Roof Leak Damage Claims in Florida
A roof leak claim turns on one question. What caused the leak? Storm damage is a covered event under most policies. Wear and age are not. The carrier’s adjuster decides that question on the first visit, often from a short look at the roof. We document the cause in full before that decision hardens.
Not sure your damage is covered? Start with a Free 21-Point Storm Inspection. We document the full loss and tell you plainly whether you have a claim. Call 800.511.2240.
What we look at on every roof claim
Every roof case has its own facts. A public adjuster weighs each one before a claim is filed.
- The age and condition of your roof
- Your roof system, from asphalt shingle to tile to metal to built-up flat roof
- Current building code requirements
- Evidence of the storm or event that caused the damage
A failure in a roof system can lead to a total loss of the interior of your building and its contents. The roof claim and the interior claim rise or fall together.
Florida’s 25 percent rule can change your whole claim
Florida’s 25 percent rule can decide whether your claim pays for a repair or a replacement. If 25 percent or more of your total roof area, or of one roof section, gets repaired, replaced, or recovered within 12 months, building code steps in. Roofs permitted under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, which means permitted on or after March 1, 2009, only need the damaged portion brought up to current code. Older roofs must bring the whole section up to code. Your roof’s permit date is worth money. Check it before you accept a patch price.
Isaias lifted more roofs than it tore off
Hurricane Isaias did not have to remove a single shingle to damage your roof. Wind lifted shingles and broke the seals that keep water out. The leak showed up weeks or months later, long after the storm passed. That delay is normal for wind damage, and it does not end your claim. Isaias deadlines still apply. Report an Isaias claim by October 9, 2027. Reopen or add to a claim by April 9, 2028.
Do not wait on a small leak
A small stain is rarely a small problem. Water that enters through a lifted shingle runs along the deck and the framing before it shows inside. By the time paint bubbles, the damage above the ceiling can be months old. An early inspection dates the damage, ties it to the storm or event that caused it, and keeps a repairable claim from turning into a fight over timing.
Signs the leak started with storm damage
A stain that appears after a storm is a sign. So is a leak that only shows up when rain drives from one direction. Shingles found in the yard, lifted flashing, and new granule loss in the gutters all point the same way. None of these proves a claim alone. Together, documented early, they build the record your claim stands on.
What a full roof claim includes
A roof claim is more than the price of shingles. It can include the damaged roof section, code upgrades the repair triggers, and the interior damage the leak caused below. Ceilings, walls, flooring, and contents all belong in the same record. When the roof and the interior get priced apart, parts of the loss fall out.
An old roof can still carry a storm claim
First, a roof leak caused by hail or wind is handled differently when it happens during a named storm than when it happens outside one. Second, hail and wind damage outside a named storm is typically covered under a standard policy. Most policies are written to exclude maintenance issues and pre-existing conditions. Our team separates the old damage from the new damage and makes sure your roof damage claim is documented in full.
You may have a roof leak claim even when the roof looks old. Let us inspect before you decide. With your permission, we can also take small roof samples to document the roof system and its condition.
Policyholder Advocacy Group represents the policyholder, never the carrier. Nathan Sheppard has worked Florida claims for 17 years. We present the claim under the terms and conditions of your policy, so you pursue the full amount your policy owes you. On cost: For residential claims, Florida caps the fee at 10% during the first year after a state of emergency declaration. And 10% of nothing is nothing. Without representation, many homeowners walk away with far less or nothing at all.
Not sure your damage is covered? Start with a Free 21-Point Storm Inspection. We document the full loss and tell you plainly whether you have a claim. Call 800.511.2240.