Buying a Home in Cape Coral After Hurricane Ian: Roof Questions to Ask
Hurricane Ian came ashore in September 2022 and put a hand on nearly every roof in Cape Coral. Some were replaced. Some were repaired. Some were patched by whoever had a ladder that week. And some were never touched at all because the owner didn’t file a claim. Four years later, all of those roofs are for sale, and the listing photos look the same.
If you’re buying in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Pine Island, or anywhere in Lee County, the roof is the biggest single number in the deal and the first thing your insurer will ask about. These are the questions to get answered before you waive an inspection contingency.
1. How old is the roof, really?
“New roof 2023” in a listing can mean a full replacement, a partial replacement of the damaged slope, or a repair. Ask for the permit. Lee County and the City of Cape Coral both have online permit search; a roof replacement will show a permit, a contractor, and a final inspection. No permit for a “new roof” is a red flag for both quality and insurability, because your carrier will use the permit date, not the seller’s word.
2. Was it replaced or repaired?
Repairs after Ian ranged from professional to desperate. During the inspection we look for mismatched shingle or tile lots, sealant-heavy flashing, tarp nail holes that were never sealed, and slopes with different underlayment ages. A repaired roof isn’t necessarily a problem, but a repaired roof being sold as a new one is.
3. Was there a claim, and was it closed?
Ask the seller for the claim history. An open or disputed claim, a claim paid but never repaired, or a roof replaced under an assignment of benefits can carry paperwork into your ownership. Your title company and agent will want to know, and so will you.
4. What does Florida’s 15-year roof rule mean for this house?
Since 2022, Florida law has said an insurer can’t refuse to write or renew a policy solely because of roof age if the roof is less than 15 years old. If the roof is 15 years or older, you can still get coverage if an inspection shows it has at least five years of useful life remaining. That inspection is a separate roof condition report, and it’s something we provide.
The practical translation for a buyer: a 12-year-old shingle roof in decent shape is insurable. A 17-year-old shingle roof needs a roof inspection showing five years left, and in this climate that’s not a given. A 20-year-old tile roof may be fine; a 20-year-old shingle roof usually isn’t.
5. What’s under the covering?
Shingles and tile are the visible layer. What matters just as much is the underlayment and the deck. A roof replaced after Ian under the current code often has a peel-and-stick secondary water barrier, which earns a wind mitigation credit and keeps water out if the covering fails. A roof “repaired” by replacing shingles over the original 2004 felt does not. We check from the attic: decking condition, nail patterns, daylight, and staining.
6. Is there any sign it’s still leaking?
Ceiling stains are only the obvious version. We also check attic insulation for matting and staining, look at the underside of the decking for dark streaks along the rafters, and use a moisture meter at every stain, penetration, and valley. A “dry” stain that reads wet after the last rain is an active leak.
7. What will the insurance carrier want?
On most Cape Coral homes older than 20 years, the carrier will ask for a 4-point inspection, which documents the roof’s age and condition, and a wind mitigation inspection, which documents the features that earn discounts. If the roof is 15 years or older, add a roof condition report. All three can be done during your home inspection, and the answers will affect your quote before you close, not after.
8. What will it cost to replace, and when?
Even a roof that passes today has a finite life. Tile roofs in Southwest Florida commonly last 25 to 40 years; architectural shingles, 15 to 20 in the sun and heat here; metal, longer. Knowing that the roof has five years left lets you negotiate a credit or simply budget for it. Not knowing is how buyers get a replacement bill and a non-renewal notice in the same year.
What we do on a roof inspection
We walk the roof when it’s safe to do so and inspect from the eaves, ladder, and attic when it isn’t (tile roofs are easy to break by walking). We photograph every slope, penetration, flashing, and valley, inspect the attic, and deliver a report the same day with a condition assessment and an estimate of remaining useful life. More about our roof inspections.
Buying in Cape Coral or Fort Myers? Get the roof checked first.
Brick and Mortar Inspections is a Florida-licensed home inspector (HI15814) based in North Fort Myers. Call or text 239-560-8611 or request an inspection online. We can combine the home inspection, roof report, 4-point, and wind mitigation in one visit.