The 40-second answer
Florida's 15-year roof rule lets your insurance company require a roof inspection before renewing your homeowners policy if your roof is 15 years old or older. The rule is in Florida Statute § 627.7011. If the inspection finds your roof has at least 5 years of remaining useful life, your insurer is legally required to continue coverage. If it doesn't, you'll likely need to replace the roof, switch to a stricter coverage type, or find a new insurer.
Quick facts
| | | |---|---| | Statute | Florida § 627.7011 | | Effective since | 2022 (codified by SB 4-D) | | Applies to | Single-family, condo, townhouse, and most owner-occupied homes | | Trigger age | Roof aged 15 years or older | | Inspection by | Licensed roofing contractor, home inspector, or engineer | | Pass threshold | 5+ years of remaining useful life (RUL) | | Inspection cost | Typically $150 to $400 |
How the rule actually works
Before 2022, Florida insurers were essentially free to non-renew any homeowner whose roof they considered too old — and they were doing it in increasing numbers as Florida's insurance market tightened. The 15-year rule, codified through Senate Bill 4-D in 2022, gave homeowners a legal protection: insurers can no longer non-renew you just because your roof is old. Instead, they have to give you the chance to prove your roof still has life in it.
The mechanics:
When your policy comes up for renewal and your roof is 15+ years old, the insurer can require you to get a roof inspection before they renew. They'll typically tell you this 60-90 days before your renewal date. You hire a licensed inspector — most often a roofing contractor, but a licensed home inspector or engineer also qualifies — who evaluates the roof and issues a written report stating either:
- The roof has 5 or more years of remaining useful life, or
- The roof has less than 5 years of remaining useful life
If outcome #1, your insurer must continue your coverage. They can require another inspection after another 5 years, but they can't drop you over roof age in the meantime.
If outcome #2, you have decisions to make — covered below.
What "remaining useful life" actually means
Remaining useful life (RUL) is the inspector's professional estimate of how many more years the roof will perform its primary function — keeping water out and withstanding normal weather including the wind speeds your home is rated for under the Florida Building Code.
The inspector evaluates:
- The roofing material's condition (shingle granule loss, tile cracking, metal corrosion, membrane brittleness)
- Visible water damage or signs of leaks
- Flashing condition around penetrations and edges
- Structural condition of the deck below
- For tile and metal: condition of the underlayment
It's a judgment call, not a precise measurement. Two inspectors might disagree by 1-2 years. But "5 years RUL" is a meaningful threshold most experienced inspectors can call confidently.
What it's not: an estimate of how long until the roof needs replacement, or how long it will look acceptable. It's specifically about whether the roof will keep functioning.
Who can perform the inspection
The 2024 update to the rule (House Bill 1611) clarified the eligible inspector list:
- Licensed roofing contractor — the most common choice. Often the cheapest because they're already on roofs daily.
- Licensed home inspector — qualified, but may be more conservative than a roofer.
- Licensed engineer — generally the most expensive option, sometimes preferred for unusual situations or when an insurer disputes a contractor's report.
You hire and pay the inspector directly. You can choose your own — the insurer can't require you to use one of theirs.
A practical tip: if you're getting close to the 15-year mark and considering replacement anyway, ask the inspector to also estimate replacement cost. You'll want both numbers to make a decision.
What happens if your roof fails the inspection
If the inspector reports less than 5 years of RUL, you have four real options:
Replace the roof. This satisfies the underwriting requirement and gets you back to full coverage with a fresh start on the 15-year clock. Cost varies enormously — a 2,000 sq ft asphalt shingle reroof in South Florida runs roughly $15,000–$25,000 in 2026, tile is $25,000–$45,000, metal $20,000–$40,000.
Accept Actual Cash Value (ACV) coverage on the roof. Some insurers will continue your policy but switch the roof from Replacement Cost coverage to ACV. This means in a claim, they pay the depreciated value of the roof — often a fraction of replacement cost. You're insured, but underinsured for a roof loss.
Switch carriers. Some carriers are more flexible on roof age than others. Citizens Property Insurance (the state-backed insurer of last resort) and certain surplus lines carriers will write policies on older roofs, usually at higher cost.
Get a second opinion inspection. If you think the first inspector was unfairly conservative, you can hire another inspector. Insurers will generally accept the more favorable report.
There's no good fifth option. "Hope they don't notice" isn't viable — when you file a claim, they'll inspect.
How to find your roof's age — for any Florida home
The 15-year clock starts when the current roof was installed. The most reliable record is the roof permit filed with your county. Every legitimate roof replacement requires a permit, and permits are public records.
If you're not sure when your roof was last permitted, look it up:
- Miami-Dade homes: search the Miami-Dade Building Department permit search.
- Broward homes: each city handles its own permits — start with Broward County's GIS portal for parcel info and follow links to your city's building department.
- Palm Beach homes: similar — your city's building department keeps the records.
This is tedious. We do it automatically.
Check the permit history for any South Florida address → Free. Pulls from county records. Shows the most recent roofing permit, if one exists, plus other major work permits on the property.
What this rule means in practice for South Florida homeowners
The 15-year rule sounds like a homeowner protection — and it is, compared to what came before. But practically, it accelerates the moment when most South Florida homeowners face a roofing decision. Here's the rough cohort math:
If your home was built between 1985 and 1995 and the roof has never been replaced, you're already past the threshold. Your insurer can require an inspection at any renewal. Get ahead of it.
If your home was built between 1995 and 2010 with original roofing, you're approaching the threshold or just past it. Plan for an inspection within the next 1-3 years.
If your home is newer than 2010 with original roofing, you have time — but start tracking when the original roof was permitted so you know when the clock starts ticking.
If your roof has been replaced since 2010, the new permit date resets the clock.
Related concepts
The 15-year rule sits inside a web of Florida insurance practices. Understanding the rule alone isn't enough:
- The 4-point inspection — a separate inspection insurers require for older homes generally, covering roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. The roof portion of a 4-point inspection is not the same as a 15-year RUL inspection.
- Wind mitigation credit — discounts you can earn by documenting hurricane-resistant features, including certain roof characteristics.
- ACV vs Replacement Cost coverage on roofs — the difference matters enormously if your roof fails an inspection.
How this rule affects different cohorts
The actual experience of the 15-year rule varies significantly by when your home was built and where. We've analyzed cohort patterns across South Florida:
- Insurance outlook for 1980s homes in Miami
- Insurance outlook for 1990s homes in Coral Gables
- Insurance outlook for 2000s homes in Hollywood
Sources: Florida Statutes § 627.7011, Florida Senate Bill 4-D (2022), Florida House Bill 1611 (2024), Florida Office of Insurance Regulation guidance documents. Last reviewed April 2026.
MyPropFile is not a licensed insurance agent. This is informational guidance based on public statute and market practice — not legal or insurance advice. Coverage decisions should be made in consultation with a licensed insurance professional.