Roof Inspections in Apopka, Orlando and Central Florida

Florida insurers often want proof of your roof’s age and condition, especially on older homes. These are the forms homeowners in Apopka and Orlando ask us about most:

• Roof inspection form: records the roof covering, roof age, remaining useful life, the date of the last roofing permit and any visible damage. Citizens publishes its own Roof Inspection Form and says it must be signed by a Florida licensed general, residential, building or roofing contractor, a building code inspector or a licensed home inspector, with photos of each roof slope. Other insurers use their own roof certification or roof condition forms.
• 4 point inspection: reports the age and condition of the roof, electrical, plumbing and heating and cooling systems. Citizens requires one on homes more than 20 years old, and says serious problems such as active leaks or signs of leaks should be repaired before you apply.
• Wind mitigation inspection: uses the state form OIR B1 1802 to record features that help a home resist wind, such as roof covering, roof deck attachment, roof to wall connections and opening protection. A good report can qualify you for premium discounts.

Here is how Home Pros fits in. As a licensed roofing contractor, Home Pros fills out insurance roof inspection forms, such as the Citizens Roof Inspection Form. Full 4 point and wind mitigation reports are done by the licensed inspector your insurer accepts. We inspect the roof first and fix leaks or damage before that inspection, so your roof is ready. Learn more on our roof inspection for insurance page.

Need help with the roof part of a 4 point inspection? Read our 4 point roof inspection guide for Orlando and Apopka to see what inspectors look for on your roof.

Need the Citizens roof form? Read our Citizens roof inspection form guide for Florida to see who can sign it and what each section asks.

Under section 627.7011(5), Florida Statutes, an insurer may not refuse to issue or renew a homeowners policy only because the roof is less than 15 years old. For a roof that is at least 15 years old, the insurer must let you have the roof inspected by an authorized inspector, at your expense, before it requires a roof replacement. If the inspection shows the roof has 5 years or more of useful life left, the insurer may not refuse to issue or renew the policy based on roof age alone.

A few details matter:

• Roof age is counted from the last date 100 percent of the roof was built or replaced under the building code in effect at that time.
• The law lists roofing contractors among the authorized inspectors an insurer can approve, along with licensed home inspectors, building code inspectors, general, building and residential contractors, engineers and architects.
• It applies to homeowners policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2022. It does not cover mobile home policies, and insurers can still decline for other lawful reasons, such as roof condition.

Citizens Property Insurance has its own roof rules. Shingle and other soft roofs older than 25 years, and tile, slate, clay, concrete or metal roofs older than 50 years, need documentation showing at least 5 years of remaining useful life. If the roof has less than 5 years left, Citizens requires proof of a full roof replacement before it writes a policy.

If your roof does not have that much life left, we tell you plainly and give you a written estimate for a roof replacement. If it only needs a roof repair, we fix it so the roof is ready for the inspection.

Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, and afternoon thunderstorms with gusty winds are common all summer. Wind can lift and crease shingles, crack tiles and loosen metal panels without a leak showing right away, and water can spread under the roof for days before a stain appears.

After a storm, call 407-766-4388. We are available 24/7. We inspect the roof, photograph the damage, tarp the roof when it is safe, and then make a lasting repair. You file any claim with your insurer, and our photos and written findings help you show what happened. See storm damage roof repair, roof leak repair and emergency roof tarping in Sanford.

Be careful with anyone who knocks after a storm and pushes you to sign right away or to sign over your insurance benefits.

A roof inspection does not need a permit, but most roof replacements and many repairs do, and the permit office depends on where your home is:

• Inside Apopka city limits, permits come from the City of Apopka Building Safety Department through its OpenGov portal. Neighborhoods such as Errol Estate are inside the city.
• Some streets with an Apopka mailing address are in unincorporated Orange County, where the Orange County Division of Building Safety issues the permit.
• Inside Orlando city limits, permits come from the City of Orlando Permitting Services. Seminole County, Lake County and cities such as Winter Park and Sanford issue their own.

Home Pros confirms the jurisdiction for your address, pulls the permit and schedules the inspections. Florida’s building code also generally limits roof repairs to 25 percent of a roof section in any 12 month period; past that point, the whole section has to meet the current code. Roofs installed under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later are exempt from that limit. We check which rule applies before we recommend a repair or a replacement.

• Before hurricane season: spring is a good time to find loose shingles, cracked tiles and worn flashing before June 1.
• After a major storm: even if you do not see a leak yet.
• Before your insurance renewal: especially if your roof is 15 years or older or your home is more than 20 years old.
• Before you buy or sell a home: so everyone knows the roof’s age and condition.
• When you see a warning sign: ceiling stains, granules in the gutters, missing shingles or a sagging roofline.