Florida's 25% roof rule after the 2022 change
When a partial repair forces a full re-roof, what changed in 2022, and how to find out which side of the line your roof is on.
For years, Florida homeowners heard the same thing after a storm: if more than a quarter of the roof is damaged, the whole roof has to be replaced. That was the "25% rule". The Legislature changed it in 2022, and the change matters most to owners of roofs installed in the last fifteen or so years.
What the rule says
The rule is in the Florida Building Code – Existing Building, section 706.1.1. In substance: no more than 25 percent of the total roof area or roof section of an existing building may be repaired, replaced or recovered in any 12-month period unless the entire roofing system or roof section is brought up to the current code.
The practical effect was that a storm damaging a third of an older roof could require replacing the whole section to current standards — and insurance coverage disputes followed about who paid for the undamaged portion.
What changed in 2022
Senate Bill 4-D, passed in a May 2022 special session and effective in 2022, directed that the rule no longer forces full replacement where the existing roof was built, repaired or replaced in compliance with the 2007 Florida Building Code or later. For those roofs, only the portion being repaired or replaced has to meet the current code, even if it is more than 25 percent. The Building Code was amended to match.
The 2007 code took effect for permits applied for on or after March 1, 2009. That is why roofers and adjusters often use that permit date as the rule of thumb: a roof permitted after that date was built under the 2007 code or later; one permitted before that date generally was not.
Which side of the line is your roof on?
You need the date of the last permitted full re-roof. Ways to find it:
- Your city or county building department. Most have an online permit search by address. Look for a re-roof permit and its final inspection date.
- Closing documents or a four-point inspection from when you bought the house often list the roof's age and material.
- Your insurer. The declarations page or underwriting file may record the roof year.
If the last full re-roof was permitted before March 2009, the 25% rule can still apply to a large repair. If it was later, it generally does not force full replacement, though the repaired area must meet today's code.
What the rule does not do
- It does not decide what your insurance covers. Coverage depends on your policy, and a code requirement to replace more of the roof may or may not be covered (look for "ordinance or law" coverage).
- It does not mean a roofer can skip the permit. Repairs and replacements still need permits and inspections as your local building department requires.
- It does not override the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone requirements in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, which have their own detailed roofing provisions.
Other code upgrades triggered by a re-roof
Replacing the roof covering on a site-built single-family home can trigger specific retrofit requirements in the Existing Building code: re-nailing the roof deck to current attachment standards and adding a secondary water barrier. In the wind-borne debris region, homes insured (or assessed) at $300,000 or more also need improved roof-to-wall connections, capped at a 15 percent increase in re-roofing cost. These upgrades also tend to earn wind-mitigation insurance discounts, so they are worth documenting.
Talking to a roofer about it
A good roofer will ask when the roof was last permitted before telling you whether the 25% rule applies. Be wary of anyone who says "the whole roof has to go, the insurance will pay" before they have looked at the permit history. Florida law separately bars roofers from offering to waive your deductible or giving you anything of value for letting them file a claim.
Sources
- Florida Building Code – Existing Building, section 706.1.1 and its 2022 amendment.
- Senate Bill 4-D (2022 Special Session D).
- Your local building department's permit records.