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Florida's insurance crisis has changed how it works for homeowners across the state, and what used to be a basic construction choice can now put your entire homeowner's policy on the line. Most insurance carriers are looking at how your roof gets installed with the same attention that they give to the age and the condition of your roof. An overlay might pass a county inspection without a single problem and meet all your local building codes. Your insurance company might not agree with that assessment, though, and the same overlay could get your coverage denied or your claims rejected after a big storm damages your property!
Weight is another factor that you'll want to keep in mind. Tampa actually changed its building codes because Florida roofs have to deal with some pretty intense wind conditions during hurricane season - strong, continuous winds that most other states don't see that much. A roof that works great in Georgia or Alabama might not hold up as well if you move it to the Gulf Coast.
Let's look at Tampa's roofing codes so you can make the right call!
Tampa Has Rules for Your Shingle Layers
Florida has some pretty simple laws on how many shingle layers you're allowed to have on your roof. The Florida Building Code lets you install one new layer directly over an existing layer of asphalt shingles, and that's your limit. Two total layers maximum - anything more isn't allowed, period.
Tampa uses the same building codes as the rest of Florida, and the two-layer limit applies here just like everywhere else in the state. When an inspector finds three layers of shingles (if it's for a home sale or an insurance review), all of the old material has to come off before any new work can start. Sellers who never knew about the problem usually get stuck with a removal bill that can run a few thousand dollars.
These restrictions are in place because Florida weather is pretty brutal on roofs, and each layer of shingles you add puts more weight on your roof's structure. The more layers you pile up there, the harder it gets for your roof frame to handle all that weight like it should. Wind uplift is another big problem down here. Hurricanes and tropical storms roll through with strong winds that can work their way under your shingle edges and peel them right back. With three layers instead of one or two, you give those winds a lot more material to grab and rip away when a storm hits.
Building codes actually address these two problems. Weight limits are there to make sure your home's structure can safely take care of the load over the long term. Wind uplift standards help make sure your roof stays attached to your house when storms move through the area. Inspectors are going to check for these issues any time they come out to look at your property.
County Permits and Inspections for Your Roof
A permit in Hillsborough County starts with a trip to the building department, where you'll need to fill out their application form. The county is going to want your contractor's license information, and they'll also ask for a list of what work you have planned. As far as the cost goes, most residential reroofing projects will run between $150 and $300 for the permit fee.
Inspectors are going to visit your property a few times during the work. The first visit happens before your contractor puts down any of the new materials. During that visit, they'll look over the decking and make sure that it's strong enough to support the weight of your new roof. After the work is done, they'll make another trip out to check that everything was installed the way that it should be. They'll look at how each shingle got nailed down, and they'll also make sure that the flashing around your chimney and vents was put in the way that it should be.
Wind rating tends to get plenty of attention during the roof inspections. Inspectors want to see that your contractor used the right fasteners and followed the exact nailing pattern that the manufacturer calls for. Your roof has to be able to withstand hurricane-force winds, which is why inspectors will spend time on the manufacturer's specifications for your particular shingles.
Permits get rejected for a few reasons, and you should know what could cause problems before you submit anything. Incomplete paperwork is one of the biggest culprits - a missing signature or an expired contractor's license. Materials can also get your application rejected if what you want to use doesn't meet code standards. Installing a new roof without a permit will result in fines that can reach a few thousand dollars when the county discovers it. What's worse is that they can make you tear off that new roof and then redo the entire project with the proper permits and inspections.
What Insurance Companies Think About Overlay Roofs
Insurance companies all across Florida have been changing how they handle roof coverage after the damage from recent hurricanes, and these changes are going to matter for homeowners down there. Your county might tell you it's okay to just layer new shingles right over the old ones. But your insurance company could have very different ideas about that. They can set their own standards for what they'll cover on a roof, and lots of times those standards don't line up with what the county says is okay. When your home doesn't have the right insurance coverage, that's a financial problem most homeowners can't afford to deal with on their own.
Insurance companies have become pretty strict about overlay roofs. A lot of them won't even cover homes that have them, and if they do agree to insure you, you'll pay a way higher premium. From an insurance company's perspective, a roof with multiple layers has a much greater chance of wind damage and leaks compared to one that's been stripped down and replaced correctly. And just to be honest, going ahead and installing new shingles over your old ones without checking with your insurance company first can lead to them flat-out denying your claim when something goes wrong.
The inspection process brings in another layer of uncertainty worth mentioning. County inspectors want to see that your roof meets the local building codes and what the permit calls for - that's what they care about. Insurance inspectors look at different factors when they come out. Age is a big deal to them, and they also care about how many shingle layers are stacked underneath.
Insurers have gotten more demanding about this - more of them want to have photo proof of a tear-off before they'll approve or renew your policy. What they need from you is some pictures that show the roof deck exposed when you install the new roof. Those photos help them make sure that you actually did a full tear-off and you're starting fresh with just a single layer.
Your county inspection might go off without any problems, and you'll walk away with the right permits and approvals from the building department. Your insurance company may see it differently. These two systems work independently from one another - they don't share information, they don't cross-check their standards, and they don't coordinate what they expect. A permit and a passed inspection satisfy the county. They won't guarantee that your insurer will actually accept the work you had done, and they won't guarantee that they'll pay out on any future claims related to it.
Before you make any big decisions about your roof, I'd recommend you get in touch with your insurance agent first. Have a conversation with them about what you plan to do. Ask them directly if an overlay is going to affect your coverage or make your premiums rise. Try to get their answer in writing too - it's always better to have a record of that.
Weight Limits That Affect Your Roof
The age of your home can be one of the biggest factors that determine if an overlay is going to work for your situation. Homes that were built before 1980 will usually need some structural reinforcement before an overlay can be installed. The building codes and framing standards back then were different from what we follow. A single layer of shingles probably worked just fine on those older frames. But the extra weight from a second full layer can be more than the original structure was designed for.
Weight loads are one of the first factors a roofer will calculate before recommending an overlay for your home. A square of asphalt shingles weighs between 200 and 250 pounds. Adding a second layer doubles the weight right there. The weight piles up fast because your entire roof is covered with multiple squares of material. Most homes in Tampa have somewhere around 20 to 30 squares of roofing material up there.
A few warning signs to watch for would be dips along the roofline or rafters that look like they're struggling in the attic when you check them. Older homes can also have a problem where the rafters are spaced too far apart, and when that happens, they just can't safely take on the extra weight.
Overlays also have a danger of hidden damage underneath. Usually, you have no way to know what's going on under there until a contractor strips off those old shingles. Water damage could sit there between the layers for years, and you'd never have a clue. Wood rot could eat away at your decking, and from the surface level, you just won't see it. A tear-off exposes these problems right there. But overlays just bury everything under another layer of material.
Any damage that's already there will only get worse as time goes on when it's trapped underneath your new shingles. The moisture can't get out, so the wood is going to rot away beneath the surface. Older homes should get a structural inspection done before an overlay installation.
Standards For Hurricane Installation Work
The edges of your roof actually get extra treatment, too. Roofers need to fasten those perimeter shingles differently because wind damage usually starts right at the edges. The whole perimeter gets exposed to a lot more weather than the center of your roof does, and it needs that extra reinforcement to stay compliant with local building codes.
Overlay jobs create some challenges with the 6-nail standard. New shingles on top of the old ones make it much harder for roofers to nail each shingle into the correct places on the decking. But those extra layers hide where the wood decking actually sits underneath. If you can't see the decking very well, nails can wind up in the wrong place, and when that happens, the shingles just aren't going to hold the way they're supposed to.
Wind-rated underlayment is one of the biggest parts of keeping your roof protected. This material gets installed right under your shingles, and it's an extra layer of protection between your roof deck and everything else. For it to work correctly, the underlayment has to sit flat against a smooth surface. Trying to lay it over the old shingles that are already there won't give you the tight contact you need for it to work right. Those little air pockets and wrinkles that form turn into the weak places that can give out when a bad storm rolls through.
How well the installation gets done can make or break your warranty coverage. Manufacturers want to have their installation instructions followed to the letter before they'll honor any of the guarantees. So your roofer needs to use the correct number of fasteners, and the underlayment has to go down the right way. A full tear-off actually makes it much easier for your roofer to meet these and keep your warranty valid, so you have the protection you paid for.
Protect The Roof Over Your Head
Overlays are an option when you reroof your Tampa home, and the law does technically permit one layer if everything checks out. Those factors we talked about (like the strength of your existing structure, what your insurance company actually needs and how well your roof needs to hold up during hurricane season) usually point toward a tear-off for most Tampa homes. Every roof has its own set of circumstances, and what worked well for a neighbor down the street might not be the right call for your house.
No matter which option ends up being the right fit for your home, you'll need to get permits in Tampa for this roof work. The city has these in place to protect you, your property and any future buyers. Contractors who skip the permit process might make it sound like an easy way to save some cash. The problem is, unpermitted work turns into a serious headache when it's time to sell, or you have to file an insurance claim. You should call your insurance company and let them know what you're planning before you agree to anything or put your signature on a contract. The way you handle your roof replacement can affect your coverage and whether future claims will get approved or not.
Working with contractors who know what they're doing and already know Tampa building codes and local regulations makes everything much less stressful. Colony Roofers takes care of commercial and residential roofing projects, and we work out of our headquarters in Georgia, Florida and Texas. Your roof is a big investment in your property, and it also happens to be what keeps everyone underneath it safe from the elements. We'd love to help you with any roof repair needs you have - just reach out, and we'll come by for a free inspection!
