The 25% rule: repair or replace?

After a storm, the question isn't only how much of your roof is damaged — it's what the building code makes you do about it. Florida's "25% rule" is the reason a repair estimate sometimes becomes a full replacement.

The rule

When more than 25% of a roof section is repaired, replaced or recovered within any 12-month period, the Florida Building Code requires that section (and under the newer code language, the whole roof covering on that system or section) to be brought up to the current code — in practice, a replacement rather than a patch.

The exception that matters

If your existing roof was built, repaired or replaced to the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, the rule changes: when 25% or more is repaired or replaced, only the portion being worked on has to meet the current code. That exception has been in force since May 27, 2022, and local governments can't amend it away.

One detail trips people up: the 2007 code didn't take effect until March 1, 2009, and some roofs permitted just after that date were still reviewed under earlier rules. The permit record — not the year on your closing papers — is what proves which code applied.

How to check your roof

1. Look up your address in your county or city's building permit portal and find the most recent roofing permit.
2. Note the permit date and the code edition, if listed.
3. Keep a copy with your insurance documents. It answers the 25% question and the roof-age question at the same time.

Every jurisdiction applies the code through its own building department, so your permit office has the final word on a specific roof.

This guide is general information from a licensed contractor, not legal or insurance advice. Rules change — check the official source linked above before you rely on it.