Florida roof age and home insurance
Florida law stops an insurer from refusing or non-renewing a home policy solely because of roof age when the roof is under 15 years old, and gives owners of older roofs the right to an inspection first.
In plain English
Florida Statutes section 627.7011(5) sets the roof age rule for homeowners' policies. If the roof is less than 15 years old, the insurer may not refuse to issue or renew the policy solely because of the age of the roof.
If the roof is 15 years or older, the insurer must let you have it inspected, at your expense, by an authorized inspector before it requires you to replace the roof as a condition of issuing or renewing. If that inspector finds the roof has 5 years or more of useful life left, the insurer may not refuse or non-renew solely because of roof age.
The statute defines how roof age is counted and covers policies issued or renewed on or after 1 July 2022. It protects against refusal based only on age. It does not stop an insurer from relying on other lawful reasons.
What we found, with the exact words
| Point | In short | Exact words from the source | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof under 15 years old | No refusal to issue or renew solely because of roof age | “with a roof that is less than 15 years old solely because of the age of the roof” | Florida Statutes s. 627.7011(5)(b), 2026 Accessed 2026-10-07 |
| Roof 15 years or older | Insurer must allow an inspection by an authorized inspector, at the homeowner's expense, before requiring replacement | “an insurer must allow a homeowner to have a roof inspection performed by an authorized inspector at the homeowner’s expense” | Florida Statutes s. 627.7011(5)(c), 2026 Accessed 2026-10-07 |
| Inspection result that protects you | Roof has 5 years or more of useful life remaining | “indicates that the roof has 5 years or more of useful life remaining” | Florida Statutes s. 627.7011(5)(c), 2026 Accessed 2026-10-07 |
| Who can inspect | An inspector the insurer approves, from the types the statute lists | “an inspector who is approved by the insurer” | Florida Statutes s. 627.7011(5)(a), 2026 Accessed 2026-10-07 |
| Inspector types include roofing contractors | Licensed general, building and residential contractors, or a roofing contractor, among other types | “A general, building, or residential contractor licensed under s. 489.111 or a roofing contractor” | Florida Statutes s. 627.7011(5)(a)3., 2026 Accessed 2026-10-07 |
| How roof age is counted | From the last date the whole roof surface was built or replaced | “a roof’s age shall be calculated using the last date on which 100 percent of the roof’s surface area was built or replaced” | Florida Statutes s. 627.7011(5)(d), 2026 Accessed 2026-10-07 |
| Partial replacements | Age counts from the first partial replacement once later partial work adds up to the whole surface | “the initial date of a partial roof replacement when subsequent partial roof builds or replacements were completed” | Florida Statutes s. 627.7011(5)(d), 2026 Accessed 2026-10-07 |
| Which policies | Policies issued or renewed on or after 1 July 2022 | “This subsection applies to homeowners’ insurance policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2022.” | Florida Statutes s. 627.7011(5)(e), 2026 Accessed 2026-10-07 |
| What the section leaves to insurers | Rejecting or non-renewing for other lawful reasons, such as unmet underwriting criteria | “does not meet underwriting criteria applicable to replacement cost or law and ordinance policies or for other lawful reasons” | Florida Statutes s. 627.7011(6)(c), 2026 Accessed 2026-10-07 |
| Which policy types | Homeowners' policies only; other policy types are outside the section | “This section does not: (a) Apply to policies not considered to be “homeowners’ policies,”” | Florida Statutes s. 627.7011(6)(a), 2026 Accessed 2026-10-07 |
What changes for a homeowner
- Under 15 years: an insurer cannot refuse or non-renew only because of roof age. Keep the permit or invoice that shows when the roof went on.
- 15 years or older: do not assume the insurer can walk away. Ask for the inspection right in writing, hire an inspector the insurer will accept, and send the report.
- The inspection is at your cost, so ask the insurer which inspector types it approves before you book one.
- Date matters. Partial repairs do not reset the clock unless the work adds up to the whole roof surface, so ask your roofer to document what was replaced and when.
- The protection covers refusals based only on roof age. A damaged roof, a claims history or other underwriting reasons are treated separately.
What to ask your insurer
Ask in writing and keep the replies.
- What roof age does my record show, and what date is it based on?
- My roof is 15 years or older: please confirm in writing that I may have an authorized inspector assess it before any replacement requirement.
- Which inspector types do you approve, and what must the report say?
- If the report shows 5 years or more of useful life, will you confirm the policy will not be refused or non-renewed because of roof age?
- Is any other reason, such as condition or claims history, part of this decision?
- On my policy, is a roof loss paid at replacement cost or actual cash value, and is there a roof payment schedule?
What we could not confirm
- A 25-year roof rule. We read all of s. 627.7011 as published for 2026 and found no 25-year roof limit in it. Individual insurers may use their own cutoffs elsewhere.
Sources, with dates
- Florida Statutes s. 627.7011, 2026 (Florida Senate) (Statute text, accessed 2026-10-07)
- Florida Statutes s. 627.7011, 2025 (Florida Senate) (Statute text, prior year, accessed 2026-10-07)
- Online Sunshine: Florida Legislature statutes, s. 627.7011 (Statute text, second copy, accessed 2026-10-07)
- Florida Division of Consumer Services (Regulator, accessed 2026-10-07)
Last verified 2026-10-07. For a complaint or a question about your own policy, contact the Florida Division of Consumer Services.
Questions people ask
Can a Florida insurer refuse my home because the roof is old?
Not for roof age alone if the roof is less than 15 years old. Florida Statutes section 627.7011(5) bars refusing to issue or renew on that ground. For a roof 15 years or older the insurer must first allow an inspection.
What happens if my Florida roof is 15 years old or older?
The insurer must let you have a roof inspection by an authorized inspector, at your expense, before it requires replacement as a condition of issuing or renewing. If the inspection shows 5 years or more of useful life remaining, the insurer may not refuse or non-renew solely because of roof age.
How does Florida count the age of a roof?
From the last date the whole roof surface was built or replaced. If later partial replacements add up to the whole surface, the count runs from the first partial replacement.
Which Florida policies does the rule cover?
Homeowners' policies issued or renewed on or after 1 July 2022. Insurers keep the right to reject or non-renew for other lawful reasons.
Related pages
- Florida insurer claim deadlines
- FORTIFIED Roof incentives by state (no Florida page yet)
- Roof age and insurance: the general guide
- Actual cash value or replacement cost for a roof
- All states
Florida cities we cover
Census data counts when homes were built, not when roofs were last replaced, so home age is only a rough guide to roof age.
| City | Median year homes were built | Homes built before 1980 | Roof age page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Coral | 1999 | 15.9% | How old are the roofs in Cape Coral |
| Clearwater | 1978 | 56.2% | How old are the roofs in Clearwater |
| Daytona Beach | 1980 | 49.0% | How old are the roofs in Daytona Beach |
| Deltona | 1988 | 21.0% | How old are the roofs in Deltona |
| Fort Myers | 2001 | 25.3% | How old are the roofs in Fort Myers |
| Gainesville | 1983 | 44.5% | How old are the roofs in Gainesville |
| Lakeland | 1981 | 47.6% | How old are the roofs in Lakeland |
| Melbourne | 1984 | 39.4% | How old are the roofs in Melbourne |
| Ocala | 1983 | 44.2% | How old are the roofs in Ocala |
| Palm Bay | 1992 | 14.9% | How old are the roofs in Palm Bay |
| Palm Coast | 2002 | 7.1% | How old are the roofs in Palm Coast |
| Pensacola | 1972 | 65.3% | How old are the roofs in Pensacola |
| Port St. Lucie | 2001 | 9.4% | How old are the roofs in Port St. Lucie |
| Sarasota | 1976 | 60.1% | How old are the roofs in Sarasota |
| Tallahassee | 1987 | 37.9% | How old are the roofs in Tallahassee |