Metal Roof Repair in South Florida

This page is for a metal roof with a specific problem: a leak at a screw line, a lap or seam that lets water in during wind-driven rain, flashing that has pulled away at a wall or vent, or rust. The thing that matters most in Florida: a metal roof is approved as a system, so a repair has to put back parts that belong to that system. Screws, trim and sealant are not generic, and in Miami-Dade and Broward the code says so outright.¹

Fasteners on 5V roofs

5V crimp panels are screwed through the face. A Florida roofer notes that those exposed fasteners degrade and loosen over time, and says a 5V roof needs new, larger fasteners every 5 to 10 years.² The same roofer points out that panels screwed in place cannot move freely as the sun heats them.² Standing seam panels are fastened underneath the panel, so their fasteners are hidden and protected from the weather.²

What the code says about the replacement fasteners:

• Match the metal. Outside Miami-Dade and Broward, when the manufacturer does not specify fasteners, the code requires galvanized fasteners for steel roofs, allows stainless steel on any metal roof, and allows aluminum fasteners for aluminum roofs on aluminum supports.¹
• Corrosion-resistant screws. Outside the HVHZ, roofing screws must be corrosion resistant by coating, galvanizing, stainless steel or a nonferrous metal, demonstrated by a recognized test such as ASTM A641 Class 1, TAS 114 or a salt-spray test.¹
• In the HVHZ, the approval decides. A metal roof’s product approval covers the complete system, including all related accessories, and repairs must use components that have a product approval.¹ The screws that go back in are the ones the approval lists.

Laps and seams

How a metal roof is allowed to shed water depends on its panel type. Outside Miami-Dade and Broward, lapped panels without sealant need a slope of at least 3:12, lapped panels with applied lap sealant can go down to 1/2:12, and standing seam to 1/4:12.³ On a low-slope lapped roof, the lap sealant is part of what makes the design legal, so a failed lap is resealed as the system specifies. In Miami-Dade and Broward, metal panels need at least 2:12, and standing seam may go down to 1:12 only if the system passed the ASTM E2140 water-leakage test.¹

Flashing, edges and trim

Outside Miami-Dade and Broward, the code requires flashing wherever the roof meets a wall, at gutters, at every change in slope or direction and around roof openings, and metal flashing must be corrosion resistant and meet a minimum thickness.¹ In the HVHZ:

• Every intersection on a metal roof is flashed in metal under RAS 111 and the roof’s approval.¹
• RAS 111 sets minimums for metal accessories, such as 26-gauge G-90 galvanized or stainless steel, 16-ounce copper or 0.025-inch aluminum, and a drip edge with at least a 1-1/2-inch face and a 2-inch deck flange.⁴
• Panels may not extend more than 1 inch past the eave.¹

Corrosion near salt water

HomeGuide notes that aluminum is often recommended for coastal areas because it resists corrosion, that galvalume resists corrosion better than galvanized steel, and that weathering (Corten) steel is not suitable for tropical or coastal regions.⁵ The code’s minimum coatings are G-90 for galvanized steel panels and AZ50 for galvalume, with aluminum panels at least 0.024 inch thick outside the HVHZ.¹ In Miami-Dade and Broward, steel panels must be at least 26-gauge G-90 and aluminum at least 0.025 inch.¹

For a repair, that means two things. First, identify what is on the roof. In the HVHZ, metal panels and clips are labeled on the underside with their product approval number or the code’s approval wording and the manufacturer’s mark.¹ Second, replace like with compatible: a steel panel patched with the wrong screws or trim can start a new problem.

When a repair turns into a replacement

• The 25 percent rule. No more than 25 percent of a roof or roof section may be repaired or replaced in 12 months unless the whole roof or section is brought up to code.⁶ Roofs built or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later (in effect March 1, 2009) are exempt from that trigger: only the repaired part must meet today’s code.⁷⁸
• Roof age. Repairs do not reset it; age runs from the last full replacement to code.⁹ Citizens asks metal roofs older than 50 years to document at least 5 years of remaining life.¹⁰

If you are past those lines, see metal roof replacement.

Permits

• Miami-Dade and Broward. The code requires a permit for all repair or maintenance of any roofing component, except what Section 105 allows, using the HVHZ Uniform Roofing Permit Application.¹ Broward exempts repairs of a roof covering that do not exceed $1,500, as determined by the building official.¹¹ In unincorporated Miami-Dade, a licensed roofing contractor can repair or replace roof covering without a permit only if the job is no more than $2,000 in materials and labor and no more than two roofing squares (200 sq ft).¹²
• Elsewhere in Florida. Florida law requires a permit to repair a building unless a law says otherwise, and minor repairs may skip one only with the building official’s approval.¹³¹⁴ Products need Florida Product Approval, searchable by FL number.¹⁵
• The $7,500 exemption. Since July 1, 2026, building departments must exempt single-family work under $7,500 on a written request with a copy of the contract. It excludes flood hazard areas and structural work and does not name roofing, so confirm with your building department.¹³

After a storm

Report a new claim within 1 year of the date of loss.¹⁶ A separate roof deductible cannot apply to hurricane losses or to repairs of less than 50 percent of the roof.¹⁷ Contractors may not offer rebates or waive your deductible, and a roof contract signed within 180 days of a declared emergency can be cancelled within 10 days of signing or before the official start date, whichever comes first.¹⁸ For a roof opened up by wind, see emergency and storm damage repair; if you cannot find the source of a leak, start with leak detection and repair.

To have a metal roof repair looked at, contact us.