Florida Certified Roofing Contractor CCC 1334537
The flat-rate roof tarping specialist in Miami, FL
Roof Tarping & Shrink Wrap for homes in Miami and the surrounding area — from our Sunrise headquarters. Free quote.
In Miami, the median home was built in 1976, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and the housing stock leans on concrete block and stucco. A roof opened by a hurricane or a fallen limb may be sitting over older decking. Flat Rate Roofing does roofing only. When you choose who covers a damaged roof here, look for a contractor whose license you can verify on the Florida DBPR website (ours is Florida Certified Roofing Contractor CCC1334537, a state certification valid in every Florida county). Also look for one who says plainly that the cover is temporary and puts the permanent work in a written flat-rate quote.
We look at the damage and the deck first, then fit a blue tarp or a shrink-wrap cover to the roof type. We photograph the roof before and after, and we write up the permanent repair or re-roof as a flat-rate quote that says what is included. A tarp or shrink wrap is a temporary cover, not a repair. Our office is in Sunrise, in Broward County, and the state certification covers work in Miami.
Hurricane season in Miami runs June 1 to November 30, and hurricane or tropical-storm wind can lift tile, shingles and flashing on mid-century block homes and expose the deck. Humid, tropical weather and the hot wet season from roughly May through October mean rain can keep coming while a roof is open. Census data shows only a minority of Miami homes are owner-occupied, and condominiums and HOA communities are common, so a roof decision may also involve a landlord or an association. Check with them early about approvals for exterior work.
Problems to watch for in Miami
Wind-lifted tile and shingles
Hurricane and tropical-storm wind can lift tile, shingles and flashing, leaving gaps that let rain reach the deck.
Limbs through the roof deck
A fallen limb can puncture the deck and leave an opening that a cover has to span, not just patch over.
Wind-driven rain inside
During Miami's wet season, rain entering an open roof can soak decking, insulation and ceilings.
Tarps fastened the wrong way
A tarp fastened through the middle of the roof or stopped short of the ridge can let water run in underneath it.
Covers wearing down in the sun
Sun, heat and wind wear a cover down the longer it stays up, which is why a cover is only a stopgap until the permanent repair.
Waiting after a widespread storm
After a storm that hits the whole region, roofers and materials are in demand, so photograph the damage and call early to ask about scheduling.
What we do
- Damage and deck checkWe look at the damage and the deck before any cover goes on, so the cover is fitted to what is actually there.
- Blue tarps done to shed waterBlue polyethylene tarps are secured 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, with 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.
- Fastened to your roof typeCovers are fastened to suit tile, shingle, metal and flat roofs, all of which you will find across Miami.
- Photos and a written flat-rate quoteYou get photos before and after for your records and any insurance claim, plus a written flat-rate quote for the permanent repair or re-roof that says what is included.
Licenses, permits and codes in Miami
Permanent roof work in Florida is regulated by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), through the Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB). In the words of our site: "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." That applies to the permanent repair or re-roof. A tarp or shrink-wrap cover is only a temporary measure until then. Whether a temporary cover needs a permit is up to the local building department, so confirm with them. Miami is in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, and for permanent roofing: "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 wrap. For the permanent repair, the size of the repair matters too: "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 building department.
When to call
Miami's hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, but tarping can be needed after hurricanes, tropical storms, severe thunderstorms and fallen trees in any month. Demand for roofers rises around storms, and the winter months, when seasonal residents reopen long-vacant homes and condos, are another time to check the roof. If you see storm damage, photograph it from the ground, keep your records and talk to your insurer or agent. Call (954) 775-8990; the phone is answered around the clock, and the Sunrise 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 Miami areas including Brickell, Downtown Miami, Little Havana, Coconut Grove, Coral Way, Wynwood, the Design District, Edgewater, Allapattah, Little Haiti, Overtown and the Upper East Side.
Roof Tarping in Miami: questions we hear
- Is a tarp or shrink wrap a permanent fix for my Miami roof?
- No. Both are temporary covers until the permanent repair. Shrink wrap is designed to last up to about a year (a typical lifespan, not a promise), longer than a standard blue tarp, but sun, heat and wind still wear any cover down the longer it stays up.
- Does a temporary cover need a permit in Miami?
- That is up to the local building department, so confirm with them before work starts. The permanent repair is different: Florida roofing work generally needs a permit from the local building department, and we pull permits under our own license.
- My home is in a Brickell condo or an HOA community. Who do I talk to first?
- Condo associations and gated communities are common in Miami, and exterior work often needs HOA approval. Ask your association about its process for storm damage, and photograph the damage and keep records while you do.
- What should I do about insurance?
- Photograph the damage, keep records and talk to your insurer or agent about your policy and next steps. We take photos before and after the cover goes on for your records.
- Will the permanent roof need Miami-Dade approved products?
- Miami is in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, so permanent roofing products need a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) for that use. A tarp or shrink wrap is not a code-approved or product-approved roof, which is another reason to treat it as temporary.
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