What Are the Florida Building Code Roofing Requirements?

What changes when you replace the roof on an existing Florida home?

Replacing a roof triggers upgrades: the deck gets re-nailed, a secondary water barrier goes on, and the 25 percent rule can apply.

The Existing Building volume is the part that surprises people. A roof replacement counts as a Level 1 alteration, and the code expects the work to meet current rules where they apply.

1. The 25 percent rule

   Section 706.1.1 says no more than 25 percent of a roof or roof section can be repaired, replaced or recovered in 12 months unless the whole roof is brought up to the code. If the roof was built or repaired under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, only the new work must meet current code, and a local government cannot change that exception. The 25 percent rule explained walks through it.

2. Deck re-nailing

   Section 706.7.1 requires the existing wood deck to be strengthened with added nails when the roof covering is removed and replaced. The Alachua County guide describes added 8d ring shank nails 6 inches apart along the framing, and existing 8d nails can count toward that.

3. A secondary water barrier

   Section 706.7.2 requires a secondary water barrier when a roof covering is replaced on a wood deck. FRSA lists exceptions for roofs under 2:12 and for clay and concrete tile systems installed under the Florida Building Code. See roof deck, straps and SWR for how that shows on the wind form.

4. Roof-to-wall connections

   Section 706.8 can require roof-to-wall connections to be improved when the building is in the wind-borne debris region and insured for $300,000 or more. The extra cost is capped at 15 percent of the cost of reroofing, and buildings permitted under the Florida Building Code are exempt.

5. Permit and inspections

   Alachua County asks for the scope of work, state product approvals, manufacturer instructions and an in-progress inspection, and a final one. Your county may ask for different items. See roof permits in Florida.

A roof-over, meaning new shingles on top of old ones, follows different steps. See roofing over existing shingles in Florida.

How do you know your roofer is following the code?

Check the license, the permit, the product approvals and the inspections. A roofer who follows the code will show you each one.

You do not need to read the code to hold a roofer to it. These checks work on any roof:

• Look up the license on the state lookup. How to verify a Florida roofing license shows how.
• Ask for the permit number. A permitted job gets inspected, and the inspector compares what is on the roof to the paperwork.
• Ask for the state product approval numbers for the shingles, underlayment, drip edge and vents.
• Ask which inspections are scheduled. Alachua County lists an in-progress inspection, where the inspector looks at deck nailing before the shingles go on, and a final.
• Ask for photos of the deck and underlayment before the shingles cover them.

Coastline is a Florida licensed roofing contractor, and Josh reviews every job through photo reports. For prices that go with this work, see shingle roof cost in Florida. For the full process on your side of the fence, what to expect during a roof replacement walks through it. For the wind speeds behind the code, see design wind speed in Manatee and Sarasota counties.