Florida's 15 Year Roof Rule, Explained with County Data

Key takeaways

• Under 15 years old: age alone is not a legal reason to refuse or nonrenew a homeowners policy.
• 15 years or older: the insurer must let the homeowner get an inspection, at the homeowner's cost, before requiring a new roof.
• If that inspection shows 5 or more years of useful life left, age alone still cannot be the reason to refuse.
• Roof age is counted from the last time 100% of the roof was built or replaced to code. The reroof permit is how that date gets proven.

What section 627.7011(5) says

Florida added the roof age language to section 627.7011 in the May 2022 special session (Senate Bill 2 D). It applies to homeowners policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2022. It has four working parts.

• Roofs under 15 years old: an insurer may not refuse to issue or refuse to renew a homeowners policy solely because of the age of the roof.
• Roofs 15 years or older: before requiring a replacement as a condition of writing or renewing the policy, the insurer must allow the homeowner to have the roof inspected by an authorized inspector, at the homeowner's expense.
• The 5 year test: if that inspection says the roof has 5 years or more of useful life remaining, the insurer may not refuse to issue or renew solely because of roof age.
• How age is counted: from the last date 100% of the roof surface was built or replaced under the code in effect at the time, or the first date of a partial replacement when later partial jobs finished the whole roof.

What the rule does not do

The word that matters is solely. The law blocks age as the only reason. An insurer can still decline or nonrenew a roof for its condition, for damage, or for other underwriting reasons, and it can still price a policy by roof age. A 14 year old roof that is leaking is not protected by its age.

It also does not make an older roof insurable by default. Past 15, the burden moves to the homeowner: get the inspection, pay for it, and show 5 good years left. An authorized inspector is one the insurer approves, such as a licensed home inspector, a certified building code inspector, a licensed general, building, residential or roofing contractor, an engineer, or an architect.

Why the permit date is the whole argument

Because age is counted from the last full replacement, the question every homeowner gets asked is simple: when was this roof put on? The record that answers it is the reroof permit. A finalized permit with a date is a public record an underwriter can check. A guess from the shingles is not.

That is also why the 15 year line is where Florida roof sales start. A homeowner with a dated permit under 15 years has nothing to argue about. A homeowner past 15 is one inspection away from a replacement conversation, whether they know it yet or not.

Florida roofs past 15 years, by county (as of September 29, 2026)

As of September 29, 2026, the Florida Roof Age Index holds a dated roof record for 2,784,009 of the 6,331,869 single family homes it tracks across 67 Florida counties. 434,710 of those dated roofs are 15 years or older, the age where the inspection part of the rule starts to apply.

The table lists the 18 counties where permits already date at least 40% of single family homes, sorted by how many dated roofs are 15 or older. In the other 49 counties dating is still underway, so their counts are lower bounds and are left out here rather than shown as if they were complete. Every county, with notes, is in the full index at /roof-age-index.

Source: Florida Roof Age Index (reroofgen.com/roof-age-index), measured from building permit records, as of September 29, 2026. A home without a dated record is unverified, not new.

How to read those numbers

A dated roof 15 or older is not a denied policy. It is a home where the insurer is allowed to ask for an inspection before renewing, and where condition, not the calendar, decides what happens next. Plenty of those roofs will pass with 5 good years left.

A median dated roof age under 15 does not mean a county has no work. It means most permitted roofs there are recent. The 15 plus column is the number to work from.

What a homeowner should do

• Find the reroof permit for the address. The county or city permit portal usually has it, and the finalized date is the roof's age.
• If the roof is under 15 and the insurer cites age alone, ask them to put the reason in writing and point them to section 627.7011(5)(b).
• If the roof is 15 or older, ask which inspectors the insurer approves, get the inspection before the renewal date, and keep the report with the permit.
• If the inspection shows less than 5 years left, start getting replacement bids early. A reroof done under permit resets the clock.

For roofing teams

The rule gives every Florida market a clear starting list: dated roofs at 15 years and up. ReroofGen maps permit backed roof age by parcel so a team can filter to those homes before anyone gets in the truck. The free county view is the Florida Roof Age Index at /roof-age-index.

Statute text checked against the Florida Senate's published Florida Statutes, section 627.7011(5), on October 3, 2026. This guide explains the law in plain terms and is not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

What is the 15 year roof rule in Florida?

It is section 627.7011(5) of the Florida Statutes. An insurer may not refuse to issue or renew a homeowners policy solely because of roof age if the roof is less than 15 years old. It applies to policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2022.

Can my insurer drop me because my roof is over 15 years old?

Not for age alone without giving you a chance to inspect. For a roof 15 or older, the insurer must let you get an inspection by an authorized inspector, at your cost, before requiring a replacement. If the inspection shows 5 or more years of useful life left, the insurer cannot refuse to issue or renew solely because of roof age.

How is roof age calculated under Florida law?

From the last date 100% of the roof surface was built or replaced under the building code in effect at the time. If the roof was replaced in sections, it is the first date of the partial replacement that eventually covered the whole roof. The reroof permit is the usual proof of that date.

Can an insurer still refuse a roof that is under 15 years old?

Yes, for reasons other than age. The law only blocks age as the sole reason. Damage, poor condition, or other underwriting reasons are still allowed, and age can still affect the premium.

Who can do the roof inspection?

An inspector the insurer approves who is a licensed home inspector, a certified building code inspector, a licensed general, building, residential or roofing contractor, a licensed engineer or architect, or someone else the insurer recognizes as qualified.

How many Florida roofs are over 15 years old?

The Florida Roof Age Index on reroofgen.com publishes that count by county from building permit records, with its as of date. The table on this page shows the counties where permits already date at least 40% of single family homes.