Citizens says your roof needs five years left. Here is what that means.
How old a roof can be before Citizens asks questions, what "five years of remaining useful life" actually triggers, and what Florida law says every insurer must allow first.
In Florida, an old roof is not only a maintenance question. It is an insurance question — and for many homeowners the insurer, not the roofer, is the one who decides the roof is finished.
This page covers the rule that Citizens Property Insurance — the state-created insurer of last resort — publishes for older roofs, and the Florida statute that limits what any homeowners insurer can demand. Both are quoted word for word, with links, so you can check them yourself.
The Citizens rule, in its own words
Citizens requires a four-point inspection on older homes. The roof is one of the four points. From Citizens' inspections page:
- “Citizens requires a four-point inspection for all property owner, dwelling and mobile home applications for properties more than 20 years old.” citizensfla.com/inspections
- “Roofs older than 25 years (soft such as shingle or similar) or 50 years (hard such as tile, slate, clay, concrete or metal) require documentation showing at least five years of remaining useful life.” citizensfla.com/inspections
- “When a roof has less than five years of remaining useful life, the property owner must provide proof of a full-roof replacement to the inspector before any policy is written on the property.” citizensfla.com/inspections
Read the third sentence twice. It does not say "repair." It says full-roof replacement, and it says it comes before the policy is written.
The rule as a table
| Your roof | What Citizens asks for |
|---|---|
| Shingle or similar, 25 years or younger | No extra roof documentation under this rule. The four-point inspection still applies if the home is over 20 years old. |
| Shingle or similar, over 25 years | An inspection showing at least five years of remaining useful life. |
| Tile, slate, clay, concrete or metal, 50 years or younger | No extra roof documentation under this rule. |
| Tile, slate, clay, concrete or metal, over 50 years | An inspection showing at least five years of remaining useful life. |
| Any roof with less than five years left | Proof of a full-roof replacement before any policy is written. |
Summarised from the Citizens page linked above. If the two ever disagree, the Citizens page wins.
What Florida law says every insurer must allow
Citizens is one insurer. Florida law sets a floor for all of them. From Fla. Stat. § 627.7011(5):
- “An insurer may not refuse to issue or refuse to renew a homeowner's policy insuring a residential structure with a roof that is less than 15 years old solely because of the age of the roof.” Fla. Stat. § 627.7011(5)
- “For a roof that is at least 15 years old, an insurer must allow a homeowner to have a roof inspection performed by an authorized inspector at the homeowner's expense before requiring the replacement of the roof…” Fla. Stat. § 627.7011(5)
- “The insurer may not refuse to issue or refuse to renew a homeowner's insurance policy solely because of roof age if an inspection of the roof … indicates that the roof has 5 years or more of useful life remaining.” Fla. Stat. § 627.7011(5)
What that means in plain words
- Under 15 years old: age alone is not a reason An insurer cannot refuse or non-renew a homeowner's policy solely because a roof under 15 is old.
- 15 or older: you get to inspect first Before an insurer can require replacement, it must let you get an inspection by an authorized inspector. You pay for that inspection.
- Five years or more left: age alone is still not a reason If the inspection shows five or more years of useful life, the insurer cannot refuse solely because of age.
- Watch the word "solely" The law blocks refusals based on age alone. It does not stop an insurer acting on the roof's condition — damage, leaks or deterioration an inspector writes down.
What to do if your roof is close to the line
Four steps, in order
- Find out the roof's real age Look for the roofing permit on your county or city permit search, or in your closing documents. The inspector will ask, and a permit date is proof a guess is not.
- Get the inspection before the renewal deadline Citizens requires a Florida-licensed inspector. Doing it early gives you time to act on the result instead of racing a cancellation date.
- If it shows five or more years, keep the report That report is your documentation. Under the statute, it is what stops a refusal based on age alone.
- If it shows less than five, get two or three replacement quotes Citizens will want proof of a full-roof replacement before it writes the policy. Comparing quotes is how you avoid paying a deadline premium.
What to ask the roofer
When the quote is for an insurance-driven replacement, ask:
"Will you pull the permit, and will the final inspection be closed before you ask for the last payment?"
"What paperwork will I get at the end that my insurer's inspector will accept as proof of a full replacement?"
"Can you do a wind mitigation inspection after the job, or tell me who does one?"
The upside: a new roof can lower your premium
Florida law requires insurers to give discounts for wind-resistant construction. Fla. Stat. § 627.0629(1) says a residential rate filing "must include actuarially reasonable discounts, credits, or other rate differentials" for features that "enhance wind uplift prevention, roof strength, roof covering performance, roof-to-wall strength" and more.
A wind mitigation inspection documents those features. If you are replacing the roof anyway, ask for one when the job is done. How big the discount is depends on your insurer and your house — we do not quote a number, because there is no honest single number.
Compare before the deadline does it for you
A roof that has to be replaced before a policy can be written is exactly the moment a homeowner has the least time to shop. Start early, get the permit history, and compare more than one contractor.
Roofing contractors by city
Get two or three quotes to compare
Tell us your city and the job. You get local roofing contractors to compare, so an insurance deadline does not pick your roofer for you.
Get matched with a roofer Roof permits and the final inspectionQuestions homeowners actually ask
How old can my roof be for Citizens insurance?
Citizens asks for documentation of at least five years of remaining useful life on shingle-type roofs older than 25 years, and on tile, slate, clay, concrete or metal roofs older than 50 years.
If the roof has less than five years left, Citizens says the owner must show proof of a full-roof replacement before any policy is written. Source: citizensfla.com/inspections, read 2026-09-29.
What does "five years of remaining useful life" mean?
It is a Florida-licensed inspector's judgement of how much longer the roof can do its job. The inspector checks for visible damage or deterioration and records the roof's age, type and condition.
Five years or more, and the roof can stay. Less than five, and Citizens wants a full replacement before it writes a policy.
Can my insurance company make me replace my roof in Florida?
Under Fla. Stat. § 627.7011(5), an insurer cannot refuse or non-renew a homeowner's policy solely because a roof under 15 years is old. For a roof 15 or older, it must let you get an inspection first, and it cannot refuse solely on age if the inspection shows five or more years of useful life left.
The word "solely" matters. An insurer can still act on the roof's condition.
Who pays for the roof inspection?
For the inspection the statute gives you on a roof 15 or older, the law says it is "at the homeowner's expense." Budget for it, and do it early.
Does a new roof lower my insurance in Florida?
It can. Fla. Stat. § 627.0629 requires insurers' rate filings to include discounts for features that improve roof strength, roof covering performance and roof-to-wall strength. A wind mitigation inspection is how those features get documented. The size of the discount depends on your insurer and your house.