannot demand a roof replacement as a condition of coverage until the inspection has been done.
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If the inspector determines that your roof has at least five more years of useful life, your insurance company can’t deny or nonrenew your coverage solely based on the age of the roof.
Know your roof's age and condition, and know your rights as a Florida homeowner. The roof age law doesn't take away your insurance company's separate right to repair storm damage itself at its own cost, instead of paying you for the loss. In addition, your insurance company can still decline to insure your home or choose not to renew your policy for other legitimate reasons tied to your roof or raise your policy cost (formally called your premium) to reflect the added risk of an older roof.
Who counts as an authorized inspector?
In order to meet the requirements of Florida law, your roof must be inspected by an “authorized inspector,” which could include:
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A home inspector licensed under F.S. 468.8314
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A building code inspector certified under F.S. 468.607
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A general, building, or residential contractor licensed under F.S. 489.111
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A roofing contractor
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A professional engineer licensed under F.S. 471.015
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A professional architect licensed under F.S. 481.213
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Any other individual or entity recognized by the insurer as possessing the necessary qualifications to properly complete a general inspection of a residential structure insured with a homeowner’s insurance policy
Remember that the law requires the homeowner, not the insurance company, to pay for this inspection.
How roof age is calculated
There are three ways to determine your roof’s age for the 15-year rule in Florida.
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Situation |
Calculation |
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Your roof has never been repaired or replaced |
Use the date that your roof was built |
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You’ve had a total roof replacement |
Use the last date that 100% of your roof’s surface area was replaced in agreement with building codes in effect at that time |
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You’ve had partial roof replacements |
Use the initial date of the least recent partial roof build or replacement, if later repairs eventually added up to a replacement of 100% of the roof’s surface |
Important note: These rules are calculated based on replacement of part or all of your roof’s surface area, not spot repairs. If your roof has never been fully or partially replaced, but you’ve made repairs to small areas, your roof’s age will still be based on the date the roof was initially built.
Who the rule applies to
This roof age rule in Florida affects homeowners and insurance providers with homeowners policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2022.
The 15-year rule does not apply to mobile home insurance or to any property insurance policies that don’t meet the industry’s standard definition of homeowners insurance. It also doesn’t change how insurance companies calculate replacement cost payouts. Insurer can still cap what they pay to whichever is lowest: your policy’s coverage limit or the actual cost to repair or replace the damage. And Florida law still allows an insurance company to decline or not renew a policy for other reasons unrelated to roof age.
Does passing an inspection guarantee you'll keep your coverage?
The Florida roof age law does not guarantee that you’ll be able to keep your home insurance coverage if your roof is at least 15 years old and passes an inspection. It only specifies that your insurance company can’t use the numerical age of the roof as the sole reason for nonrenewing your policy, and that they must wait until an inspection has been performed to make their decision.
Insurers can still consider other factors tied to your roof when deciding whether or not to cover your home, such as:
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The roofing material used
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Storm history
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Overall condition of the roof
Insurance companies have long considered these factors when deciding who to cover and what to charge, and the new law doesn't change that. Even if your roof inspection shows at least five years of useful life left, your insurance company could still insist on repairs, raise your Florida policy cost, or choose not to renew your policy based on the roof's condition.
Buying or selling a home with an older roof
Florida’s roof age law doesn’t block home sales based on roof age. However, it could pose an often-unanticipated hurdle if the prospective buyer isn’t able to get the home insurance coverage the mortgage lender requires.
If you’re trying to sell a house in Florida with a roof that’s 15 years old or older, be aware that a pre-listing inspection or roof certification could help streamline the sale process and avoid insurance pitfalls. A total roof replacement could also improve sales odds and earn buyers potential home insurance discounts.
If you’re considering buying or selling a home with an older roof, keep in mind that Florida’s insurance roof age law is different from the 25% roof replacement rule, which states that a roof must be fully replaced if more than 25% of its surface area is being repaired, unless the roof was built/permitted under the 2007 Florida Building Code or a later edition. This rule doesn’t govern insurance eligibility and is less likely to pose a challenge for home sales.
Frequently asked questions
Can you insure a 20-year-old roof in Florida?
Yes. Florida’s roof age law does not prevent homeowners from insuring a 20-year-old roof. If an authorized inspector’s report shows that the roof has five or more years of useful life remaining, the home can still be insured and no insurance company can reject an application for coverage solely on the basis of the roof’s age.
Can you sell a home in Florida if the roof is older than 15 years?
There’s no legal barrier to selling a home in Florida with a roof older than 15 years. However, a practical issue may arise linked to Florida’s 15-year roof age rule, which permits insurance companies to require roof inspections for properties with roofs older than 15 years and deny coverage if the roof has less than five years of useful life remaining. If buyers can’t get coverage, the sale could fall through. A passing inspection by an authorized inspector or a total roof replacement ahead of closing could help the transaction go smoothly.
What is the new law in Florida about roofs?
Effective in 2022, Florida Statute 627.7011(5) set new guidelines for insurance companies making underwriting decisions based on roof age and prohibits insurers from denying coverage to homes with roofs less than 15 years old. For homes with older roofs, insurers must allow the homeowner to pay for an inspection and are limited in their ability to deny coverage if the roof passes inspection with at least five years of useful life remaining. This rule is different from the state building code’s 25% roof replacement rule, which states that anyone replacing at least 25% of their roof’s surface area must replace the entire roof, unless the roof was built/permitted under the 2007 Florida Building Code or a later edition.
Can I get homeowners insurance if my roof is over 20 years old?
If your roof is over 20 years old, Florida law doesn’t directly bar you from obtaining homeowners insurance and protects your right to coverage if you can provide an inspection report from an authorized inspector stating that your roof has five or more years of useful life remaining. However, if your roof does not pass inspection, insurers can legally deny coverage based on the age of your roof. They may also legally deny or nonrenew home insurance based on roof-related underwriting factors not directly tied to age, such as overall poor condition.
