How Old Is My Tile Roof? Reading Your Permit History in Miami-Dade

How old is my roof? In Miami, the honest answer is rarely "however old the house is." Tile roofs here get re-roofed, partly re-roofed and patched, and the tile you see from the street can be older or newer than the underlayment that actually keeps water out. The best record you have is your permit history. This guide shows you how to find your roofing permits in Miami-Dade, read the dates, and work out what they say about the underlayment under your tile, all from your desk.

What you'll need

• Your property address
• Your folio number (from the Property Appraiser, step 1)
• A computer or phone with a browser
• A notepad, or a photo of each permit screen
• Any closing papers, inspection reports or receipts you got when you bought the house

Step by step

1. Get your folio number. Search your address on the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser's property search. The folio is a 13-digit number. The county says the first two digits are a municipal code, and code 30 means unincorporated Miami-Dade.
2. Work out who issues your permits. If your folio starts with 30, your building department is Miami-Dade County. The City of Miami says folios beginning with 01 are in the City of Miami. Any other code means another city, such as Coral Gables or Miami Beach, which keeps its own permit records.
3. Search the right system.

• Unincorporated Miami-Dade: go to miamidade.gov/building and open Building Permits Search. The county's guide lists options to see permits pulled under an address, the history and status of any permit, and permits under a folio (folios beginning with 30 only).
• City of Miami: use the iBuild portal. The city says you can search permit history by process number, address or full folio number, and view inspection history by permit number.
• Other cities: check your city's building department website. Many have an online search; some ask you to file a records request.

1. Filter for roofing. Look for permits described as roofing, re-roof, reroof or similar. Ignore AC, windows, fences and solar for now, but note them (see below).
2. Check the status. A permit that was applied for but never finaled does not prove the work was finished or passed inspection. Look for a final inspection or a closed or finaled status.
3. Read the inspection history. Roofing permits usually have several inspections. Dates for the underlayment stage tell you when the layer under the tile was installed.
4. Note partial jobs. If you see more than one roofing permit, check whether each covered the whole roof or one section, such as a flat Florida room roof or one slope.
5. Write it down. Record the permit number, description, issue date, final date and contractor for each roofing permit. Keep screenshots with your house records.

Why the permit date matters more than the tile

The underlayment does the waterproofing. Clay and concrete tile shed most of the rain and protect from sun, but the underlayment beneath is what stops water getting into the deck. It usually wears out long before the tile does. A tile roof that still looks good from the street can have tired underlayment underneath.

Tile gets reused. On some re-roofs the old tile is lifted, new underlayment goes down and good tile goes back on. On others it is all new. The permit and the contract tell you which. Your eyes, from the ground, cannot.

Code changed over the years. Miami-Dade is in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, and roof requirements have tightened over time. A roof installed under an older code was built to that code. Our HVHZ building code guide explains what today's rules ask for, and the 2026 Florida Building Code page covers what changes next.

Reading the dates: a quick guide

How insurers look at roof age

This is general information, not insurance advice. Confirm anything about your policy with your agent or carrier.

Florida law has specific rules on roof age for homeowners policies. Under section 627.7011(5) of the Florida Statutes, an insurer may not refuse to issue or renew a homeowners policy solely because of the age of a roof that is less than 15 years old. For a roof at least 15 years old, the insurer must allow the homeowner to get a roof inspection by an authorized inspector, at the homeowner's expense, before requiring replacement, and may not refuse or non-renew solely for roof age if that inspection shows 5 or more years of useful life left. Insurers can still use other underwriting reasons.

The statute also says how roof age is counted: from the last date on which 100% of the roof's surface was built or replaced to the code in effect at the time. If the roof was replaced in sections that together covered the whole roof, the count starts at the date of the first of those partial replacements. That is why partial permits matter. The rule applies to policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2022.

For a quick read on where your roof might stand, try our 60-second Roof Check.

Other permits worth noticing

While you are in the history, note AC, solar and window permits. AC and solar work usually means someone was on the roof or put penetrations through it. None of this proves damage, but it tells you where to look from the ground with binoculars, as in our guide to spotting cracked or slipped tile.

When the records run out

Online systems do not always reach back to every older permit. The City of Miami's site links to a microfilm building-records request, and other departments have their own process for older files. If your search comes up empty:

• Check your closing documents, seller's disclosure and any four-point or wind mitigation report from your purchase.
• Ask your building department how to request older records for your address.
• Have a licensed roofer inspect the roof. An inspector can often see clues to age in the attic and at the edges that records do not show.

Safety first

Stop and call a licensed roofer if…

• You cannot find any roofing permit and the house is more than a few years old
• Your last roofing permit was never finaled
• The permit history shows only partial re-roofs and you do not know the age of the rest
• Your insurer has asked for a roof inspection, a roof age or a replacement
• The permits show the roof is old and you have ceiling stains, wet attic wood or a musty smell
• You see cracked, slipped or missing tile, or dark underlayment showing through
• You are buying or selling and the roof age is in question
• Anyone suggests re-roofing or repairing tile without a permit

A professional roof inspection can confirm what the paperwork suggests. If replacement is on the table, our Miami roof cost guide has planning ranges.

FAQ

How do I find out when my roof was replaced in Miami-Dade?

Search your permit history. Get your folio number from the Property Appraiser, then use the county's Building Permits Search for unincorporated areas, iBuild for the City of Miami, or your own city's portal. Look for the latest finaled roofing permit.

Does the year my house was built tell me my roof's age?

Not reliably. Many Miami homes have been re-roofed at least once. The permit history is better evidence.

What if my roof was replaced without a permit?

Then there is no official record of when it was done or whether it passed inspection. Talk to a licensed roofer and your building department, and confirm with your insurer how they will count the roof's age.

Is tile roof age the same as underlayment age?

Not always. Tile is sometimes reused on a re-roof, and the underlayment underneath is what wears out first. The re-roof permit date is usually the better guide to the underlayment.

Next step

If your permit history leaves questions, or the dates say your underlayment is getting old, book a free roof assessment at calendly.com/karmacgroup/30min or call 305-419-0890. We will tell you straight whether the roof needs work or should be left alone.

MIA Roofers · Roofing performed by Premier Group, Florida Certified Roofing Contractor CCC1332855. This guide is general information, not an inspection of your roof.