Florida Certified Roofing Contractor CCC 1334537
The flat-rate roof tarping specialist in Cutler Bay, FL
Roof Tarping & Shrink Wrap for homes in Cutler Bay and the surrounding area — from our Sunrise headquarters. Free quote.
Cutler Bay sits on Biscayne Bay in far southern Miami-Dade, and the Census puts the median home here at a 1985 build year, much of it rebuilt after Hurricane Andrew hit the Cutler Ridge area in 1992. When wind or a fallen limb opens one of those roofs, a temporary cover keeps rain out until the permanent repair. Flat Rate Roofing Inc does this work here: we only do roofing, we are a Florida Certified Roofing Contractor (CCC1334537), and our one office is in Sunrise, in Broward County. When you choose who covers your roof, look for a license number you can check on the Florida DBPR website, a contractor who says plainly that a cover is temporary, and a written flat-rate quote that spells out what the permanent repair includes.
We look at the damage and the deck first, then fasten a blue polyethylene tarp or heat-shrunk shrink wrap to suit your tile, shingle, metal or flat roof. We take photos before and after for your records. Then we write a flat-rate quote for the permanent repair or re-roof. A tarp or shrink wrap is never the repair. It buys time until the real fix.
Salt air from Biscayne Bay and the Black Point Marina area reaches most of Cutler Bay, and the city is in Miami-Dade's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, where the Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. Summer brings near-daily thunderstorms on top of that. Most Cutler Bay homes are one-story concrete block with stucco and tile or shingle roofs, and the Census shows most homes are owner-occupied, so the decision about a damaged roof usually sits with the homeowner. After a wind event, a roof can lose tiles, shingles or flashing, and a single afternoon storm can then push water into the decking, insulation and ceilings. After a widespread storm, roofers and materials can be in demand across the whole region. A temporary cover that is fastened properly helps limit the damage while you wait for the permanent work.
Problems to watch for in Cutler Bay
Tile, shingles or flashing lifted by wind
Hurricane and tropical-storm wind can lift tile, shingles and flashing on Cutler Bay's block-and-stucco homes, leaving openings that near-daily summer thunderstorms can then drive water through.
Limbs through the roof deck
A fallen limb can puncture the deck and open a hole in the roof. Wind-driven rain can then soak the decking, insulation and ceilings below.
Tarps fastened through the middle of the roof
A tarp fastened through the middle of the roof, or stopped short of the ridge, can let water run in underneath it instead of shedding over it.
Covers worn down by sun, heat and wind
Sun, heat and wind wear a cover down the longer it stays up. That is one more reason to plan the permanent repair rather than leave a temporary cover in place.
Wet decking and insulation
In Cutler Bay's humid, rain-heavy wet season, water that gets under a damaged roof dries slowly. Damp decking and insulation can then feed mold.
Waiting on a busy market
After a widespread storm, roofers and materials can be in demand across the region. A temporary cover can protect the house while you wait for the permanent repair.
What we do
- Look at the damage and the deck firstBefore any cover goes on, we look at the damage and the roof deck. That tells us where the cover needs to go and what the permanent repair will involve.
- Blue tarps secured with battensBlue polyethylene tarps are fastened with wood battens along the edges and run over the ridge where the roof allows, so water sheds over the cover rather than under it.
- Shrink-wrap roof coversPolyethylene film is heat-shrunk tight over the damaged section or the whole roof, leaving fewer loose edges for wind to lift. Shrink wrap is designed to last up to about a year (a typical lifespan, not a promise), longer than a standard blue tarp. It is still temporary.
- Fastened to suit your roofCovers are fastened to suit tile, shingle, metal and flat roofs, which matters in a city where tile and shingle roofs are both widespread.
- Photos and a written flat-rate quoteWe take photos before and after for your records and insurance claim. We then write a flat-rate quote for the permanent repair or re-roof that says what is included.
Licenses, permits and codes in Cutler Bay
A tarp or shrink-wrap cover is a temporary measure until the permanent repair. Whether a temporary cover needs a permit is up to the local building department, so confirm with them. For the permanent work, here is the rule as stated: "Roofing work in Florida legally requires a licensed roofing contractor and generally a permit from the local building department; a contractor's license is verified on the Florida DBPR website." Florida licensing is overseen by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), through the Construction Industry Licensing Board. Cutler Bay is in Miami-Dade, so product approvals matter for the permanent roof: "Miami-Dade and Broward are Florida's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. Roofing products used there need a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) for that use; elsewhere in Florida they need a Florida Product Approval (or local approval). Either way the product is installed per its approval." Those approvals apply to the permanent roofing products, not to a tarp or shrink wrap. If the permanent repair is large, note this: "Florida's 25% roof rule (Florida Building Code, Existing Building volume, section 706.1.1): when more than 25% of a roof or roof section is repaired, replaced or recovered in any 12-month period, the entire roof or section has to be brought up to current code." How it is applied can vary, so verify with your city or county building department. For the permanent repair we pull permits under our own license, schedule and pass inspections, and close out the permit.
When to call
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. A cover may be needed after a hurricane, tropical storm, severe thunderstorm or fallen tree, in any month. The phone is answered around the clock, and the office keeps weekday hours, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Call (954) 775-8990 or request a free quote with the form on this page. Tell us what happened and where the damage is, and we will talk through the next steps. If you can do it safely from the ground or from inside the house, photograph the damage and keep your records.
We serve Cutler Bay, including Cutler Ridge, Saga Bay, Lakes by the Bay, Whispering Pines, Cutler Cay, Bel Aire, the Old Cutler Road corridor, the Franjo Road area and the Southland Mall area, and nearby Palmetto Bay, Goulds, Homestead and Florida City.
Roof Tarping in Cutler Bay: questions we hear
- Is a tarp or shrink wrap a roof repair?
- No. Both are temporary covers that keep water out until the permanent repair or re-roof. After the cover goes on, we write a flat-rate quote for the permanent work that says what is included.
- How long does shrink wrap last compared with a blue tarp?
- Shrink wrap is designed to last up to about a year (a typical lifespan, not a promise), longer than a standard blue tarp. Sun, heat and wind wear any cover down the longer it stays up, so plan the permanent repair rather than relying on the cover.
- What should I do about my insurance claim?
- Photograph the damage, keep your records and talk to your insurer or agent. We take photos before and after the cover goes on for your records. We cannot say what a claim will decide.
- My Cutler Bay home was rebuilt after Hurricane Andrew. Does that change anything?
- The Census puts the median home here at a 1985 build year, and much of the housing was rebuilt after Andrew in 1992. Older roofs can fall under the full 25% rule, so ask your building department how it applies. We inspect the deck before the cover goes on.
- Does my HOA or the city need to approve a temporary cover?
- Whether a temporary cover needs a permit is up to the local building department, so confirm with them. Many newer Cutler Bay subdivisions are HOA-governed, so ask your association whether it has its own approval steps.
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