Permit
A permit is needed
Florida’s code exempts no building work from permits (FBC Building § 105.2); in Winter Haven the reroof permit comes from the city’s building department.
Roof Replacement in Winter Haven, FL
The median home in Winter Haven was built in 1985; there are 17,920 of them. 69% 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 Winter Haven
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
Manufactured homes
Say it is a manufactured home
The Florida rules for older site-built houses above apply to “site-built, single-family residential structures” (Fla. Stat. § 553.844(3)); a manufactured home is not one. Tell the person on the line it is a manufactured home.
Source: Fla. Stat. § 553.844
Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. The state’s code edition and the rest of its rules: roof replacement in Florida.
Homes and roofs in Winter Haven
72% of the occupied homes in Winter Haven are lived in by their owners: 10,821 households, the people this line is for. Counting by decade, 17% before 1960, 41% before 1980, 69% before 2000 of the housing was in place, and 31% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)
The housing is 61% detached houses, 6% buildings of two to four units, 21% manufactured homes.
21% of homes in Winter Haven are manufactured homes (3,716). A roof on a manufactured home is its own kind of job; tell the person on the line that it is one, since Florida’s reroof upgrades for older houses are written for site-built homes.
Of the 22 Polk County places on this site, Winter Haven has the 11th largest share of homes built before 2000: 69%, against a county range of 50% to 97%.
ZIP codes: 33881
Winter Haven and the towns around it
| Place | Median built | Before 2000 | Owners | Row, twin | Hail days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Haven | 1985 | 69% | 72% | 2% | 14 |
| Inwood | 1966 | 90% | 69% | 0% | 13 |
| Jan Phyl Village | 1981 | 78% | 67% | 2% | 13 |
| Eagle Lake | 1992 | 65% | 75% | 1% | 15 |
| Auburndale | 1989 | 66% | 75% | 1% | 10 |
| Wahneta | 1972 | 87% | 62% | 0% | 17 |
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 Winter Haven
Since 2006 the National Weather Service has logged hail of 1 inch or larger on 14 separate days within 10 miles of Winter Haven; the largest was 1.75 in on May 13, 2024.
That is more hail days than 78% of the places in the state on this site.
At the county level, Winter Haven shares Polk County’s record of 8 storm disaster declarations since 2006, the newest 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
Lifespans come from HUD’s capital-needs table, not from a brochure. 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; 61% 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 and historic houses | 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 | Where the roof meets a wall or parapet |
Checking a contractor in Florida
Ask anyone quoting a roof in Winter Haven 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 Winter Haven
Is a permit required for a new roof in Winter Haven, FL?
A permit is needed. Florida’s code exempts no building work from permits (FBC Building § 105.2); in Winter Haven the reroof permit comes from the city’s building department.
Do the old shingles have to come off in Winter Haven?
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 Winter Haven built?
By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in Winter Haven was built in 1985, 69% of homes were built before 2000, 72% are owner-occupied.
Does Winter Haven get hail that damages roofs?
Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 14 days within 10 miles of Winter Haven 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 Winter Haven have?
Ask anyone quoting a roof in Winter Haven 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
- Your address or ZIP code in Winter Haven
- How many stories the house has, and whether it is detached or attached
- Whether it is a manufactured home
- What covers the roof now and about when it went on
- Whether there is one layer or more, if you know
- That the job is a full replacement or a new roof, and your timing
- The year the house was built and the year the roof was last replaced
- That you own the home and decide on the roof
The full list: before you call.