Florida Certified Roofing Contractor CCC 1334537
Roof Tarping & Shrink Wrap at a written flat rate in Sweetwater, FL
Roof Tarping & Shrink Wrap for homes in Sweetwater and the surrounding area — from our Sunrise headquarters. Free quote.
Sweetwater sits inland between the Dolphin Expressway, the Florida Turnpike and Florida International University, and much of its housing dates from the 1960s through the 1990s: concrete block and stucco with flat, low-slope and barrel-tile roofs. On a roof like that, a temporary cover is planned work. The cover goes on first to keep water out, and the permanent repair or re-roof is scheduled afterward. Plan around the May-through-October rainy season of near-daily thunderstorms and the June 1 to November 30 hurricane season.
Flat Rate Roofing does roofing only. We look at the damage and the roof deck, fit a blue tarp or a shrink-wrap cover to 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. A cover is temporary until that permanent repair is done. It is not a repair.
Sweetwater has a tropical climate with year-round humidity and summer heat indices well above 100F. Sun, heat and wind wear a cover down the longer it stays up, which is why the permanent repair should follow soon after. The city's housing mix includes rentals, student housing, duplexes, townhomes, and garden-style apartments and condominiums, so a damaged roof may involve a property manager or an association. Florida condos and HOA-governed communities often have their own approval processes, so check with yours before work is scheduled. Barrel-tile and flat or low-slope roofs need different cover methods, and the cover has to suit the roof it goes on.
Problems to watch for in Sweetwater
Wind lifting tile and flashing
Hurricane and tropical-storm wind can lift barrel tile, shingles and flashing on Sweetwater's block-and-stucco homes, leaving the deck exposed to the next rain.
Limbs puncturing the deck
A fallen limb can puncture the roof deck. Even a small opening lets rain reach the decking, insulation and ceilings below.
Wind-driven rain during thunderstorm season
With near-daily storms from May through October, an open roof can take on water again and again before a permanent repair is made.
Tarps fastened through the middle of the roof
A tarp fastened through the middle of the roof, or stopped short of the ridge, lets water run in under it. The cover should shed water over the roof, not under it.
A cover left up too long
Sun, heat and wind wear a cover down the longer it stays on. In Sweetwater's summer heat, a temporary cover should lead quickly to the permanent fix.
Flat and low-slope roofs on older buildings
Many Sweetwater buildings from the 1960s through the 1990s have flat or low-slope roofs. Water can sit on them, so the cover needs to be fitted to that roof type.
Roofers in demand after a widespread storm
After a storm that hits a whole region, roofers and materials are in demand across South Florida. A cover can hold the roof while the permanent repair is lined up.
What we do
- Look at the damage and the deckBefore any cover goes on, we look at the damage and the deck so the cover is fitted to what is actually there.
- Blue tarps fastened 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 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.
- Fitted to your roof typeCovers are fastened to suit tile, shingle, metal and flat roofs, including the barrel-tile and low-slope roofs found around Sweetwater.
- Photos and a written flat-rate quoteWe take photos before and after for your records and any insurance claim. You also get a written flat-rate quote for the permanent repair or re-roof that says what is included.
Licenses, permits and codes in Sweetwater
A tarp or shrink-wrap cover is a temporary measure until the permanent repair. For that repair: "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, regulates contractor licensing. Our license is Florida Certified Roofing Contractor CCC1334537, which you can verify on the DBPR website. Whether a temporary cover needs a permit is up to the local building department, so confirm with them. For the permanent roof, note that Sweetwater is in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone: "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." On the 25% rule: "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." Also: "How it is applied can vary, so verify with your city or county building department."
When to call
Florida's Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and tarping is needed after hurricanes, tropical storms, severe thunderstorms and fallen trees, in any month. In Sweetwater, activity tends to build around the pre-season months of May and June and again after storms. Homeowners and property managers who plan ahead can line up a quote for the permanent repair before the season starts. The phone at (954) 775-8990 is answered around the clock, and the office keeps weekday hours, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. You can also request a free estimate with the form on this page.
We serve Sweetwater and nearby areas, including Fontainebleau, University Park, Westchester, Tamiami, Olympia Heights, Flagami, Kendale Lakes, Westwood Lakes, the Dolphin Mall area and the FIU Modesto Maidique Campus area.
Roof Tarping in Sweetwater: questions we hear
- 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. Either way, it is a temporary cover and the permanent repair should follow.
- Is a tarp a roof repair?
- No. A tarp or shrink wrap is a temporary cover that keeps water out until the permanent repair or re-roof is done. We give you a written flat-rate quote for that permanent work.
- What should I do about my insurance in Sweetwater?
- Photograph the damage, keep your records and talk to your insurer or agent. We take before-and-after photos of the cover for your records. We cannot say what an insurer will decide on a claim.
- Does a temporary cover need a permit in Sweetwater?
- 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 on this page.
- I manage a rental or condo building near FIU. Can you cover a flat or barrel-tile roof?
- Covers are fastened to suit tile, shingle, metal and flat roofs. Sweetwater has many rentals, multifamily buildings, condos and townhomes, so check with your association about any approval process. Call (954) 775-8990 or use the form for a free quote.
Get a free roof tarping quote in Sweetwater
Tell us what's going on. A state-certified contractor will get back to you.