Often, yes, if the roof is near the end of its life. A buyer with a mortgage needs homeowners insurance that covers the roof, and in Florida an old roof can make that hard to get. If the roof has good years left, a repair and a written inspection report, or a credit to the buyer, can cost less.
The fear is a deal that falls apart late: the buyer loves the house, then their insurer balks at the roof and the loan stalls days before closing. Here's how roof age plays into a Florida sale, what a new roof does and doesn't return, and when a smaller fix gets you to the closing table.
Because your buyer's mortgage depends on their homeowners insurance, and Florida insurers look hard at older roofs. If the buyer can't insure the roof, the loan stalls, and so does your closing.
Fannie Mae's Selling Guide, which sets the rules for loans Fannie Mae buys, requires a policy that covers windstorm and says "Roofs must be insured." It sets no roof-age limit of its own. The insurer does the judging. No insurable roof, no policy. No policy, no loan.
Florida law limits insurers somewhat. Under Florida Statutes section 627.7011(5)(b), an insurer "may not refuse to issue or refuse to renew" a homeowner's policy on a roof less than 15 years old "solely because of the age of the roof," and your buyer's new policy counts. On a roof 15 or older, section 627.7011(5)(c) says the insurer must allow an inspection by an authorized inspector, at the homeowner's expense, before requiring a replacement. If it shows 5 or more years of useful life left, age alone can't be the reason for a refusal. Poor condition still can.
| Who | What they look at |
|---|---|
| The buyer's lender | For loans Fannie Mae buys, a policy that covers windstorm and insures the roof. |
| A private insurer | Its own rules, within section 627.7011(5). The state's consumer guide says "Underwriting guidelines vary between insurers." |
| Citizens Property Insurance | Proof of at least five years of remaining useful life on shingle roofs older than 25 years, and on tile, metal and other hard roofs older than 50. A four-point inspection on homes more than 20 years old. |
| The appraiser | On a loan Fannie Mae buys, problems that affect "safety, soundness, or structural integrity" mean an appraisal "subject to" repairs. FHA and VA appraisers check the roof too. |
Fighting your own insurer over roof age? See your options when the insurer says the roof is too old.
Not dollar for dollar. The 2025 Cost vs. Value Report puts a new asphalt shingle roof in Sarasota at 64.9% of its cost recouped at resale, and a metal roof at 55.6%.
The report is from Zonda and the Journal of Light Construction. The 2025 edition is the latest, and its Sarasota figures fit Manatee and Sarasota homes best.
| Project | Sarasota, FL | South Atlantic region | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt shingle roof | 64.9% | 69.9% | 67.5% |
| Metal roof | 55.6% | 56.5% | 50.1% |
Behind the Sarasota shingle figure is a model job the report prices at $34,028, with a "resale value" of $22,095: what surveyed Realtors estimate the job adds to the sale price. Its job costs come from Verisk's estimating data, not from us, and they aren't a quote for your roof.
Two cautions. Resale value comes from a survey of more than 6,000 Realtors, so it's an opinion of value, not actual sale prices. And tile roofs aren't in the report at all.
What the table can't measure is a sale that holds together: a new roof gives the buyer's insurer and inspector far less to object to. If you replace, our post on roof colors that help a Florida home sell helps you pick one buyers like.
Replace when the roof is near the end and could block the buyer's insurance. Offer a credit only if the buyer can still insure and finance the house with the roof as it is. If it has good years left, repair and document it.
Your listing can say "new roof," and the roof's age for insurance starts over. You pick the contractor, the material and the schedule. You also pay up front, and Cost vs. Value suggests you won't get every dollar back.
The buyer gets money toward a roof and picks who does the work. But this is our own reasoning, not a rule: a credit can't fix a roof that the buyer's insurer, Citizens or the appraiser won't accept.
If the roof has real life left, fix the specific problems, like lifted flashing or missing shingles. Then hand buyers the invoice and a written photo report. A repair usually costs less than a new roof.
On a primary or second home, Fannie Mae caps seller contributions at 3%, 6% or 9% of the price or appraised value (whichever is lower), depending on how much of the value the buyer borrows. They can't cover the down payment. Ask the buyer's lender how it treats a roof credit.
When the roof still has real years left and its problems are specific and fixable. Fix them, keep the paperwork, and give buyers a written photo report.
Our roof inspection is Free and drone-assisted, with no trip or diagnostic fee and a written photo report you keep.
A failed pipe boot, loose flashing, missing shingles. There's no deposit on repairs, and they carry our 1-year workmanship warranty unless the contract says otherwise.
Citizens requires a four-point inspection on homes more than 20 years old. For a roof 15 or older, the inspection under section 627.7011(5) must come from an "authorized inspector" the insurer approves. The list in (5)(a) includes licensed home inspectors and engineers, and item 3 names roofing contractors. Ask the buyer's insurer whom it accepts.
Four-point, wind mitigation and roof certification forms come from a licensed inspector. We don't perform or sign them.
Paperwork has limits. A repair can't make a worn-out roof young again, and if the roof is past what the buyer's insurer or Citizens will accept, a report won't change that. Check how long each type of roof lasts on the Gulf Coast, and see what Florida roof and insurance inspections cost before you book one.
It resets the roof's age to zero for insurance, and it calls for a fresh wind mitigation report. Whether the buyer's premium drops depends on their insurer.
Section 627.7011(5)(d) counts roof age from "the last date on which 100 percent of the roof's surface area was built or replaced" under the code in effect at that time. A full replacement puts the roof back at year zero under every age line above: 15 years in the statute, and 25 or 50 at Citizens.
Some insurers also give a discount for a newer roof. The state's Insurance Consumer Advocate says it "can vary from company to company" and that, typically, it "may only apply to roofs less than 10 years old." Our page on whether a new roof lowers your insurance premium explains why nobody can promise a number.
Form OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26) is "valid for up to five (5) years provided no material changes have been made to the structure" and nothing on the form is wrong. A new roof is that kind of change, so a report from before the reroof is out of date.
After every replacement, we coordinate with a licensed wind mitigation inspector so you get a completed form. No rule we found says whether a buyer's insurer will accept a report done while you owned the house, so have the buyer's agent ask. Wind credits apply only to the wind portion of the premium, as Citizens puts it. Our guide to wind mitigation discounts covers the rest.
The work itself is quick. Most single-family replacements take 1 to 3 days, usually 2 to 3, weather permitting. Larger homes, complex roofs and tile can run 3 to 5 days.
You get the exact timeline before the job starts. Quotes are written line by line and good for 30 days, so you can list with a real number in hand. What a job includes is on our roof replacement service page.
Start early enough that the new wind mitigation report is ready before the buyer shops for insurance, and give your agent the roof's age and repair history early.
Whatever you choose, tell buyers about roof problems you know of, and ask your real estate agent or a real estate attorney what Florida requires you to disclose. We're a roofing contractor, not a lawyer, real estate agent, public adjuster or insurance agent, so read your own policy and contract, and ask a licensed professional about your situation.
"They did a great job. I needed a roof quickly to sell my house. The roof was in really tough shape. Coastline did all the repairs and a new roof. Also no materials or nails were left behind. Inspection went smoothly."Peggy T.Roof replacement before a home sale, Florida Gulf Coast
"Josh was especially amazing. He was professional, patient, and took the time to explain everything clearly so I felt comfortable and informed throughout the entire process."Madison T.Roof installation, Florida Gulf Coast
"Coastline has been great. Super easy to work with. ... Their team worked really hard, were all super polite and respectful, did a great job cleaning up. Wouldn't even know they were there except for my beautiful new roof!"Kevin F.Roof replacement, Florida Gulf Coast
Section 627.7011(5) doesn't require it. That law limits what an insurer can do, not what a seller must do. In practice, the buyer's insurer and lender decide whether the roof works as it is. If you're facing a non-renewal of your own, see what to do after a roof-related non-renewal.
It can. FHA and VA appraisers check the roof, and one that leaks or is near the end of its life can hold up the loan until it's fixed. VA's training checklist for minimum property requirements says the roof covering must keep moisture out and "Provide reasonable future utility, durability, and economy of maintenance." If your buyer has one of these loans, get the roof looked at early.
Not until the whole roof is done. Section 627.7011(5)(d) counts age from the last date 100 percent of the roof's surface was built or replaced. If it's replaced in stages that add up to the full surface, the age runs from the start date of the first partial replacement.
Not always. Citizens gives tile, metal and other hard roofs until 50 years before it asks for proof of remaining life, though private insurers set their own rules. When the tile itself is sound, we can repair cracked tiles and flashing, or re-underlay beneath the existing tile, instead of a full new roof.
Free drone-assisted inspection with a written photo report you keep. No trip fee, no diagnostic fee, and if a repair will get you to closing, that's what we'll quote.
Leave your name and number. We typically call back the same day during business hours. Consent to texts is not required.
