What Should You Check About the Roof Before Buying a Home on Fort Myers Beach?

Confirm five things: when the roof went on and what storm repairs have been made since, what kind of roof it is and how it is holding up to the salt air, what a qualified inspector or roofer sees up close, how an insurance company will rate it, and, in a condominium, what the association plans for the building's roof. The dates come from the permit record, the condition comes from someone who looks at the roof itself, and the insurance answer comes from a written quote during your inspection period.

I am Kris Asquith, Broker Associate at Premiere Plus Realty, and I help buyers and sellers on Fort Myers Beach and in eight other Southwest Florida markets. On the island you will see newly built elevated homes with metal roofs, older ground-level homes with flat or low-slope roofs, and condominium buildings where the roof belongs to everyone. Each one asks a slightly different set of questions, and all of them came through Hurricane Ian and the storms since.

Look up the permit history. A full re-roof in Florida requires a building permit, and the Town of Fort Myers Beach handles building permits for homes on the island, so the record for the address comes from the Town. Look for a roofing permit with a final inspection; that final inspection date is the one insurers ask for. If the record for an older home looks thin, ask whether earlier records sit with Lee County.

Then read the record around each named storm. A roofing permit in the months after Ian can mean a full replacement or a repair to one section, and the permit description usually says which. A home with no roofing permit since a storm that clearly reached it deserves a direct question to the seller about what happened to the roof and who fixed it. Florida's building code also has rules on how much of a roof can be repaired before the rest must be brought up to current code, and state law changed how that applies to roofs already built to the 2007 code or later, so a roofer or the Town can tell you where a patched roof stands. My article on what to check before buying a rebuilt home on Fort Myers Beach covers reading the storm-repair record for the rest of the house.

Slowly and constantly. Many island homes wear standing-seam or other metal roofs, which shed wind-driven rain well, but salt air works on the panel coating, the fasteners, the flashing and the clips that hold the panels down. Ask your inspector or roofer to look for rust at screw heads, cut edges, ridge caps and anywhere two metals touch, because those spots usually show corrosion first.

Ask for the roof's warranty too. Many metal roofing warranties limit or exclude coverage close to salt water, so read the coastal exposure terms before you count on that warranty. On a flat or low-slope roof, ask about ponding water, the age of the membrane and the condition of the drains and scuppers. My article on checking for salt air corrosion on Fort Myers Beach covers the railings, stairs, air conditioning and fasteners around the rest of the home.

Sometimes. Many inspectors will walk a low-slope roof or a metal roof they judge safe, and look at a steep or fragile one from a ladder, by drone or from the attic instead. On an elevated home the roof can be well above the ground, which also limits what can be seen from below. Read your inspection agreement so you know which kind of look you are paying for.

On an older roof, a roof that was repaired after a storm, or when the general report raises a question, book a separate evaluation with a licensed roofer early in your inspection period. Ask for photographs of the flashing at walls, the ridge, the vents and any penetrations for plumbing, solar or air conditioning lines. Inside, look for ceiling stains near exterior walls and ask the inspector to check the attic, where there is one, for damp decking or old water marks.

Closely, because wind is the largest risk a Florida insurer prices and the roof is what wind reaches first. Expect the carrier to ask the roof's age and material. On an older home many also ask for a four-point inspection, which records the roof's condition along with the plumbing, electrical and air conditioning, and my article on the four-point inspection on Fort Myers Beach walks through that form. Florida law gives homeowners some protections around roof age, so ask your insurance agent how the carrier quoting this home applies them.

The wind mitigation report matters as much as the age. It records how the roof covering and deck are attached and how the roof is tied to the walls, and those features can change the wind portion of the premium. My article on how a wind mitigation inspection affects insurance on Fort Myers Beach explains what each box on the form means. Get the written quote during your inspection period, not after it.

Usually the association. In most condominium buildings the roof is a common element that the association maintains, repairs and replaces, so the roof question becomes the budget, the reserves and any planned project. Florida now requires many condominium associations to complete a structural integrity reserve study, and the roof is one of the components it covers, so ask for the most recent study and see what it says about the roof's remaining life and the funding set aside for it.

Then read the meeting minutes for any roof bids, leaks or storm repairs, and ask whether a roof replacement has been approved or is being discussed. A building-wide roof project is a common reason for a special assessment. My article on special assessments before buying a condo on Fort Myers Beach shows where to look, and the association's estoppel certificate at closing lists any assessment already approved.

Sort what you find into two groups. A roof that leaks now, shows active storm damage, has a temporary repair still in place, or that no carrier will insure is a problem to solve before closing. A roof that works but is late in its life is a budgeting question, often handled better with a credit or a change in terms than with a rushed replacement. If the seller agrees to re-roof before closing, ask that the work be permitted through the Town, that it pass final inspection before closing, and that you receive the permit, the roofer's workmanship warranty and any manufacturer's warranty.

Leave room in the schedule, because a re-roof on the island depends on a permit, materials and a roofer's calendar. My step-by-step buying process shows where the inspection period falls, and my page on buying a home on Fort Myers Beach covers the wider picture. I am glad to go through the roof record on a specific Fort Myers Beach home with you. Get in touch or call (239) 300-1427.

This article is a general overview and is not legal, insurance or roofing advice about any particular property. Confirm the specifics with a licensed roofer, your home inspector, your insurance agent, the condominium association where there is one, and the Town of Fort Myers Beach.