Roof Age and Homeowners Insurance in Florida: The 15-Year Rule

If your roof is getting older, your insurance company has probably started asking about it. Since 2022 Florida law has set clear limits on what insurers can do about roof age, and it rewards homeowners whose roofs have documented wind protection. Here is what the law says, what your roof’s age means in Southwest Florida, and how a re-roof changes your insurance picture.

The 15-year rule

Florida Statute 627.7011(5), added in the May 2022 special session, says an insurer may not refuse to issue or renew a homeowner’s policy on a residential structure with a roof that is 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 the roof inspected by an authorized inspector, at your expense, before requiring replacement as a condition of issuing or renewing the policy. If that inspection shows the roof has five years or more of useful life remaining, the insurer may not refuse to issue or renew solely because of roof age. The rule applies to policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2022.

In practice: a roof under 15 years old cannot be the sole reason you are dropped. A roof over 15 years old can be, unless an inspection shows at least five years of life left.

What 15 years means for a Southwest Florida roof

Roof age matters more here than the calendar suggests. Sun, humidity, daily summer storms and hurricane season shorten the life of every roofing material. The typical lifespans we see:

• Asphalt shingle: 10 to 15 years in Florida, up to 20 in prime conditions.
• Concrete tile: the tile can last 50 years, but the underlayment beneath it, which is the true waterproofing layer, usually reaches the end of its life at 20 to 25 years.
• Metal: 40 to 70 years.

So a 15-year-old shingle roof is at or past the end of its expected life, while a 15-year-old tile or metal roof may have plenty left. That is exactly why the law lets the inspection, not the birthday, decide. The signs an inspector looks for are the same ones we check in our complimentary Storm Ready Report: missing or cracked tiles or shingles, loose ridge caps, damaged flashing, interior water stains, sagging sections and previous hurricane damage.

Wind mitigation credits: the discount most homeowners leave on the table

Florida Statute 627.0629 requires every residential property insurance rate filing to include discounts, credits or rate differentials for homes with fixtures or construction techniques shown to reduce windstorm loss. To claim them you need a Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, OIR-B1-1802, completed by an authorized inspector. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation says the form is valid for up to five years as long as nothing material changes on the home.

The form documents features such as the roof covering and the code it was installed under, how the roof deck is nailed, how the roof is tied to the walls, whether there is a sealed roof deck or secondary water barrier, the roof shape, and opening protection. A new roof installed to today’s Florida Building Code, with a peel-and-stick underlayment and the right attachments, typically improves several of those lines at once. We provide the wind mitigation inspection form after every re-roof so you can send it straight to your agent.

Before a storm: document your roof

Two things from our hurricane checklist protect you at claim time. Photograph your roof, because documentation is valuable if an insurance claim becomes necessary. And review your coverage so you understand your deductible and policy requirements before storm season, not after. If a storm does damage the roof, our inspection includes leak detection, a full report, pictures and an action plan, and we tarp first to stop further water intrusion. See our Storm Damage and Insurance page.

Help paying for a stronger roof

The State of Florida runs the My Safe Florida Home program, which offers free wind mitigation inspections and, for eligible homeowners, grants toward hurricane-hardening improvements. Eligibility and funding change from year to year, so check the current rules at mysafeflhome.com. Separately, roof replacement can be financed through the PACE program with no large down payment, repaid on your property tax bill. See our Roof Financing page.

What to do at each age

• Under 15 years: keep your permit records and Certificate of Compliance, get a wind mitigation form if you do not have one, and have the roof inspected annually. Our SHIELD Maintenance Program includes a yearly visual inspection and keeps you in compliance with manufacturer warranty requirements.
• 15 years and older: if your insurer raises roof age, you have the right to an inspection first. Get one before renewal, not after a non-renewal notice arrives.
• Replacing: choose a system and underlayment that earn wind mitigation credits, keep the permit and affidavit, and send the wind mitigation form to your agent the week the roof is finished.

Common questions

Can my insurer drop me because my roof is 12 years old?
Not solely because of its age. Under 627.7011(5) a roof under 15 years old cannot be the sole reason for refusing to issue or renew.

My roof is 18 years old and my insurer wants it replaced. Do I have options?
Yes. The insurer must allow an inspection by an authorized inspector, at your expense, and if it shows five or more years of useful life the insurer cannot refuse solely because of age.

Will a new roof lower my premium?
Florida law requires insurers to offer wind mitigation discounts for verified features, and a code-compliant new roof usually qualifies for several. The size of the discount depends on your insurer and your home. Ask your agent, and send them the form we provide.

Not sure where your roof stands? Call 239-202-8103 for a complimentary Storm Ready Report. We serve Fort Myers, Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero and Cape Coral.

Sources: Florida Statutes 627.7011(5) and 627.0629; Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Wind Mitigation Resources. This article is general information, not insurance or legal advice; confirm details with your agent.