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SB0808 • 2026

Roofing Requirements for Property Insurance

Roofing Requirements for Property Insurance

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Simon
Last action
2026-03-13
Official status
Senate - Died in Banking and Insurance
Effective date
2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text does not explicitly mention that insurers must differentiate between low-slope and steep-slope roofs when offering coverage under certain conditions. This was inferred but not directly stated.

Roofing Requirements for Property Insurance

This bill changes rules about property insurance policies to include certain roof experts and prevent insurers from refusing coverage based on a roof's age.

What This Bill Does

  • Expands the definition of 'authorized inspector' to include roof consultants and observers certified by specific organizations.
  • Prohibits insurers from denying or not renewing property insurance for homes with roofs less than 15 years old just because of their age.
  • Requires insurers to differentiate between low-slope and steep-slope roofs when offering coverage under certain conditions.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Property insurance companies
  • Homeowners with residential structures

Terms To Know

Authorized Inspector
An inspector approved by an insurer to conduct roof inspections and assessments.
Steep-slope Roof
A roof that has a pitch of more than 2 inches, which affects how insurance coverage is offered.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not apply to policies that are not considered 'homeowners’ policies' as understood in the insurance industry.
  • It only applies to property insurance policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2026.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-13 Senate

    • Died in Banking and Insurance

  2. 2026-01-23 Senate

    • On Committee agenda-- Banking and Insurance, 01/28/26, 10:30 am, 412 Knott Building --Temporarily Postponed

  3. 2026-01-13 Senate

    • Introduced

  4. 2025-12-16 Senate

    • Referred to Banking and Insurance; Regulated Industries; Rules

  5. 2025-12-09 Senate

    • Filed

Official Summary Text

Roofing Requirements for Property Insurance; Revising the definition of the term “authorized inspector” to include certain roof consultants and roof observers; prohibiting an insurer from refusing to issue or renew a property insurance policy, rather than a homeowner’s policy, insuring a residential structure that has a roof less than a specified age solely because of the roof’s age; prohibiting an insurer from refusing to issue or renew a property insurance policy under certain circumstances, etc.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Florida Senate
-
2026

SB 808

By
Senator Simon

3-01561-26 2026808__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to roofing requirements for property
3 insurance; amending s. 627.7011, F.S.; revising the
4 definition of the term “authorized inspector” to
5 include certain roof consultants and roof observers;
6 prohibiting an insurer from refusing to issue or renew
7 a property insurance policy, rather than a homeowner’s
8 policy, insuring a residential structure that has a
9 roof less than a specified age solely because of the
10 roof’s age; requiring the insurer to differentiate
11 between low-slope and steep-slope roofs in its offer
12 for coverage under certain circumstances; requiring
13 the insurer to allow a property owner to have a roof
14 inspection performed on a steep-slope roof by an
15 authorized inspector before requiring that the roof be
16 replaced; prohibiting an insurer from refusing to
17 issue or renew a property insurance policy under
18 certain circumstances; revising applicability;
19 providing an effective date.
20
21 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
22
23 Section 1. Subsection (5) and paragraph (a) of subsection
24 (6) of section 627.7011, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
25 627.7011 Homeowners’ policies;
property insurance policies;

26 offer of replacement cost coverage and law and ordinance
27 coverage.—
28 (5)(a) As used in this subsection, the term “authorized
29 inspector” means an inspector who is approved by the insurer and
30 who is:
31 1. A home inspector licensed under s. 468.8314;
32 2. A building code inspector certified under s. 468.607;
33 3. A general, building, or residential contractor licensed
34 under s. 489.111 or a roofing contractor;
35 4. A professional engineer licensed under s. 471.015;
36 5. A professional architect licensed under s. 481.213;
or

37
6.

A Registered Roof Consultant certified by the

38
International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants;

39
7.

A Registered Roof Observer certified by the

40
International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants; or

41
8.
6.
Any other individual or entity recognized by the
42 insurer as possessing the necessary qualifications to properly
43 complete a general inspection of a residential structure insured
44 with a homeowner’s insurance policy.
45 (b) An insurer may not refuse to issue or refuse to renew a
46
property insurance

homeowner’s
policy insuring a residential
47 structure with a roof that is less than 15 years old solely
48 because of the age of the roof.
49 (c)
1.
For a roof that is at least 15 years old, an insurer
50 must
differentiate between a low-slope roof with a 2-inch pitch

51
or less and a steep-slope roof with a pitch of more than 2

52
inches in its offer for coverage under a policy.

53
2.

Before requiring the replacement of a steep-slope roof

54
as a condition of issuing or renewing a property insurance

55
policy, the insurer must
allow a
property owner

homeowner
to
56 have a roof inspection performed by an authorized inspector at
57 the
property owner’s

homeowner’s
expense
before requiring the

58
replacement of the roof of a residential structure as a

59
condition of issuing or renewing a homeowner’s insurance policy
.
60
3.

If the roof is a steep-slope roof,
the insurer may not
61 refuse to issue or refuse to renew a
property

homeowner’s

62 insurance policy solely because of roof age if
an inspection of

63
the roof of the residential structure performed by
an authorized
64 inspector indicates that the roof has 5 years or more of useful
65 life remaining.
66
4.

If the roof is a low-slope roof, the insurer may not

67
refuse to issue or refuse to renew a property insurance policy

68
solely because of roof age if an authorized inspector determines

69
that the roof may be restored by having a roof coating system

70
applied which will result in the roof having 5 years or more of

71
useful life remaining.

72 (d) For purposes of this subsection, a roof’s age shall be
73 calculated using the last date on which 100 percent of the
74 roof’s surface area was built or replaced in accordance with the
75 building code in effect at that time or the initial date of a
76 partial roof replacement when subsequent partial roof builds or
77 replacements were completed that resulted in 100 percent of the
78 roof’s surface area being built or replaced.
79 (e) This subsection applies to
property

homeowners’

80 insurance policies issued or renewed on or after July 1,
2026

81
2022
.
82 (6) This section does not:
83 (a)
Except as provided in subsection (5),
apply to policies
84 not considered to be
“
homeowners’ policies,
”
as that term is
85 commonly understood in the insurance industry.
86 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.