The short answer (September 2026): Florida’s 25% rule says no more than 25% of a roof or roof section may be repaired, replaced or recovered in 12 months unless the whole roof or section is brought to current code. Since 2022, a roof built, repaired or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later is exempt: only the repaired part must meet current code.
So crossing 25% is not an automatic new roof. For a roof installed under the 2007 code or later, it usually is not. For an older roof, it still can be. The permit history of your roof decides which side of the line you are on.
The rule, word for word
The general rule is Section 706.1.1 of the Florida Building Code, Existing Building [2]:
“Not more than 25 percent of the total roof area or roof section of any existing building or structure shall be repaired, replaced or recovered in any 12-month period unless the roof covering on the entire existing roof system or roof section is replaced or recovered to conform to the requirements of this code.”
Four details matter:
- It counts any 12-month period, not a single job, so two repairs of 15% each within a year can add up to 30%.
- It applies to the roof or a roof section, not necessarily the whole building. Whether a given area counts as a separate roof section is a question for the building department that reviews the permit.
- It covers repair, replacement and recovering. A recover (a new covering over the old one) counts the same as a tear-off.
- The penalty is the covering, not the structure: the roof covering on the entire roof or section must be brought to current code.
The 2007-code exception
In 2022 the Legislature added subsection (5) to section 553.844, Florida Statutes [1]:
“Notwithstanding any provision in the Florida Building Code to the contrary, if an existing roofing system or roof section was built, repaired, or replaced in compliance with the requirements of the 2007 Florida Building Code, or any subsequent editions of the Florida Building Code, and 25 percent or more of such roofing system or roof section is being repaired, replaced, or recovered, only the repaired, replaced, or recovered portion is required to be constructed in accordance with the Florida Building Code in effect, as applicable.”
The same statute says a local government “may not adopt by ordinance an administrative or technical amendment to this exception” [1]. The Florida Building Code now prints the exception, with that sentence, directly under Section 706.1.1 [2].
Which roofs qualify? The Florida Building Commission made the 2007 Florida Building Code effective March 1, 2009 [6]. A roof permitted and installed on or after that date was normally built under the 2007 code or a later edition. A roof installed earlier, but repaired or replaced to the 2007 code or later since, can also qualify for that roof or section. The evidence is the permit record, so ask your contractor to pull it before anyone tells you the whole roof has to go.
HVHZ and non-HVHZ: what changes
The High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) consists of Broward and Miami-Dade counties [3]. Roofs there follow the HVHZ sections of the Florida Building Code, Building (Sections 1512 through 1525), rather than the general roofing chapters [2][3].
| Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Monroe (outside HVHZ) | Miami-Dade and Broward (HVHZ) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the 25% rule sits | Existing Building Section 706.1.1 [2] | Existing Building Section 706.1.1, repeated in HVHZ Building Section 1521.4 with the same wording [2][3] |
| 2007-code exception | Yes, s. 553.844(5) [1][2] | Yes, printed under 1521.4, with the same bar on local amendments [3][4] |
| Materials and methods for the new work | Chapter 15 of the Building code or Chapter 9 of the Residential code [2] | HVHZ Sections 1512–1525 [3] |
| Product approval | Roofing is one of the product categories the Florida Building Commission approves under s. 553.842 [7] | Every roofing component must have “a valid and current product approval” [3]; Miami-Dade’s Notices of Acceptance (NOAs) are tied to the HVHZ roofing chapter and its test protocols [8] |
| Extra HVHZ repair rules | — | Repairs use product-approved components and must not create additional ponding water; no new roofing over a deck that is not fastened to code or is water-soaked or deteriorated [3] |
In short: the exception works the same way in both. HVHZ repairs carry extra product and deck requirements, so a repair in Miami-Dade or Broward can cost more even when the rule itself is the same.
What it means for homeowners
If your roof was installed under the 2007 code or later: a storm that damages 30% or 40% of it does not by itself force a whole new roof. The damaged portion is repaired or replaced to the code in effect. Whether a repair is sensible is a separate question: matching discontinued tile, the age of the rest of the roof and your insurer’s view of its condition all play a part.
If your roof predates the 2007 code and was never replaced to it: the original rule still governs. Repair, replacement or recovering of more than 25% of the roof or section in 12 months means the covering on the whole roof or section is brought to current code.
Either way, some roofs need a full tear-off for other reasons. Section 706.3 requires removing the existing covering down to the deck, rather than recovering over it, where the existing roof is water-soaked or deteriorated, where it is clay or cement tile, slate or wood shake, where there are already two or more coverings, and in a few other cases [2].
What it means for insurance
The 25% rule is a building code rule about construction. It does not, on its own, decide what an insurer pays; the policy does.
- Law and ordinance coverage. Before issuing a homeowner’s policy, a Florida insurer must offer coverage that includes the costs necessary to meet building laws and ordinances, which may be limited to 25% or 50% of the dwelling limit as the policyholder selects [5]. Unless the insurer obtains your written refusal, the policy is deemed to include law and ordinance coverage limited to 25% of the dwelling limit [5]. This is the coverage that matters when code, rather than damage, requires the extra work on an older roof.
- Roof age is a separate rule. An insurer may not refuse to issue or renew a homeowner’s policy solely because the roof is under 15 years old, and must allow an inspection for an older roof [5]. See how old a roof can be for insurance in Florida, and, if your insurer has already said it will not renew, the next 30 days.
- Report damage promptly. Claim notice deadlines are covered in our after-the-storm checklist.
Perkins can document the roof’s condition and its permit history in a roof insurance inspection. Your insurer decides coverage, and your building department decides what the code requires for your permit.
Frequently asked questions
Does damage to more than 25% of my roof mean I need a new roof? Not automatically. If the roof or roof section was built, repaired or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, only the repaired portion must meet current code, even when 25% or more is repaired. Older roofs can still trigger full replacement of the covering on that roof or section.
How do I know if my roof was built under the 2007 code? The 2007 Florida Building Code took effect March 1, 2009. A roof permitted and installed after that date was normally built under the 2007 code or later. The permit record for your address is the evidence; a contractor or your building department can look it up.
Is the 25% rule different in Miami-Dade and Broward? The wording is the same, but in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone it sits in Section 1521.4 of the Florida Building Code, Building. The 2007-code exception applies there too, and local governments may not amend it. HVHZ repairs have extra product-approval and deck requirements.
Can my city or county make the 25% rule stricter? Not the 2007-code exception. Section 553.844(5), Florida Statutes, says a local government may not adopt by ordinance an administrative or technical amendment to it.
Does the 25% rule make my insurer pay for a whole roof? No. The rule governs construction, not coverage. What the insurer pays depends on the policy, including its law and ordinance coverage, which Florida insurers must offer and which defaults to 25% of the dwelling limit unless you reject it in writing.
Does the 12-month period count separate repairs? Yes. The rule counts all repair, replacement or recovering of the roof or section in any 12-month period, so several smaller repairs can add up.
Next step
If a storm or a leak has put more than a quarter of your roof in question, start with a documented inspection and the permit history. Book a roof inspection, compare repair and replacement costs, or see which edition of the Florida Building Code applies to new work.
This guide is general information, not legal, engineering or insurance advice. The building department with jurisdiction decides what the code requires for your roof. Code and statute citations were checked on September 23, 2026.
Sources
- Section 553.844, Florida Statutes (2026) — Windstorm loss mitigation; roofs; subsection (5). https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/553.844
- Florida Building Code, Existing Building, 8th Edition (2023), Chapter 7, Sections 706.1, 706.1.1 and 706.3 (code text viewer). https://up.codes/viewer/florida/fl-existing-building-code-2023/chapter/7/alterations-level-1
- Florida Building Code, Building, 8th Edition (2023), Section 202 (High-Velocity Hurricane Zone) and Sections 1512 and 1521 (code text viewer). https://up.codes/viewer/florida/fl-building-code-2023/chapter/15/roof-assemblies-and-rooftop-structures
- Miami-Dade County, Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources, “2023 FBC Roofing Code Changes” (Section 1521.4 exception). https://www.miamidade.gov/building/library/2023-fbc-roofing-code-changes.pdf
- Section 627.7011, Florida Statutes (2026) — Homeowners’ policies; offer of replacement cost and law and ordinance coverage; roof age. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/627.7011
- Florida Building Commission, “Key Commission Milestones, July 1996 to Present” (updated April 14, 2026), September 2008 entry. https://www.floridabuilding.org/fbc/commission/FBC_0626/Commission/FBC-Updated-Commission-Milestones_14-April-2026.pdf
- Section 553.842, Florida Statutes (2026) — Product evaluation and approval. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/553.842
- Miami-Dade County, Product Approval Notices. https://www.miamidade.gov/global/economy/board-and-code/product-approval-notices.page