Roof Inspections in Miami — Condition, Real Estate & Wind Mitigation

A roofer's condition report, a home inspector's roof section, an insurance four-point, and a wind mitigation inspection are not interchangeable. Two of them are licensed insurance inspections with a standard state form; one is a real estate document; one is a contractor's assessment of what the roof needs.

Knowing which one you actually need takes about a minute, so here it is.

The four inspections, and what each is for

• Roof condition report (ours, free). What condition the roof is in, roughly how long it has left, what it needs now and what it will need. This is the one you want when you are deciding whether to repair or replace.
• Four-point inspection. Required by many Florida carriers on older homes. Covers roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC, and reports the roof's age, covering and remaining life. It is an underwriting document, not a diagnostic one.
• Wind mitigation inspection. A standard Florida form completed by a licensed inspector, recording roof covering approval, deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections, roof geometry and opening protection. This is what generates your insurance credits.
• Pre-purchase / real estate inspection. What you need before closing on a Miami property, where the roof is frequently the largest single unknown in the deal.

What we look at in a condition report

• Covering condition, plane by plane — cracked, slipped or previously reseated tile; creased or granule-depleted shingle; panel and fastener condition on metal
• Every penetration: pipe boots, vents, skylight curbs, air conditioning curbs and condensate lines
• Flashing and counter-flashing at walls, chimneys and parapets
• Valley metal, drip edge and perimeter detail
• Low-slope sections, drainage and any evidence of ponding
• The attic and underside of the deck where accessible — staining, daylight, wet insulation
• Evidence of previous repairs, and what they tell us about the roof's history
• Permit history, which establishes the code edition the roof was built under

Buying a house in Miami-Dade

The roof is usually the largest single unknown in a South Florida transaction, and a general home inspector's roof section is a visual overview rather than a roofing assessment. It is not a criticism of home inspectors — it is a different scope.

The two facts that most change a negotiation are the roof's permit date and the true condition of the underlayment on a tile roof. The first is a public record. The second requires someone who knows what they are looking at. Both are worth having before you remove a contingency, because the difference between "this roof has eight years" and "this roof is finished" is thirty to seventy thousand dollars in Miami-Dade.

What it costs

Code & compliance

These apply throughout Miami-Dade County. Permitting and local specifics are on each service area page, and the full picture is on the HVHZ code page.

Wind mitigation uses a standard state form

The Florida uniform mitigation verification form records specific, verifiable roof characteristics. Only a licensed inspector may complete it, and only what can be verified gets credited.

Permit history establishes the code edition

The date your roof was permitted determines which edition of the Florida Building Code it was built under, which in turn determines how the 25 percent rule applies to it. It is public record and worth pulling.

A four-point is underwriting, not diagnosis

It reports the roof's age, covering and estimated remaining life for an insurer's decision. It will not tell you why your ceiling is stained.

Documented work is creditable work

Deck re-nailing, the secondary water barrier and an approved covering are all creditable on the mitigation form — but only if there is documentation the inspector can verify. Keep the permit, the invoice and the NOA numbers.

Inspections & quality control

• Exterior walk of every accessible roof plane, photographed.
• Close inspection of every penetration, flashing and transition.
• Attic and underside-of-deck inspection where access exists.
• Moisture assessment on low-slope sections where saturation is suspected.
• Written report with photographs, findings, and a clear repair-or-replace recommendation.

Important things to know

• Our condition report is free and it is a contractor's assessment. It is not a four-point and not a wind mitigation form — those are licensed insurance inspections with a state form.
• Get a wind mitigation inspection after any roof work, not before. The credits attach to what is documented.
• On a tile roof, age the underlayment rather than the tile. The tile will outlive it by decades.
• Pull the permit history before buying. It tells you the roof's code edition, which decides how the 25 percent rule treats it.
• A roof that has been repaired five times is telling you something a single inspection might not.

Questions we get