Roofing in Broward County, FL

What is on the roofs in Broward County

Most Broward houses went up after World War II, when the county turned from farmland into suburbs and building pushed west toward the Everglades. Homes permitted from 1971 until March 1, 2002 were built under the South Florida Building Code, Broward Edition; anything newer was built under the Florida Building Code. The county's HVHZ roofing permit form is organized around the roofs you actually see here: low-slope and built-up flat roofs, asphalt shingles, concrete and clay tile, and metal.^4,5,6,7

Rules, history and conditions that affect roofs here

• Broward has its own Board of Rules and Appeals (BORA). It was created by a 1971 special act of the Legislature (Chapter 71-575) and written into the county charter by referendum on March 9, 1976. It has 13 voting members from the trades, and one seat belongs to a roofing contractor.^5,8,9
• BORA adopts Broward's local amendments to the Florida Building Code, hears appeals when someone disputes a building official's decision, and issues formal interpretations that building departments across the county follow. Its amendments to the 8th Edition were passed on October 12, 2023 and took effect December 31, 2023.^10,11
• Where you live decides who permits your roof. Broward County's Building Code Division handles the Broward Municipal Services District (unincorporated Broward) and the cities that contract with it; most cities run their own building departments, so check with your city first.¹
• Broward's administrative chapter of the code requires a permit for any roof covering work over $1,500. Maintenance or repair of a roof covering at or under $1,500, as determined by the building official, does not need one.¹²
• In Broward, the inspector who signs off your roof must be certified by BORA as a roofing inspector, and the rules require at least two years of experience inside the HVHZ or a pass on BORA's HVHZ exam.¹³
• A tile roof permit uses the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone Uniform Permit Application, which for concrete or clay tile adds a tile section and design calculations under RAS 127 or RAS 128. A re-roof also requires the Owner's Notification for Roofing Considerations, a form you sign.⁷
• After a declared state of emergency for a natural disaster, Florida law (s. 553.7922), repeated in Broward's code, requires local governments to expedite permits that don't need technical review. Roof repairs and re-roofing are named in the list.¹²

Storms that shaped these roofs

• Katrina (2005). On August 25, 2005, Katrina made its first U.S. landfall as a Category 1 hurricane near the Miami-Dade/Broward county line. Fort Lauderdale's airport recorded a 71-knot gust, and three of Florida's deaths were caused by trees falling in Broward.¹⁴
• Wilma (2005). Wilma crossed the peninsula on October 24, 2005, after landfall near Cape Romano. The National Hurricane Center concluded parts of Broward likely had Category 2 conditions with gusts near 100 knots; the Pompano Beach airport sensor quit at 72 knots sustained. Its report lists extensive roof damage across South Florida.¹⁵
• Irma (2017). Irma landed in the Keys and at Marco Island on September 10, 2017, but its wind field covered Broward: Deerfield Beach measured a 97-knot gust, most inland stations in the Miami-Dade and Broward metro area reported sustained winds just below hurricane force, and coastal Broward saw 2 to 4 feet of inundation.¹⁶

What this means for a re-roof in Broward County

How old the houses are. The median home in Broward County was built in 1980; 82.3% of its 866,019 homes predate 2000 and 6.9% were built in 2010 or later. So most houses here went up before Florida’s first statewide building code took effect on March 1, 2002.^3,17,18,19

Pre-2002 wood-deck houses. When the old covering comes off, the deck gets re-nailed to current code and a secondary water barrier goes on; in the wind-borne debris region, insured homes of $300,000+ may also need roof-to-wall connections (capped at 15% of the re-roof cost).^17,18,19

Repair or replace. Replacing 25% or more of a roof section in 12 months generally means redoing the section to current code — unless that roof was built or replaced under the 2007 code or later.^18,19,20,21

Product approval. In the HVHZ every roofing component needs a current product approval — a Miami-Dade NOA or a Florida approval listed for HVHZ use. Ask for the numbers and look them up yourself.^20,22

Roof age and insurance. An insurer can’t refuse a policy just because the roof is under 15 years old. If it is 15 or older, you can get an inspection first; at least 5 years of remaining life means age alone isn’t grounds to refuse.²³