What should I do if my insurer won't renew because of my roof in Florida?

If your insurer will not renew because of your roof, read the letter first and separate roof age from roof condition. Then ask which inspection form and which inspector the company will accept, and get a dated photo report before you agree to a full replacement.

A non-renewal letter is scary. It is not, by itself, a finding that the roof is unsafe, and it is not a requirement that you sign a reroof contract this afternoon. It is a notice that this carrier does not plan to keep the policy as it stands. What you do next depends on what the letter actually says.

This is general information about Florida rules and documents, not advice about your policy. Your agent still has to apply your carrier's forms to your house.

Read the letter twice

Look for three things:

1. The effective date of the nonrenewal, cancellation, or termination.
2. The reason. Florida law (section 627.4133(2), Florida Statutes) says that on a personal residential property policy, a nonrenewal notice must include the reason, and that the insurer generally has to give the first-named insured written notice at least 120 days before the effective date. There are exceptions, including shorter notice for nonpayment of premium and in some other situations listed in that statute. If the insurer fails to give notice required by this subsection, other than the 10-day notice, the policy stays in effect until replacement coverage begins or the required notice period runs after notice is given, whichever comes first. Ask your agent or DFS how that rule applies to your letter. Do not assume every letter is a 120-day letter. Read yours, and ask your agent if the date is unclear.
3. Whether the reason is roof age, roof condition, or both.

If the letter arrives after a hurricane or other covered claim and the house is still unrepaired, section 627.4133(2)(e), Florida Statutes, may restrict when an authorized insurer can cancel or nonrenew. That subsection has exceptions, including nonpayment of premium. Keep the notice and ask your agent how it applies to your policy.

Homeowners often quote letters that mention "granule loss," "unacceptable condition," or debris in the gutters, not just the age of the roof. Florida's 15-year rule limits when a carrier can refuse a homeowners policy solely because of age. It does not stop a carrier from acting on documented condition problems, including worn or missing shingles, leaks, or other findings, even on a younger roof. That split is the whole first question.

What Florida's 15-year rule does, and what it does not do

Florida law limits refusals based solely on roof age and provides an inspection option for roofs 15 years or older. It does not prevent other lawful underwriting decisions based on roof condition and does not apply to mobile home policies. See our 15-year roof rule FAQ for the inspection requirements and exceptions.

A practical order of steps

1. Note the effective date and quote the reason in writing when you call your agent. Ask whether the company is objecting to age, condition, or both, and which form it will accept (a 4-point, a roof useful-life letter, photos, proof of repairs, or something else).
2. Do not ignore the date while you shop contractors. If the notice period is short in your case, work the inspection and the search for replacement coverage in parallel. This page cannot tell you which company will take the house.
3. Get a dated photo report of the roof and, when it is safely accessible, the attic, before anyone tears anything off. Ask for slope-by-slope photos and a plain written note on what is wrong, what is fine, and whether a repair would address the stated reason.
4. If the carrier wants a 4-point inspection, that is a separate underwriting report on the roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. The people who can sign it, and the form the company wants, may not be the same as an authorized inspector under the 15-year rule. See the 4-point FAQ, and confirm the license at https://www.myfloridalicense.com.
5. If someone recommends a full replacement, ask what fails a useful-life or condition test and what, if anything, would pass with a targeted repair. Photos beat a verbal "the granules are gone, you need a new roof."
6. Keep paying the premium that is due while the current policy is still in force, unless your agent gives you a different instruction in writing. A non-renewal is not the same as a cancellation for nonpayment, which has its own shorter notice rules.

Two other limits in section 627.4133 are worth knowing so you can ask a precise question, not so you can argue the claim yourself: a claim that is the result of an act of God generally may not be used as a cause for cancellation or nonrenewal unless the insurer can show you failed to take action reasonably necessary as requested to prevent the damage from happening again, and a single water-damage claim generally may not be the sole cause unless the insurer can show you failed to take reasonably requested action to prevent a similar future occurrence.

If the letter mentions granule loss or "unacceptable condition"

Florida's Division of Emergency Management Hurricane Retrofit Guide describes how ultraviolet light and heat break down the asphalt that holds stone granules, and it treats tabs with most of the surface granules worn off as a strong sign the roof may lose shingles in a hurricane. Granule loss can be ordinary aging. It can also show up in gutters after storms. It is not automatically proof that every shingle on the house has failed, and it is not something you should diagnose from the driveway.

The honest next step is still photos and a written condition report that answers the letter, not a guess and not a same-day replacement pitch. If the roof is truly worn out, you want that said plainly so you can plan. If it is not, you want that documented for your agent.

Next step

If a letter is sitting on the counter, have it handy when you call. We match Volusia and Flagler homeowners with local licensed roofers who can photograph the roof and write down what is actually there. Your agent still has to say whether that report, a 4-point, or both, is what the carrier will accept. No one here can promise the insurer will stay.

Call 386-999-4616 or start the quiz on this page.