Check your roof before hurricane season

What you can check from the ground

• Cracked, slipped or missing tiles or shingles.
• Flashing that has lifted around vents, chimneys and walls.
• Gutters and drains: Ready.gov says to clear them before a storm.
• Branches over the roof. FEMA says trees should be far enough away that they can't fall on the house.
• Water stains on ceilings, which often mean a leak that is already there.

Do not climb onto a tile roof to look. Tiles break under foot, and falls are the bigger risk.

What a roofer checks that you can't

A roofer looks at the underlayment, fasteners and deck from close up. FEMA notes that hurricane straps help hold the roof to the walls; a roofer or inspector can tell you whether your house has them. In Miami-Dade, any work on the roof needs products approved for the High Velocity Hurricane Zone and a permit.

Roof age and your insurance

Under Florida Statute 627.7011(5), an insurer may not refuse to issue or renew a homeowner's policy solely because the roof is less than 15 years old. For an older roof, an insurer may not refuse solely because of age if an authorized inspection shows the roof has 5 years or more of useful life left. That inspection report is worth having before renewal time.

Before you rely on this

This guide is general information, not legal, insurance or engineering advice. In a storm, follow your county emergency managers and the National Hurricane Center. If you are told to evacuate, go.