These are the questions St. Johns County homeowners ask most often when they call us. Every answer starts with the answer.
A nor'easter drives rain up under the shingle edge on slopes a summer storm never touches, and the seal strip on shingles past 15 years lets go there first. A roof repair contractor checks the north and east courses, the ridge, and the flashing on that side first.
It is at the age where insurers ask, not necessarily at the end. Architectural shingle in Florida sun and salt commonly runs 15 to 25 years depending on exposure. A written roof inspection tells you where yours sits, and carriers accept a report showing five years of life.
Inside the city's five HP zoning districts, a Certificate of Appropriateness from the review board comes before the permit for any visible roof change. In-kind repair is the simplest path. The historic district roofing page explains what the board reviews.
A re-roof needs a permit everywhere in St. Johns County. Nocatee, World Golf Village, Julington Creek, Vilano, and the south county go through the county Building Department. Inside the City of St. Augustine or St. Augustine Beach, that city issues it. The contractor pulls it.
The HVHZ covers only Miami-Dade and Broward, so St. Johns County is outside it. The coast is still a wind-borne debris region under the Florida Building Code, so shingle fastening, underlayment, and roof-to-wall connections are inspected on a permit, and the island's design wind speed runs higher.
Metal lasts longer in salt air when the fasteners, flashing, and cut edges are specified for it, which is why 5V and standing seam are the island's look. Shingle ages faster on the ocean side of A1A. The metal roofing page covers what changes at the beach.
Before anyone moves a thing, photograph the roof from the yard and the damage inside. Get a tarp over the opening on the island roof and file the receipt with your claim papers. Next, open the claim with your insurer, then call for a storm damage contractor who will put the roof's condition in writing. If someone knocks with a clipboard, sign nothing.
We cannot tell you what your policy will pay, and the adjuster decides. Damage a nor'easter or named storm does all at once is normally what the policy exists to cover. Age, wear, and a worn-out shingle seal are not. A hurricane deductible applies to named storms. The insurance claims page covers the steps.
On a policy issued or renewed since January 2023, a new claim has to be reported within one year of the loss date, and a supplemental claim within 18 months. A policy written before that may still run on the old two-year window. The deadline that binds you is printed in your own policy.
Under Florida law, the roof's age by itself does not settle it. Since 2022 an insurer cannot refuse to renew solely for roof age if the roof is under 15 years old, or if an inspection shows five or more years of useful life left. A written inspection is usually what the carrier wants to see before it decides.
It is the state's OIR-B1-1802 form recording roof covering, deck nailing, roof-to-wall connection, roof shape, and secondary water resistance. Carriers credit the documented features, and a new roof is not credited until the form is filed. See the wind mitigation page.
Florida ended post-loss assignment of benefits on residential policies issued on or after January 1, 2023, and claim negotiation is reserved for licensed public adjusters and attorneys. A contractor documents, tarps, writes a scope, and does the repair. The claim stays in your name.
It can. In Palencia, Nocatee, World Golf Village, and Marsh Creek, a visible shingle or metal color change usually needs committee approval, and a full roof replacement needs it before the permit. Contractors who work those communities send the product and color first.
Contractors represent their own licensing and insurance. Roof work in Florida has to be done by a licensed roofing contractor, and myfloridalicense.com lets you look up any license before you hire. Request a certificate of insurance and a written scope at the same time. Call (904) 895-7548 to get started.