Florida Certified Roofing Contractor CCC 1334537
Roof tarping trouble, quoted at a flat rate in Surfside, FL
Roof Tarping & Shrink Wrap for homes in Surfside and the surrounding area — from our Sunrise headquarters. Free quote.
Surfside sits on a barrier island between the Atlantic and Biscayne Bay, so when a storm opens a roof here, wind, rain and salt air all reach the building at once. If you have a leak, missing tile or shingles, or a limb through the deck, a temporary cover (a blue tarp or shrink wrap) keeps water out until the permanent repair. The cover is temporary. It is not the repair.
Flat Rate Roofing does roofing only. We look at the damage and the deck, put a cover on to suit your roof type, and take photos for your records. Then we give you a written flat-rate quote for the permanent repair or re-roof that says what is included. Many Surfside buildings are mid-century concrete block with stucco, and many are low-rise apartments or condo towers. The cover has to be planned for the roof you actually have.
Constant salt air on the oceanfront speeds corrosion of exterior metal, which can include flashing and fasteners at the edges of a roof. Hurricane season (June through November) brings high wind that can lift tile, shingles and flashing. In a densely built beachside town, with low-rise buildings and condo towers close together, an open roof lets rain soak decking, insulation and ceilings quickly. Since the 2021 Champlain Towers South collapse, residents have been looking more closely at building maintenance, so a clear record of damage and a clear plan for the permanent repair matter.
Problems to watch for in Surfside
Wind-lifted tile, shingles or flashing
Hurricane and tropical-storm wind can lift roofing and leave openings in the roof. Those openings let water into the home with the next rain.
Limbs puncturing the deck
A fallen limb can break through the roof deck. The hole needs a cover quickly so rain does not reach the rooms below.
Wind-driven rain through an open roof
Florida's near-daily summer thunderstorms can push rain sideways into a damaged roof. It can soak decking, insulation and ceilings.
Tarps fastened the wrong way
A tarp fastened through the middle of the roof, or one that stops short of the ridge, can let water run in underneath it. Edge battens and a run over the ridge, where the roof allows, help water shed over the cover.
Sun, heat and wind wearing down a cover
In Surfside's hot, humid climate, any cover wears down the longer it stays up. That is one more reason to move on to the permanent repair.
Crews in demand after a widespread storm
When a storm hits a whole region, roofers and materials can be hard to get. Getting the damage documented and a quote in hand early helps you plan.
What we do
- Look at the damage and the deck firstBefore any cover goes on, we look at the damage and the deck underneath. That tells us what the cover has to protect and what the permanent repair will involve.
- Blue tarps done to shed waterBlue polyethylene tarps are secured with wood battens fastened along the edges and run over the ridge where the roof allows. Water sheds over the cover rather than under it.
- Shrink wrap for longer coveragePolyethylene 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.
- Fastened to suit your roofCovers are fastened to suit tile, shingle, metal and flat roofs. That covers the range of roofs on Surfside's older homes and low-rise buildings.
- Photos and a written flat-rate quoteWe take photos before and after for your records and your insurance claim. You also get a written flat-rate quote for the permanent repair or re-roof. Rotten plywood and fascia replacement are included in the scope, and the quote itself is free.
Licenses, permits and codes in Surfside
For the permanent repair, here is the rule in the words we use on this 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." The regulator is the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), through the Construction Industry Licensing Board. Our license is Florida Certified Roofing Contractor CCC1334537, a state certification you can verify on the DBPR website. Whether a temporary cover needs a permit is up to the building department that covers Surfside, so confirm it with them. A tarp or shrink wrap is not a code-approved or product-approved roof. Product approvals apply to the permanent roofing products. Surfside is in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, and the rule for those products reads: "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." 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, but tarping is needed in any month after a hurricane, tropical storm, severe thunderstorm or fallen tree. Repair demand in Surfside also rises during the winter season, when seasonal residents return, so a leak found on arrival is worth acting on. The phone at (954) 775-8990 is answered around the clock. Our 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 do not promise arrival or completion times.
We serve Surfside and nearby areas including Bal Harbour, Bay Harbor Islands, North Beach (Miami Beach), Miami Beach, Sunny Isles Beach, Indian Creek, North Miami, Miami Shores and Aventura.
Roof Tarping in Surfside: 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 is done. Plan the permanent repair or re-roof while the cover is up.
- How long does shrink wrap last compared with a tarp?
- Shrink wrap is designed to last up to about a year (a typical lifespan, not a promise), longer than a standard blue tarp. Surfside's sun, heat and wind wear on any cover, so it should not replace the permanent repair.
- I live in a Surfside condo. Who should I contact first?
- Condo associations are common in Surfside, so let your association or management know about the damage. Whether the roof is a shared element is something to confirm with them. Photograph the damage you can see from the ground or inside, and keep records.
- Does a temporary cover need a permit?
- That is up to the local building department, so confirm with the department that covers Surfside before work starts. The permanent repair is a separate matter, and for that, the rule quoted above applies.
- What should I do about my insurance claim?
- Photograph the damage from the ground or inside, keep records and receipts, and talk to your insurer or agent. We take photos before and after the cover goes on, which you can use for your records. We cannot say what an insurer will decide.
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