Permit
A permit is needed
Florida’s code exempts no building work from permits (FBC Building § 105.2); in West Palm Beach the reroof permit comes from the city’s building department.
Roof Replacement in West Palm Beach, FL
Half of the 86,575 homes in West Palm Beach were built before 1983. 73% predate 2000, and Florida’s reroof rules depend on when the house was permitted.
New Roofing Costs connects homeowners with independent local roofing contractors. We do not perform roofing work.
Call (833) 781-1806 Replacement and new roofs only · homeowners
This number connects homeowners who are planning a new roof or a full roof replacement with independent local roofing contractors. It is not for leak repairs or patch jobs. The call must come from the homeowner who decides on the roof. Calls may be recorded.
The rules for a reroof in West Palm Beach
Layers
When the old roof must come off
A tear-off to the deck is required where the roof already has two layers, where the covering is tile, slate or wood shake, or where it is water-soaked or deteriorated (FBC Existing Building 706.3).
The 25 percent rule
Partial work can bring in the whole roof
Florida limits partial work: if more than 25 percent of a roof or roof section is redone in 12 months, the whole roof or section has to meet the current code. Roofs built or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later are exempt; only the new part must meet the code in effect (FBC Existing Building 706.1.1; Fla. Stat. § 553.844(5)).
Source: FBC Existing Building, 8th ed. (2023), Chapter 7; Fla. Stat. § 553.844
Houses permitted before 2002
A secondary water barrier and deck re-nailing
If your site-built single-family home was permitted before the Florida Building Code took effect (March 1, 2002), a full roof replacement must include a secondary water barrier and re-nailing of the roof deck: at least two 8d nails per rafter, a nail counting as 8d if it is at least 0.113 inch thick and 2¼ inches long (Fla. Stat. § 553.844(3); FBC Existing Building 706.7).
73% of homes in West Palm Beach were built before 2000 (ACS); the year the house was permitted is what counts.
Source: Fla. Stat. § 553.844; FBC Existing Building, 8th ed. (2023), Chapter 7
Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. Everything else the state requires: roof replacement in Florida.
Homes and roofs in West Palm Beach
Owners live in 38,062 of West Palm Beach’s occupied homes, or 52%. Counting by decade, 7% before 1940, 18% before 1960, 43% before 1980, 73% before 2000 of the housing was in place, and 27% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 37% detached houses, 7% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 9% buildings of two to four units.
Of the 46 Palm Beach County places on this site, West Palm Beach has the 30th largest share of homes built before 2000: 73%, against a county range of 3% to 100%.
ZIP codes: 33401 · 33405 · 33407 · 33409 · 33412 · 33417
West Palm Beach and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 2000 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Palm Beach | 1983 | 73% | 52% | 7% | 17 |
| Plantation Mobile Home Park | 1982 | 94% | 58% | 15% | 21 |
| Mangonia Park | 1981 | 72% | 32% | 16% | 15 |
| Westgate | 1969 | 72% | 37% | 4% | 17 |
| Haverhill | 1984 | 76% | 78% | 4% | 20 |
| Lake Belvedere Estates | 1986 | 65% | 88% | 1% | 21 |
Median built: median year the homes were built. Before 2000: share of homes built then. Owners: share of homes that are owner-occupied. Row, twin: share of homes that are rowhouses, twins or townhouses. Census ACS 2020–2024. Hail days: days with hail of 1 inch or larger within 10 miles, 2006–2025, NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
Hail and storms near West Palm Beach
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 17 separate days within 10 miles of West Palm Beach; the largest was 1.75 in on April 26, 2023. The most recent was May 23, 2025.
That is more hail days than 89% of the places in the state on this site.
Palm Beach County has had 8 federal major-disaster declarations for storms since 2006; the latest was DR-4834, Hurricane Milton (October 2024). (OpenFEMA.)
Storm reports are what observers logged, not a measure of damage to any roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.
What goes on the roof next
HUD’s useful-life figures are for planning; a warranty is a separate promise. For West Palm Beach’s houses: More in the guides to shingles, metal, slate, tile and flat roofs.
| Material | HUD useful life | Fits a house like | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt shingles | 20 years | Most pitched roofs; 37% of homes here are detached | Wind class set by the design wind speed (IRC Table R905.2.4.1) |
| Metal (standing seam, panels) | 50 years | Simple roofs with long, unbroken slopes | A complete standing-seam system may go over the old roof (R908.3.1) |
| Slate | 75 years | Older houses; 7% here predate 1940 | Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot |
| Clay or concrete tile | 60 years | Houses framed for tile | Can’t be roofed over (FBC-EB 706.3) |
| Flat roof: EPDM or TPO | 15 years | Additions and porch roofs | Coating is not a replacement |
Checking a contractor in Florida
Ask anyone quoting a roof in West Palm Beach for a Florida license number, Certified Roofing Contractor (CCC, statewide) or Registered Roofing Contractor (RC, local), and check it on DBPR; 9,419 CCC licenses were active on October 23, 2026.
Contracts, deposits and the right to cancel: Florida roofing licenses. What moves the price: new roof cost in Florida.
Questions about a new roof in West Palm Beach
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in West Palm Beach?
A permit is needed. Florida’s code exempts no building work from permits (FBC Building § 105.2); in West Palm Beach the reroof permit comes from the city’s building department.
Is a roof-over allowed in West Palm Beach, or is it a tear-off?
A tear-off to the deck is required where the roof already has two layers, where the covering is tile, slate or wood shake, or where it is water-soaked or deteriorated (FBC Existing Building 706.3).
When were most homes in West Palm Beach built?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in West Palm Beach was built in 1983, 73% of homes were built before 2000, 52% are owner-occupied.
How many hail days has West Palm Beach had?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 17 days within 10 miles of West Palm Beach from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.
What license or registration should a roofer in West Palm Beach have?
Ask anyone quoting a roof in West Palm Beach for a Florida license number, Certified Roofing Contractor (CCC, statewide) or Registered Roofing Contractor (RC, local), and check it on DBPR; 9,419 CCC licenses were active on October 23, 2026.
What they will ask on the phone
- The street address in West Palm Beach, or at least the ZIP code
- How many stories the house has, and whether it is detached or attached
- What covers the roof now and about when it went on
- The number of layers, if anyone has counted
- That you want a new roof or a full replacement, and when you want the work done
- The year the house was built and the year the roof was last replaced
- That you are the owner and the one who decides
The full list: before you call.