What is a Roof Certification for South Florida? | Best Roofing

The 40 or 50 Year Condo Certification Process in South Florida

A roof certification is a professional roofer's best estimate and opinion about the life expectancy of a roof.  They are performed and issued by a professional roofing company to certify that a roof is free of defects and should perform as designed for a certain period of time.  Miami-Dade and Broward Counties each have a program that requires the structural and electrical re-certification of buildings that are older than 40 years.  Once done, these buildings must be re-certified every 10 years.

In Miami-Dade the exceptions are:  single family houses, duplexes and all other buildings with an occupant load of 10 or less AND 2,000 square feet or less of building area.

In Broward the exceptions are:  one and two family buildings and all buildings having an area of less than 3,500 square feet.

Other exceptions include government buildings and buildings situated on Indian Reservations.

Broward County Roof System Inspections Look For:

• Describe the type of framing system ( flat, slope, type of roofing, type of roof deck, overall condition of roof)
• Note water tanks, cooling towers, air conditioning equipment, signs, other heavy equipment and condition of supports
• Note floor types- drains and scuppers and their condition

Miami Dade County Roof System Inspections Look For:

• Sloping roofs, usually having clay or cement tiles, are of concern in the event that the covered membrane may have deteriorated, or tiles may have become loose.
• Large deflections, if merely resulting from deteriorated rafters or joists will be of greater importance
• Valley Flashing and Base Flashing at roof penetrations will also be matters of concern
• Flat roofs with built-up membrane roofs will be similarly critical with respect to deflection considerations
• Additionally, since roofs will generally be approaching expected life limits at the age when building re-certification is required, careful examination is important.  Blisters, wrinkling, alligatoring, and loss of gravel are usually signs of difficulty.
• Punctures or loss of adhersion of base flashing, coupled with loose counter flashing will also signify possible problems
• Windblown gravel, if excessive, and the possibility of other debris may result in ponding, which if permitted, may become critical

If you know you have problems you are wasting your time and potentially money. What you really need is a quote to repair the existing roof and a warantee or certification after the repairs are made.  If the roof is leaking or nearing the end of its useful life, don’t expect a certification.

Because  roof assessments are generally specific or technical in nature, you will need a roof inspection conducted by one of Best Roofing's Forensic Roofing Specialists.  Our Forensic Roofing inspections are comprehensive and include asbestos testing of roofing materials, mold presence, code compliance, manufacturer’s installation, specification compliance, workmanship evaluation, inspection of walking decks, water testing, determination of roof slope, ponding and drainage, and structural engineering analysis.

Contact us to discuss your Roof Certification Process and Inspection. 954-941-9111 or info@bestroofing.net