Florida Certified Roofing Contractor CCC 1334537
Roof tarping trouble, quoted at a flat rate in Key Biscayne, FL
Roof Tarping & Shrink Wrap for homes in Key Biscayne and the surrounding area — from our Sunrise headquarters. Free quote.
Key Biscayne is a barrier island reached only by the Rickenbacker Causeway, and it was devastated by Hurricane Andrew in 1992. If your roof is open or leaking after a storm, that history is a reminder of what wind and rain can do here. Wind can lift barrel tile or flashing, a fallen limb can puncture the deck, and rain can then soak insulation and ceilings. A temporary cover keeps more water out until the permanent repair can be done.
Flat Rate Roofing is a roofing-only contractor. We install blue polyethylene tarps and heat-shrunk shrink-wrap covers, and we look at the damage and the deck before anything goes on. A cover is temporary and is never the repair. Once it is up, we give you a written flat-rate quote for the permanent fix that spells out what is included. Our office is in Sunrise, in Broward County, and our state roofing certification is valid in every Florida county, including Miami-Dade.
Most of Key Biscayne's housing is concrete block with stucco, with flat or barrel-tile roofs, plus a large inventory of mid- and high-rise condominiums. After a storm, a lifted tile or a torn flashing on a tile or flat roof can let wind-driven rain reach the deck quickly. Salt-laden air from both the Atlantic and Biscayne Bay also corrodes unprotected metal, which can leave fasteners and flashings weaker before a storm even arrives. Because HOAs, condo associations and building management are so common here, cover work on a shared building often has to be arranged through them rather than by one owner. Tell us early if your building works that way.
Problems to watch for in Key Biscayne
Barrel or flat tile lifted by wind
Hurricane and tropical-storm wind can lift or crack tile on the island's tile roofs and expose the underlayment. A temporary cover can keep rain off that exposed area until the permanent repair.
Fallen limbs puncturing the deck
A heavy limb can break through the roof deck and leave an open hole. The deck needs to be looked at before a cover goes over it.
Wind-driven rain in the attic and ceilings
Near-daily summer thunderstorms across Florida push rain sideways under damaged roofing. Decking, insulation and ceilings can then get soaked.
Salt-weakened flashing and fasteners
Constant salt air on the island can corrode flashings, drip edge and fasteners. Storm wind can then peel back metal that was already worn.
Tarps that fail because of how they were fastened
A tarp fastened through the middle of the roof, or stopped short of the ridge, can let water run in underneath. Battens along the edges and a run over the ridge, where the roof allows, help water shed over the cover instead.
Covers worn down by sun and wind
Heat, sun and wind wear on a temporary cover the longer it stays up. That is one reason to schedule the permanent repair rather than leave a cover in place.
What we do
- Look at the damage and the deck firstWe check the damaged area and the deck before the cover goes on, so we know 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. 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.
- Covers fitted to your roof typeWe fasten covers to suit tile, shingle, metal and flat roofs, which covers the barrel-tile and flat roofs found around Key Biscayne.
- Photos and a written flat-rate quoteWe take photos before and after for your records and any insurance claim. Then we give you a written flat-rate quote for the permanent repair or re-roof.
Licenses, permits and codes in Key Biscayne
For the permanent repair, the rule is this: "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." The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), through the Construction Industry Licensing Board, is the regulator, and our Florida Certified Roofing Contractor license is CCC1334537. Whether a temporary cover needs a permit is up to the local building department, so confirm with them. A tarp or shrink wrap is not a code-approved or product-approved roof. On the permanent roof, Florida's rule is: "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." Because the rule can be applied differently, verify with the building department. Key Biscayne is in Miami-Dade, so this applies: "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."
When to call
Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, with August through October the most exposed stretch, and tarping can be needed after hurricanes, tropical storms, severe thunderstorms and fallen trees in any month. After a widespread storm, roofers and materials can be in demand across the whole region. Seasonal residents also return to Key Biscayne in the winter and may want deferred repairs handled. Our phone is answered around the clock at (954) 775-8990, and the office keeps weekday hours, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. You can also request a free quote with the form on this page.
We serve Key Biscayne, including Mashta Island, Key Colony, Ocean Club, Cape Florida, the Harbor Drive area, the Crandon Park area, the Village Green area, Grand Bay and Virginia Key.
Roof Tarping in Key Biscayne: questions we hear
- Is a tarp or shrink wrap a roof repair?
- No. Both are temporary covers that keep more water out until the permanent repair is done. The permanent work on a Key Biscayne roof still needs a licensed roofing contractor and generally a permit from the local building department.
- 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 on any cover, so plan the permanent repair rather than relying on the cover.
- I live in a Key Biscayne condo. Who arranges the cover?
- Much of the island's housing is condominiums run by associations and building management, so cover work on a shared roof often goes through them. Contact your association or manager first, then call us with the building details.
- Do I need a permit for a temporary cover?
- That is up to the local building department, so confirm with them before work starts. The permanent repair or re-roof is a separate matter, covered by the licensing and permit wording above.
- What should I do about my insurance?
- Photograph the damage, keep your records and talk to your insurer or agent. We take photos before and after the cover goes on to help with your records.
Get a free roof tarping quote in Key Biscayne
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