The Florida Homeowner's Hurricane Roof Checklist (Before the Season Starts)
Hurricane season officially runs June 1 through November 30. But the window when you can actually do something about your roof is much smaller. Once a storm is in the Gulf, contractor schedules fill in hours and material lead times become weeks. The time to act is right now.
After 25 years of roofing in coastal Florida — including post-storm inspections on hundreds of properties — here's the checklist I walk through on every pre-season inspection. Some of these items you can check yourself. Others require a licensed contractor with a drone and a thermal camera. I'll tell you which is which.
1. Start With Your Permit History
Pull your home's permit history from your county building department. If the last roof permit is more than 15 years old, your underlayment is overdue regardless of how the tiles look from the street. Underlayment — not tile — is what actually keeps water out. Tile is the armor. Underlayment is the waterproof membrane beneath it.
In Florida's HVHZ (High-Velocity Hurricane Zone — Miami-Dade and Broward counties), underlayment systems must meet NOA-approved standards. If your roof was installed before 2008, there's a reasonable chance it doesn't meet current Florida Building Code requirements.
2. Walk the Perimeter — Look for These Five Things
- Missing or cracked ridge caps — ridge and hip caps are the highest-wind-load areas on your roof. Any gaps = water infiltration during heavy rain, even without a hurricane.
- Displaced or broken field tiles — even one cracked tile can allow water under the system. Look for color inconsistencies that suggest replacement tiles.
- Rusted or lifted flashing — around chimneys, skylights, A/C curbs, and wall tie-ins. This is the #1 source of non-storm-related leaks.
- Sagging fascia or soffit — often signals moisture damage in the decking or rafters below. Don't ignore it.
- Clogged gutters and downspouts — during a hurricane, your drainage system needs to handle 10+ inches of rain in hours. A clogged gutter can cause water to back up under your eaves and into your walls.
3. Get a Drone Inspection — Not Just a Visual Walkthrough
A contractor walking your roof can see surface conditions. A drone sees the whole system — pitch transitions, valley conditions, perimeter flashing, and ridge lines — in high resolution, from angles no human can safely access.
More importantly, an infrared thermal drone inspection can identify moisture already trapped under your tiles or inside your flat roof membrane. This is water you can't see, won't smell yet, and won't know about until it shows up on your living room ceiling during the first major rain event of the season.
💡 Pro tip: Get your inspection before May 1. Contractor schedules in South Florida fill up in April and May. After that, you're waiting until after the first storm — which is too late.
4. Check Your Insurance Policy — Before You Need It
- Know your wind deductible (typically 2–5% of dwelling coverage in Florida, not a flat dollar amount)
- Confirm your roof system is listed on your policy as the current material type
- Take dated photos of your roof now — before any storm. This is the single best thing you can do to protect a future claim
- Ask your insurer if your roof age affects your coverage — many carriers in Florida now require roof replacement at 15–20 years
5. Make Minor Repairs Now — Before They Become Major Claims
A cracked tile costs $150 to replace before a storm. The same crack, after 12 inches of hurricane rain drives water into your decking, insulation, and drywall, costs $15,000 or more. The math isn't complicated.
If your inspection reveals issues, get them addressed before June 1. Most roofing contractors can handle minor repairs within a week during the pre-season window.
The Bottom Line
Your roof is the single most important component of your home's storm resilience. Everything below it — your walls, your structure, your belongings, your family — depends on it holding. Don't wait for a named storm to find out if it will.
We offer free pre-hurricane season inspections across South Florida. Our drone and infrared team covers everything from Naples to Miami, and we'll give you a straight, honest assessment — no pressure, no upsell, just the facts about your roof.