Fort Lauderdale · Broward County

Tile Roof Repair in Fort Lauderdale's Historic Districts

If your house is a landmark or sits in one of Fort Lauderdale's local historic districts, the city's guidelines encourage you to repair a tile roof before you replace it.

Call 305-209-0247 Book a free inspection

FL Certified Roofing Contractor CCC1335466

Its Historic Preservation Design Guidelines treat terra cotta and concrete tile as a material that can last more than a century, walk through piece-by-piece repairs, and say replacement might be warranted when more than 20 percent of the tiles on a slope are damaged or missing. Replacing the roof triggers Historic Preservation Board review, with a minimum of 60 days to a Certificate of Appropriateness, while ordinary repairs that keep the same look and materials do not. Here is how to stay on the repair side of that line, and what Broward's hurricane code adds.

Does this apply to your house?

The city has three local historic districts: the Sailboat Bend Historic District, the Himmarshee St./SW 2nd Ave. Historic District and the Stranahan House District. Individually designated landmarks are scattered through the rest of the city. The guidelines say most regulated historic properties are in the local districts, and that exterior work or repairs to a landmark or a property in a district is reviewed by the Historic Preservation Board or city staff.

The same guidelines draw the line that matters for repairs. The Board does not review ordinary maintenance and repairs, as long as the exterior appearance and materials are not altered. Replacing a handful of broken tiles with matching tile keeps both the same. Changing the tile, its color or the roof form does not. Sailboat Bend has a varied mix of house styles, and the guidelines note that Mission Revival houses often have flat roofs behind decorative parapets, so one house can need both tile and flat-roof work.^1,2

Repair first: what the guidelines recommend

The guidelines say a tile roof can last over 100 years, and that most problems are local because fasteners and accessories do not last as long as the tile. They list the typical repairs: re-attach or replace loose or corroded fasteners, fill missing mortar with a compatible mortar, and replace missing or damaged tile to match the original, preferably with salvaged tile of the same dimensions and look. Flashing should be a material that lasts as long as the roof or longer, and one type of metal should be used for fasteners, flashing and gutters to avoid galvanic corrosion.

Two code rules apply on top. Section 706.5 of the Florida existing-building code lets salvaged tile be reused only if it is of like kind in material and profile, and it says damaged, cracked or broken tile shall not be reinstalled. In Broward, which is in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, every repair component also needs a product approval. The guidelines, written in 2012, also mention patching a cracked tile in place; ask the building official before relying on that.^1,3,4

The 20 percent guideline and the 25 percent code rule

Two numbers decide when a repair becomes a replacement, and they measure different things. The city's guidelines say that if more than 20 percent of the tiles on a roof slope are damaged or missing, replacement might be warranted, and they strongly encourage matching the original shapes, patterns and colors, or reusing salvaged tile, when you do replace. That is design guidance for historic properties, counted slope by slope.

The Florida Building Code sets a separate limit: no more than 25 percent of a roof or roof section may be repaired, replaced or recovered in any 12-month period unless that whole roof or section is brought up to the current code, a rule repeated in the HVHZ roofing chapter. There is an exception. If your existing roof was built, repaired or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, in force since March 1, 2009, only the part being repaired has to meet today's code. So the date of your last roof permit matters, and we check it before we quote.^1,3,4,5,6

When it becomes a replacement: Board review and timing

Historic Preservation Board review is triggered by the building permit application, and the guidelines name roof replacement specifically. The Certificate of Appropriateness application asks for a narrative, drawings, photographs, a survey, proof of ownership and sometimes product brochures or samples. The Board meets monthly. If the application is complete and needs only Board review, plan on at least 60 days from the submittal deadline to the certificate; work inconsistent with the guidelines can take longer. Staff may find a minor application eligible for a 15-day administrative approval, which goes to the Board and the City Commission, and either can still call it up for a hearing.

A certificate is necessary but not sufficient; the building permit still has to be issued. Single-family re-roofs normally qualify for the city's walk-thru permit service, but permits that need historical review are not eligible. Work done without a certificate can bring a stop work order, fines and an order to restore the building.^1,7

After a storm: emergency permits and Broward's permit threshold

The guidelines allow one shortcut. After a catastrophic event, such as a tree falling on a roof, or when imminent structural failure poses a serious safety threat, the city can issue an emergency building permit without Board review, but only for in-kind replacement. It will not do so for deferred maintenance or convenience.

Broward County's amendments to the Florida Building Code say no permit is required for maintenance or repair of a roof covering when the work does not exceed $1,500, as determined by the building official. Above that, a repair needs a permit, the HVHZ Uniform Roofing Permit Application and product approvals for the materials. Broward's design wind speed for houses is 170 mph. The guidelines' own hurricane advice for historic roofs: keep the roof watertight, anchor roof framing to the walls with hurricane clips, brace gable ends, and cover roof vents before a storm.^1,4,8,9

Questions

A few tiles blew off my house in Sailboat Bend. Do I need the Historic Preservation Board?

Not if the repair keeps the same exterior appearance and materials; the Board does not review ordinary maintenance and repairs. You still need matching tile, and in Broward a roof repair over $1,500 needs a permit.

How much damage before the city expects a new roof instead of a repair?

The guidelines suggest replacement might be warranted when more than 20 percent of the tiles on a slope are damaged or missing. Separately, the building code's 25 percent rule can require a whole roof section to meet current code.

Can I get a walk-thru permit for my historic house?

No. The city lists single-family re-roofs as walk-thru permits, but permits that require historical review are not eligible.

Can I change tile color or profile when I replace the roof?

That is a change in appearance, so it goes through Historic Preservation Board review. The guidelines strongly encourage matching the original shapes, patterns and colors, and applications inconsistent with them may take longer.

Sources

Facts on this page come from these public sources. Last checked September 2026.