Selling as is · November 17, 2026 · 11 min read
Selling a house with an old roof in Florida: can the buyer get insurance?
Published by BIMINIO Properties, a company that buys houses for cash in Florida and Arizona.
Scheduled for November 17, 2026.
You can sell a Florida house with an old roof. The harder question is whether your buyer can insure it. Most buyers borrow to buy, and a lender wants the house insured before it lends. Florida insurance law has its own rules about roofs, and the roof's age and condition can decide whether an insurer will write a policy.
This post covers what Florida law says about roof age, how the roof inspection rule works, what Citizens Property Insurance asks of a buyer, and your choices as a seller. It explains the rules. It gives no legal or insurance advice, so check your own case with a Florida lawyer or a licensed insurance agent.
Why the roof can stop a sale
A sale with a mortgage has more steps than the offer and the closing date. Between the two, the buyer has to show the lender proof of insurance. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says lenders generally require proof that you have homeowner's insurance, because the house is what protects their loan.
So the order of events for a buyer with a loan looks like this:
- You accept the offer.
- The buyer's inspector looks at the roof and writes down its age and condition.
- The buyer asks insurers for a quote. The insurer asks about the roof.
- If no insurer will write a policy, or the price is more than the buyer can pay, the loan cannot close.
When that happens late, you have lost weeks, and the house goes back on the market with a known roof problem. A seller who knows the roof's age and condition before listing can plan for this from day one.
What Florida law says about roof age
Florida Statutes section 627.7011 sets two rules for roofs, based on age. Subsection (5)(e) says they apply to policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2022.
| Roof age | What the insurer may not do |
|---|---|
| Less than 15 years | Refuse to issue or renew a homeowner's policy solely because of the roof's age (subsection 5(b)) |
| 15 years or older | Require a new roof as a condition of the policy before it lets the owner get a roof inspection; and refuse solely because of age if the inspection shows 5 or more years of useful life left (subsection 5(c)) |
Two words in the law matter. The first is "solely." An insurer can still decline a house for other reasons, such as damage it can see, leaks, or its own rules about the type of house. The second is "homeowner's." These rules protect the owner who holds or asks for the policy. When your house sells, the buyer asks for a new policy in their own name, and the same roof rules apply to that new application.
How the age is counted
Subsection (5)(d) says a roof's age is counted from the last date on which 100 percent of the roof's surface was built or replaced. If the roof was redone in parts, the age runs from the first partial replacement once the later work brought the replaced area to 100 percent.
This is why the roofing permit and the final invoice matter. A buyer's inspector and the buyer's insurer will ask for the date. Find the paperwork now. Your county or city building department keeps permit records, and the permit often shows the date the job was closed.
The roof inspection test: 5 years of useful life
For a roof 15 years or older, the law lets the owner order an inspection before an insurer can demand a new roof. The owner pays for it. The inspector must be approved by the insurer and must be one of these, under subsection (5)(a):
- A licensed home inspector
- A certified building code inspector
- A licensed general, building, residential or roofing contractor
- A licensed professional engineer
- A licensed architect
- Another person the insurer recognizes as qualified to inspect a house
If the inspection shows 5 or more years of useful life left, the insurer may not refuse to issue or renew the policy solely because of the roof's age.
For a seller, this inspection can help in two ways. A good report gives the buyer something to show insurers. A poor report tells you early that a buyer with a loan may need a new roof, and you can price and plan for it before you accept an offer.
Old roof, or a roof that leaks? Get a written cash offer for the house as it is. A written cash offer comes within 24 hours, with the comparable sales we used. There is no cost and no obligation.
What Citizens asks of a buyer
Florida Statutes section 627.351(6) describes Citizens Property Insurance Corporation as "a government entity that is an integral part of the state." A buyer whom private insurers decline can ask Citizens for a quote.
A Citizens bulletin of September 11, 2025 explains how a buyer can apply when the roof is damaged, shows visible signs of leaks, or has less than 5 years of remaining useful life. The buyer can still apply if:
- The purchase happens within 45 calendar days of the date the coverage starts.
- A roofing contract shows that a full roof replacement will be finished within 30 calendar days of that date.
- The contract is between the buyer and a licensed general, residential, building or roofing contractor, is written by the contractor doing the work, and is signed by the buyer.
The bulletin also says Citizens underwriting has a 60-day period to review the policy, and that this exception does not change any other eligibility rule.
Read what that means for your sale. A buyer in this position must have a roofer hired, a signed contract and the money for a whole new roof, all at the time of closing. A buyer who used most of their savings for the down payment may not have that money. A buyer who does have it will want the roof's cost to come off your price.
Repair part of the roof, or replace all of it?
Some sellers fix the worst spots and hope that is enough. Florida law has one rule that helps here.
Florida Statutes section 553.844(5) says that if a roof or roof section was built, repaired or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or a later edition, and 25 percent or more of it is being repaired, replaced or recovered, only the part being worked on must meet the current code. Local governments may not change this rule.
For a roof built to the 2007 code or later, a large repair may not force a full new roof under the building code. A repair still leaves the roof's age where it was, though. Under section 627.7011(5)(d), the age changes only when 100 percent of the surface has been replaced. A patched 18-year-old roof is still 18 years old to an insurer.
Ask a licensed roofing contractor two questions before you spend money: what the repair will cost, and what remaining life they would write in an inspection report after the repair. If the answer is under 5 years, the repair may not help a buyer get insurance.
Telling the buyer about the roof
Florida's rule on disclosure comes from a case about a leaking roof. In Johnson v. Davis (1985), the buyers found water "gushing" in around a window frame and through the family room ceiling after a heavy rain. The Florida Supreme Court held that "where the seller of a home knows of facts materially affecting the value of the property which are not readily observable and are not known to the buyer, the seller is under a duty to disclose them to the buyer."
For a roof, that means telling the buyer what you know: past leaks, stains you painted over, repairs, tarps, insurance claims and the age of the roof. Write it down and keep a copy. Selling as is does not remove this duty. Our guide on selling a house as is covers what to tell a buyer in Florida and Arizona.
If your own insurer drops the policy
Some owners decide to sell after a nonrenewal letter arrives. Florida Statutes section 627.4133 sets the notice an insurer must give on a personal residential policy:
| Notice | Minimum time |
|---|---|
| Renewal premium | 45 days before renewal (subsection 2(a)) |
| Nonrenewal, cancellation or termination | 120 days before the effective date (subsection 2(b)), with shorter periods in listed cases |
| Cancellation for nonpayment of premium | 10 days (subsection 2(b)1) |
Subsection (2)(f) adds that if a cancellation or nonrenewal would take effect during a hurricane, the date is pushed back until the hurricane is over.
120 days is enough time to get a roof inspection, shop for another policy, or sell. If you have a mortgage, call your lender too, since lenders require proof of insurance.
Help with the cost of a new roof
If you plan to stay in the house for a while before selling, a state program may help. The My Safe Florida Home program, in Florida Statutes section 215.5586, can pay toward "replacing the roof covering" and other hurricane work. The main rules in the statute:
- The house must be site-built, owner-occupied and have a homestead exemption.
- For a grant, it must have been built before January 1, 2008, with an insured value of $700,000 or less.
- The owner must be low-income or moderate-income, as defined in Florida law.
- An inspection must come first, within the 24 months before the grant application.
- Most grants need $1 from the owner for every $2 from the state, up to $10,000 from the state. Low-income owners can receive up to $10,000 with no match.
- The work must be finished, with a final inspection requested, within 18 months of approval.
The program depends on yearly state funding, so money is not always available. It also takes months. For an owner who needs to sell soon, it rarely fits the timeline.
Your three choices as a seller
| Choice | What you do | What to weigh |
|---|---|---|
| Replace the roof, then list | Hire a licensed roofer, close the permit, keep the paperwork | You pay for the roof and wait for the work; a new roof widens the group of buyers who can get insurance |
| List as it is, with the roof facts disclosed | Get an inspection report, price for the roof, accept a buyer who can insure or pay for it | Some buyers with loans will drop out at the insurance step; expect a price cut for the roof |
| Sell for cash, as is | Get a written offer from a cash buyer | The price is below full market value; there is no insurance step for a lender, and no repairs |
To compare the first two with your own numbers, use the net proceeds calculator. Put in the roof quote, the months the house may sit, and your monthly mortgage, tax and insurance.
How BIMINIO buys a house with an old roof
We buy houses as is in Tampa, Miami, Orlando and Lakeland, including houses with old, leaking or storm-damaged roofs. Your sale does not wait on a mortgage approval, and every offer comes with proof of funds.
A cash offer is below full market value. We say that out loud, because the roof's cost is part of the number. The repair budget behind your offer comes from a scope of the work led by our founder, a trained architect. On the first call we ask about the roof's age, leaks, tarps and any open insurance claim. If the roof was damaged in a storm, read our post on Florida storm damage claim deadlines first.
You get a written offer within 24 hours, with the comparable sales we used and proof of funds. After you accept, there is one building inspection of under 30 minutes. You pick a closing date from 7 to 35 days out, and we pay the closing costs. To start, fill in the form on this page or call our Florida line at (813) 729-8998. More on our page for owners with expensive repairs.
Thinking about selling? BIMINIO buys houses in Florida and Arizona as is. A written offer comes within 24 hours, and you pick the closing date.
Sources
- Florida Statutes (2026), section 627.7011: homeowners' policies, roof age and inspections, read November 9, 2026
- Florida Statutes (2026), section 553.844: roof repair and the 25 percent rule, read November 9, 2026
- Florida Statutes (2026), section 627.4133: notice of cancellation, nonrenewal and renewal premium, read November 9, 2026
- Florida Statutes (2026), section 215.5586: My Safe Florida Home program, read November 9, 2026
- Florida Statutes (2026), section 627.351(6): Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, read November 9, 2026
- Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, bulletin of September 11, 2025: roof requirements, unbound submissions for new purchases, read November 9, 2026
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, What is homeowner's insurance? Why is homeowner's insurance required? (last reviewed August 8, 2024), read November 9, 2026
- Johnson v. Davis, 480 So. 2d 625 (Fla. 1985), Supreme Court of Florida (copy of the opinion), read November 9, 2026
Situations this helps with
Guides
- Selling as is: what to tell the buyer
- How a cash offer is worked out
- Work done without a permit, or an open permit
- Repair first or sell as is?
- Selling a house with an old roof
- Selling a fire or water damaged house
- Selling during hurricane season in Florida
- Selling a vacant house
- Selling a storm-damaged house with an open claim
- Selling a building lot or vacant land
This post is general information. BIMINIO does not give legal, tax or financial advice.
