Insurer Won’t Renew Because of Your Roof? The Next 30 Days in Florida

The short answer (September 2026): Read the notice: Florida insurers must give at least 120 days’ written notice of nonrenewal, with the reason. If your roof is under 15, age alone cannot be the reason. At 15 or older, an inspection by an insurer-approved inspector showing five or more years of useful life means age alone cannot be the reason. Other underwriting rules still apply.

So you usually have more time than the first panic suggests, and more options than a replacement. Use the first 30 days to find out exactly why the insurer is not renewing, get the roof documented, and start shopping for coverage while you still have it. This guide is written by a roofing contractor. It is general information, not legal or insurance advice; your notice and your policy control.

Days 1–3: read the notice carefully

For homeowner and other residential property policies, Florida law requires the insurer to give the first-named insured written notice of nonrenewal at least 120 days before it takes effect, and the notice must include the reason [1]. Find three things in it:

1. The effective date. That is your real deadline for having new coverage in place. Put it in your calendar, and a date 30 days earlier as your own target.
2. The stated reason. “Roof age” is a different problem from “roof condition,” “wear and tear” or a general underwriting change. The fix depends on which it is.
3. What the insurer would accept. Some notices or agents say what documentation, such as an inspection report, would change the decision. If it does not say, ask.

Is it really about age? Florida’s roof-age rule applies to homeowners’ policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2022 [2]:

• Roof under 15 years old: the insurer may not refuse to issue or renew the policy solely because of the roof’s age [2].
• Roof 15 years or older: before requiring a replacement as a condition of renewal, the insurer must let you have the roof inspected by an authorized inspector it approves, at your expense. If that inspection shows five or more years of useful life remaining, it may not refuse to renew solely because of roof age [2].
• Other underwriting rules still apply. The law does not apply to mobile home policies or to policies that are not homeowners’ policies, and it does not stop an insurer from nonrenewing “for other lawful reasons” [2].

How old is your roof, legally? Roof age runs from the last date 100% of the roof’s surface was built or replaced to the code in effect at the time [2]. If a repair or partial replacement has been mistaken for the roof’s age, or the insurer is using the home’s year built, the roofing permit record is your evidence; ask your building department or your roofer for the permit history.

Days 1–7: call your agent or insurer

Ask, and write down the answers with the name and date:

• Is the nonrenewal based on age alone, on condition, or on something else?
• Would a roof inspection report change the decision? Which form, and by what date?
• Which inspectors do you approve? Florida’s list of authorized inspectors for the roof-age inspection includes licensed home inspectors, certified building code inspectors, licensed general, building, residential and roofing contractors, engineers and architects, plus others the insurer recognizes, but the inspector must also be approved by the insurer [2].
• If I replace or repair the roof before the effective date, what proof do you need?

If your home was damaged in a hurricane or by another covered peril and is not yet repaired, tell the insurer. Florida law limits cancellation and nonrenewal of damaged residential property in those cases, with exceptions such as nonpayment, fraud, unreasonable delay in repair or payment of policy limits [1]. If the damage is not reported yet, report it promptly: a new claim is barred unless notice is given within one year of the date of loss [3].

Days 3–14: get the roof documented

A photographed roof inspection turns “the roof is old” into facts: covering type, age, visible condition, leaks and remaining useful life. Florida’s roof-age law is built around exactly that report [2].

• Book an inspector your insurer accepts, on the form it wants. Our comparison of 4-point, wind mitigation and roof certification inspections explains which report answers which question.
• Bring the history: the replacement permit, repair invoices, the notice and any photos. Do not climb on the roof yourself.
• Get a wind mitigation form at the same time if you do not have a current one. It does not answer a roof-age question, but a new carrier may ask for it and use it for discounts. It is valid for up to five years if nothing material has changed [4].

Perkins documents roof condition in a roof insurance inspection from its Miami and Jupiter offices. A report documents the roof; your insurer decides coverage.

Days 7–30: shop for coverage now, not in month four

Start comparing while you still have a policy. Ask your agent, or another licensed agent, to quote other carriers.

• Private carriers can have different roof-age and condition requirements within the law. Ask each one what it requires for your roof type and age before you pay for anything.
• Citizens Property Insurance is the state-created insurer. For a primary residence, a new application is not eligible for Citizens if an authorized insurer offers comparable coverage at a premium no more than 20% higher than Citizens’ premium [5].
• Citizens’ roof rules: shingle roofs older than 25 years and tile, slate, clay, concrete or metal roofs older than 50 years need documentation of at least five years of remaining useful life; with less, Citizens requires proof of a full roof replacement before writing a policy [6]. Citizens also requires a 4-point inspection for applications on properties more than 20 years old [6].

The Florida Department of Financial Services runs a toll-free insurance consumer helpline, 1-877-693-5236, for questions about a nonrenewal [7].

Repair or replace?

If the inspection shows five or more years of useful life, the report may be all you need. If it shows less, or shows damage, you are choosing between a repair that satisfies the carrier and a new roof. Three things help:

• The 25% rule. Repairing a large part of the roof does not automatically require a new roof when the roof was built under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later. See Florida’s 25% roof rule.
• A written scope and a budget. Compare a repair against a replacement, with the same line items, and put your own roof into the roof calculator for a rough estimate (not a quote).
• My Safe Florida Home. The state program offers free wind mitigation inspections and grants for roof improvements recommended by the program’s inspection, including replacing the roof covering with secondary water resistance [8]. Grants are capped at $10,000 of state money and matched $1 from you for every $2 from the state, except for low-income applicants [8]. Eligibility includes a homestead exemption, a home built before January 1, 2008, an insured value of $700,000 or less and a low or moderate income [8]. The program depends on annual legislative funding; on September 23, 2026 its website was taking applications [8][9]. It works on the program’s timeline, so do not count on it to meet a nonrenewal date.

Key dates at a glance

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Frequently asked questions

Can a Florida insurer refuse to renew my policy because my roof is old? Not solely because of age if the roof is under 15. At 15 or older, the insurer must allow an inspection by an insurer-approved authorized inspector before requiring replacement, and may not refuse solely on age if the inspection shows five or more years of useful life. Other underwriting rules still apply.

How much notice does my insurer have to give before nonrenewing? For residential property policies, at least 120 days’ written notice before the nonrenewal takes effect, and the notice must include the reason.

Who can do the roof inspection for the 15-year rule? An inspector your insurer approves who is a licensed home inspector, a certified building code inspector, a licensed general, building, residential or roofing contractor, a professional engineer or architect, or someone else your insurer recognizes as qualified.

How is my roof’s age calculated? From the last date the entire roof surface was built or replaced to the code in effect at the time. The roofing permit record is the usual evidence.

Can I get Citizens if my insurer drops me? Possibly. For a primary residence, a new application is not eligible for Citizens if a private insurer offers comparable coverage at a premium no more than 20% above Citizens’. Citizens also has its own roof age limits: 25 years for shingle roofs and 50 years for tile, metal and similar roofs, unless an inspection shows five years of useful life.

Should I replace my roof as soon as I get a nonrenewal notice? Not before you know the reason. Read the notice, ask whether an inspection would change the decision, and get quotes from other carriers. Replace when the inspection or the market says the roof has to go, not on the notice alone.

Does My Safe Florida Home pay for a new roof? It can fund roof improvements its own inspection recommends, including a new roof covering with secondary water resistance, for eligible homesteaded homes built before 2008, up to $10,000 in state funds. Funding depends on the state budget, so check the program’s website.

Next step

Have your notice in hand and request a roof inspection from the Miami or Jupiter office, so your insurer and any new carrier see documented facts about the roof. If replacement looks likely, the roof calculator gives you a rough estimate in a minute; it is not a quote.

For what did and didn’t change in Florida roof-insurance law this year, see the 2026 roof-insurance law update. If you are also selling the home, read roof certification when buying or selling in South Florida.

This guide is general information, not legal or insurance advice. Your notice, your policy and your insurer’s written requirements control. Statutes and program details were checked on September 23, 2026.

Sources

1. Section 627.4133, Florida Statutes (2026) — Notice of cancellation, nonrenewal, or renewal premium; subsection (2). https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/627.4133
2. Section 627.7011, Florida Statutes (2026) — Homeowners’ policies; roof age, subsections (5) and (6). https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/627.7011
3. Section 627.70132, Florida Statutes (2026) — Notice of property insurance claim. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/627.70132
4. Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, “Wind Mitigation Resources” (OIR-B1-1802 validity). https://floir.gov/consumers/wind-mitigation-resources/
5. Section 627.351, Florida Statutes (2026) — Insurance risk apportionment plans; Citizens Property Insurance Corporation eligibility, subsection (6)(c)5. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/627.351
6. Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, “Inspections” (four-point and older roofs). https://www.citizensfla.com/inspections
7. Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Consumer Services. https://myfloridacfo.com/division/consumers
8. Section 215.5586, Florida Statutes (2026) — My Safe Florida Home Program. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/215.5586
9. My Safe Florida Home, Florida Department of Financial Services. https://mysafeflhome.com/