West Palm Beach · Palm Beach County

Tile Roof Replacement in West Palm Beach

West Palm Beach has 18 locally designated historic districts, and the city says roofs, along with windows and siding, are the most commonly requested alterations in them.

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If your house is in one, such as Flamingo Park or Old Northwood, historic approval comes before any building permit, and preservation staff have specific answers for tile. They recommend replacing a tile roof in kind. They will tell you that barrel tile and S-tile are not interchangeable. They say a switch from flat concrete tile to shingle would be approved in cases of economic hardship. And metal is acceptable only on certain house styles. The permit itself follows the Florida Building Code with Florida Product Approval, because Palm Beach County is not in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone.

Historic approval comes before the permit

The city's preservation program covers 18 locally designated historic districts and 46 individually designated sites. Exterior modifications must comply with the Historic Preservation Ordinance and the city's design guidelines, and historic approval is required before any permits may be issued. General maintenance that does not need a permit, such as painting or minor exterior repair, needs no extra review; a re-roof needs a permit, so it gets reviewed.

The approval is a Certificate of Appropriateness. A matrix in the application shows whether your work needs only permit review, staff review or a Historic Preservation Board hearing; the board meets monthly. Non-contributing houses are reviewed too, and the city reviews all sides of the building, not only the street face. The districts hold a lot of old roofs: the Flamingo Park National Register district lists 458 historic buildings, in the Mission and Spanish Revival styles among others, and Old Northwood's lists 320.^1,2,3,4,5,6

Barrel tile is not S-tile, and flat tile stays flat tile

Two of the questions preservation staff get most often are about tile. If you have a barrel tile roof and want S-tile, the answer is that the two look similar but the rhythm of placement and the vertical profile are different. Staff recommend replacement in kind and note that S-tile can be great for new construction, not as a substitute on a historic barrel roof.

If you have flat concrete tile and want shingles, staff again recommend replacement in kind. The city calls flat concrete tile a durable, long-lasting product common on midcentury homes, and says shingle replacement would be approved for cases of economic hardship. So on a midcentury house in a district, plan and budget for flat concrete tile, and treat shingles as the exception you would have to justify.¹

When metal is allowed, and when it is not

Some owners of tile houses ask about switching to metal. The city's answer depends on the style of the house, not the material you are taking off. Metal is acceptable if the home is a Craftsman, bungalow or frame vernacular house. It is not considered appropriate on a midcentury, ranch or Spanish Revival house, which the city defines as Mission, Mediterranean or Colonial. In the city's words, a metal roof "would never be found on a Mission or Spanish Colonial style house."

In practice, a tiled Spanish Revival or midcentury house in a district stays tile, unless staff approve shingles for economic hardship. If you are not sure which style your house is, ask before you choose a roof: the city's preservation staff advise homeowners and contractors on changes and can suggest construction alternatives that meet the guidelines.^1,3

The permit, the inspections and the code

Once historic approval is in hand, the roofing permit is filed through the city's Civic Access portal. West Palm Beach has no roofing affidavit or roof package of its own. The Building Division suggests scheduling a Building Miscellaneous inspection before work starts to meet the inspector and settle expectations. The required roofing inspections can include Roof Framing, Roof Metal/Tin Tag, Roof Sheathing, Roofing in Progress and Final. If weather keeps you from calling one in on time, take plenty of photos; the inspector decides whether to accept them with Palm Beach County's roofing affidavit.

Palm Beach County is outside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, so the tile is installed under the Florida Building Code's general roofing rules with Florida Product Approval, and the design wind speed comes from the code's wind map for your address. A contributing house is at least 50 years old, so it was built before the statewide Florida Building Code took effect on March 1, 2002. On a wood deck, that means the deck attachment must be brought up to the nailing schedule in Existing Building code Section 706.7.1 once the old tile is off.^{4,7,8,9,10,11,12}

Questions

I have a flat concrete tile roof in a historic district. Can I switch to shingles?

Staff recommend replacing it in kind with flat concrete tile. The city says a switch to shingles would be approved in cases of economic hardship.

Why can't I put S-tile on my barrel tile house?

Because the city treats them as different roofs: the rhythm of placement and the vertical profile are not the same. Staff recommend barrel tile on a barrel tile roof and say S-tile is better suited to new construction.

Is there a tax break for re-roofing a historic house in West Palm Beach?

The city's ad valorem program can exempt the added value of improvements to a designated or contributing historic property from city and county taxes for up to ten years. You must apply before starting work, the Historic Preservation Board must approve the plans, and the work must be finished within two years.

Sources

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