Roof Code Violation: what to do next in St. Petersburg, FL
St. Petersburg sits on a peninsula between Tampa Bay and the Gulf, and many of its homes are 1950s–1970s concrete block ranches that have been through a lot of storm seasons. A roof code violation here usually means a code officer saw a problem with the roof. That could be missing or damaged roofing, a tarp left up, a leak, rotted decking or fascia, or a re-roof done without a permit. Start with the notice. Read it, note the compliance date and any hearing date, and contact the code office named on it with questions about your case.
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St. Petersburg is an incorporated municipality. Code enforcement is normally run by the city itself, though some cities contract it out, so the notice names the office to call. In Florida, code enforcement is handled locally under Chapter 162, Florida Statutes, and a city may use a code enforcement board or a special magistrate. The process generally starts with a notice that identifies the problem and gives time to correct it. If it is not corrected, a hearing is set, and the order that follows carries a compliance date. A fine may be imposed for each day the violation continues past that date. The exact steps, deadlines and amounts are on your notice, so confirm them with the code office.
While your case is open, don't
- Stay off the roof. Keep children and everyone else away from the damaged area, and do not walk on the roof or try the repair yourself, because a damaged roof can give way.
- Don't start work before the permit. Under section 105.1 of the Florida Building Code, re-roofing and most roof repairs need a permit, and work done without one generally has to be permitted after the fact.
- Don't lose track of the dates. Keep the compliance date and any hearing date where you can see them, and call the code office named on your notice with any question about them.
- Don't tear out finished work on your own. For after-the-fact permits, the building department decides what it needs to see, which can include drawings, inspections and opening up finished surfaces.
What we do
- We read the notice with youWe go through what the code officer cited and look at the roof and the property. Then we tell you what work the violation needs.
- The price is agreed in writingThe estimate is free. The price is agreed in writing before any work starts.
- We pull the permitWhen the repair or re-roof needs a permit, we pull it under our licence. That includes an after-the-fact permit for work already done.
- We do the roof workThe repair or re-roof is done under our Florida Certified Roofing Contractor licence CCC1335340, with roofing products approved for the area. You can verify the licence on the Florida DBPR website.
- We schedule inspections and close out the permitWe schedule the inspections and work to get the permit closed out with the building department.
- You get the paperworkWe give you the paperwork to show the code office named on your notice. What happens with the case is decided by that office.
Work by 360 Home Improvements, Florida Certified Roofing Contractor CCC1335340 · Certified Building Contractor CBC1267336. Electrical, plumbing and AC work goes to our Florida-licensed subcontractors, who pull that trade's permit.
How it works in St. Petersburg
Hurricane season in Florida runs from June 1 through November 30. Storm damage left unrepaired, such as roofs still under tarps, is a common source of code enforcement notices afterward. St. Petersburg gets damaging wind and wind-borne debris in those months. Humidity stays high all year, and heavy summer rain tests every roof. A tarp is meant to be temporary, and a damaged roof lets water into the structure.
The housing here runs from 1920s bungalows and Mediterranean Revival homes in the historic districts to block-and-stucco ranches from the 1950s–1970s, plus newer infill construction. Each roof is different, so we look at yours before we say what the notice calls for. We are a licensed Florida contractor under Florida Certified Building Contractor licence CBC1267336. It is a state certification, valid in every Florida county and verifiable on the Florida DBPR website.
Questions people ask
- Do I need a permit to repair my roof in St. Petersburg?
- The Florida Building Code (section 105.1) requires a permit for most construction, alteration and repair work. The building department with jurisdiction over your property issues it. Ask that department, or the code office named on your notice, what applies to your roof.
- My roof has been under a tarp since a storm. Is that enough?
- A tarp is meant to be temporary, and water can still get into the structure. Whether it satisfies your notice is a question for the code office named on it. We can look at the roof and tell you what repair it needs.
- What roofing products can be used in St. Petersburg?
- Roofing products installed in Florida must carry a product approval for the zone they are in. The High-Velocity Hurricane Zone is only Broward and Miami-Dade counties. Elsewhere, products typically carry Florida Product Approval or a local approval, and the building department can confirm what it accepts.
- How much will the roof work cost?
- It depends on the size of the roof, how much is damaged, whether decking or fascia is rotted, the materials and the permit work. We look at the roof, give you a free estimate and agree the price in writing before work starts.
- Can you go to the hearing or deal with the fine for me?
- No. We are a contractor, not a law firm, so we do not represent owners at hearings and we do not negotiate fines or liens. Questions about your case go to the code office named on your notice, and legal questions go to a Florida attorney.
This page is general information about Florida code enforcement, not legal advice. For questions about your own case (deadlines, hearing dates, fines or liens), contact the code enforcement office named on your notice, or a Florida attorney.
Send us the notice
The estimate is free, and the price is agreed in writing before work starts. Call (954) 906-7864 or send a request through the form on the website, and take questions about the case itself to the code office named on your notice.
Request a free estimate
Tell us what the notice says and where the property is. We'll look at what the violation needs and agree the price with you before any work starts.
Same violation in nearby cities
Other violations in St. Petersburg
- A lien was recorded on my property
- Daily fines are adding up
- Work done without a permit
- Open or expired permits
- Overgrown lot, yard or debris
Code Violation Solver is run by 360 Home Improvements, a licensed Florida contractor. We fix the condition behind the violation; the code office named on your notice decides the case.