What is Florida’s Building Code 25% Roof Replacement Rule?

There are a lot of misconceptions related to the 25% Florida’s Roof Replacement Rule. Therefore, this blog aims to help the readers understand this rule.

The Roof Replacement Rule

All across the State of Florida, there is a unique code related to the replacement or recovering of certain sections of roofs and repairs of the existing rooftops which have been damaged because of any one of the following reasons:

 Trees

·         Fire

·         Severe winds

·         Thunderstorms

·         Hail

Before we move on, it is essential to point out that this code is specific to Florida only and you might not find anything similar in the International Existing Building Code. The rule pertaining to the repairs, replacement and recovering of roofs is stated in Chapter 7 (Alterations Level 1), Section 708.1.1 of the 5^th Edition of the Existing Florida Building Code (2014). The section clearly mentions the rule as follows:

“Not more than 25% of the total roof area or roof section of any existing building or structure shall be repaired, replaced or recovered in any 12 month period unless the entire roofing system or roof section conforms to requirements of this code.”

Understanding the Code

So basically the rule means that if your roof coverings whether it is tile (ceramic, clay, etc.), asphalt shingles (organic or fiberglass), metallic or any other coverings and their associated underlayment (felt, synthetic or any other waterproofing material), is damaged more than 25% of the total roof section due to any environmental conditions or any other reason, then as per the code, the homeowner is supposed to replace and remove the “damaged” covering as per the building code requirements.
However, if the damaged zone is less than 25% of the total roofing section, then you are not really required to replace the section. You can patch that area.

An important question arises at this point: what happens if you keep on patching the area within a single year and it exceeds 25% of the roof area?

The answer is simple. If such a condition occurs, you will have to re-roof the whole roof.

Understanding Roof Sections

Another important point to focus on is that the rule applies to separate “roof sections”. The roof section according to the Florida Building Code is described as:

“A separating or division of a roof area by existing expansion joints, parapet walls, flashing (excluding valley), difference of elevation (excluding hips and ridges), roof type or legal description; not including the roof area required for a proper tie-off with an existing system.”

According to this statement, the two different sides of sloping roofs will be considered as a single section. However, if the elevation changes or roofing material is different, then these shall be considered as different roof sections. The expansion joints are typically found in large commercial buildings, whereas, the elevation differences, parapet walls and roof types are observed mostly in single family homes. Difference of legal descriptions is commonly seen in townhouses where many families can live.

If you are in need of Jacksonville roof repair due to environmental conditions and are unsure what to do call White’s Roofing today for a free consultation (904) 220-5546.