What an emergency visit covers
An emergency visit closes the opening, usually with a tarp over the damaged slope, and leaves the permanent repair for a second trip. Port St. Lucie's post-storm permitting guide says temporary tarping does not need a permit but roof replacements and substantial repairs do. Coral Springs' recovery guide agrees. Its Commission can also defer permit fees after a storm if it activates a resolution.
What an emergency roof repair costs in Florida: estimates, not quotes
A tarp visit models at $125 to $675 per job. That figure starts from one national source, widened by 15 percent each side, and is scaled by Florida's roofer wage ratio of 0.84.
No Florida company's tarp price is in the band, and the model adds no permit because a tarp is temporary protection. The repair that follows is priced on its own page.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $125 to $675 per job | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Florida roofer wage ratio (0.84). Six Florida roofing companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: no state company sample (no counted Florida company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Roofer wage, Florida mean | $23.49 an hour | BLS May 2025 mean hourly pay for Florida roofers; what a worker earns and not what a tarp visit costs. |
Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (1 source), adjusted by Florida's roofer wage ratio to the US (0.84, BLS May 2025), plus the local permit fee where the city publishes one. Not a quote. Six Florida roofing companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. We have no counted Florida company price for this job, so the range is our national estimate alone. Full method. Prices as of Oct 24, 2026.
Checking the company before anyone climbs up
DBPR's Construction Industry Licensing Board issues the roofing contractor license in two forms. A certificate, with a code starting with C, works in any county; a registration, with a code starting with R, works only where the local competency requirements were met. The fine for unlicensed contracting runs up to $10,000. Check the number before anyone climbs up.
What a roof-claim flyer must print
Section 489.147 covers any written or electronic ad that urges you to call a contractor about a roof-damage claim, door hangers and business cards included. It has to state, in type at least 12 points and half the size of its largest font, that you pay the deductible and that waiving it is felony insurance fraud. Gifts for an inspection are banned. Claim adjusting is off limits too, unless the contractor holds a public adjuster license.
Each violation can carry a fine of up to $10,000, and a paid solicitor's acts count as the contractor's.
When an owner may replace shingles after a declared emergency
Section 489.103(7)(a)2 lets an owner repair or replace wood shakes or asphalt or fiberglass shingles on a one-, two- or three-family home without a contractor. The damage must come from an event the governor's executive order recognized as an emergency. It can't be offered for sale within a year. The permit application is signed in person.
When a roof cannot wait for the next business day
- Daylight shows through the deck, or part of the ceiling has come down.
- Rain is entering and the storm is still passing over.
- A stain that stopped spreading after the last rain.
- Loose granules in the gutter with nothing dripping inside.
Answer these before anyone climbs a ladder, yourself included.
- Is water coming inside right now?
- Is a tree or a pile of debris sitting on the roof?
- Are shingles missing since the last storm?
- Is a ceiling sagging, or is a stain spreading?
- Has a claim been filed, and is there a deadline on it?
If the first or second is a yes, send the form with Emergency roof repair picked, and get anything valuable out from under the leak. A yes to the fifth shows you the insurance claim guide before the form.
What to do before the crew arrives
- Write down the date the damage happened, since the claim notice runs one year from the date of loss.
- Call the insurer before signing, because a roof contract tied to a claim must carry a bold notice telling you to check coverage and deductible first.
- Search the license number on MyFloridaLicense.com and read what the page lists.
Does a tarp need a city permit?
Port St. Lucie and Coral Springs both say a temporary tarp needs none. Tampa moved the line for a while. During storm repairs a roof covering of 500 square feet or less needed no permit, and fees were waived for larger storm jobs filed from September 23 to November 23, 2024. That was a storm-period notice, so your building office has the rule in force today.
Florida licenses roofing contractors through DBPR, so before any work starts, ask for the license number and look it up on DBPR's license search.
Questions people ask
How much does emergency roof repair cost in Florida?
We model $125 to $675 per job, and a company's quote can differ. It rests on one national source scaled to Florida roofer pay, so use it to compare written estimates.
Does tarping a roof need a permit in Florida?
Not in Port St. Lucie or Coral Springs. Both cities' storm guides say temporary tarping needs no permit and that a roof replacement or substantial repair does. Other cities decide for themselves.
Can a roofer waive my deductible after a storm?
No, and offering to is what section 489.147 targets. The statute makes knowingly paying, waiving or rebating a deductible with intent to defraud a third-degree felony, and it bars rebates or gift cards for allowing an inspection.
Can I replace my own shingles after a hurricane?
Yes, after a governor's emergency order, on a home you don't offer for sale within a year. Section 489.103(7)(a)2 covers shingles and shakes on one-, two- and three-family homes, and you sign the permit application in person.
How do I check a roofer before the tarp goes on?
Search the name or number under 'Verify a License' on MyFloridaLicense.com. A C-code certificate works statewide, and an R-code registration works only where it was earned.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Roofers (SOC 47-2181), Florida, mean hourly wage Read Oct 24, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Roofers (SOC 47-2181), United States, mean hourly wage Read Oct 24, 2026.
- RooferMatch: how we estimate costs, Florida (editorial policy) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Online Sunshine: Fla. Stat. 489.105 Definitions Read Oct 24, 2026.
- DBPR / CILB: Construction Industry (License Types) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Online Sunshine: Fla. Stat. 489.13 Unlicensed contracting Read Oct 24, 2026.
- DBPR MyFloridaLicense.com home page Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Online Sunshine: Fla. Stat. 489.103 Exemptions Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Online Sunshine: Fla. Stat. 489.147 Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Port St. Lucie: Post-Storm Recovery Permitting Guide Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Coral Springs: Hurricane and Tropical Storm Recovery Permitting Guide Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Tampa news: pop-up permit centers after Hurricane Helene (2024-10) Read Oct 24, 2026.