Florida Certified Roofing Contractor CCC 1334537
Roof tarping trouble, quoted at a flat rate in Tamiami, FL
Roof Tarping & Shrink Wrap for homes in Tamiami and the surrounding area — from our Sunrise headquarters. Free quote.
Tamiami sits roughly ten miles inland from Biscayne Bay, but Miami-Dade's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone wind exposure still reaches its 1970s–1990s concrete block homes with barrel and flat concrete tile roofs. If a storm lifts tile, drives rain under flashing or drops a limb through the deck, water can reach decking, insulation and ceilings. The May–October rainy season brings near-daily thunderstorms, so an open roof gets wet again and again. A tarp or shrink wrap is a temporary cover that keeps that water out until the permanent repair is done. It is not the repair.
Flat Rate Roofing does roofing only. We look at the damage and the deck, then cover the roof with a blue tarp or shrink wrap to suit the roof. We take photos before and after for your records, and we give you a written flat-rate quote for the permanent repair or re-roof that says what is included. The quote is free.
Many Tamiami homes carry concrete tile, and wind can lift or crack tile while the roof looks mostly intact from the street. Wind-driven rain, which is common here with lightning and tropical storms, can get under what remains and soak the decking and ceilings below. Much of the West Kendall/Tamiami corridor is made up of HOA-governed subdivisions and gated communities, which can have their own approval processes, so check your association's rules before work starts. A cover that is fastened properly and carried over the ridge where the roof allows sheds water instead of letting it run in underneath.
Problems to watch for in Tamiami
Tile or shingles lifted by hurricane wind
Hurricane and tropical-storm wind can lift tile, shingles and flashing in Tamiami, leaving bare patches of roof exposed to the next thunderstorm.
A limb through the roof deck
Fallen limbs can puncture the deck on a block home with a tile roof. The hole needs a cover before the next rain.
Rain getting in during the rainy season
With near-daily storms from May through October, wind-driven rain entering an open roof can soak decking, insulation and ceilings.
A tarp fastened the wrong way
A tarp fastened through the middle of the roof, or stopped short of the ridge, can let water run in under it. The cover has to be anchored along the edges and carried over the ridge where the roof allows.
A cover worn down by sun, heat and wind
Tamiami's summer heat and sun wear a cover down the longer it stays up, which is why a cover is only a stopgap until the permanent repair.
Crews and materials in demand after a big storm
After a widespread storm, roofers and materials can be in demand across the whole region. That is a good reason to get a cover on and the permanent repair scheduled.
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 placed where the water is actually getting in.
- Blue tarps, battened at the edgesBlue polyethylene tarps are secured with wood battens fastened along the edges and run over the ridge where the roof allows, so water sheds over the cover rather than under it.
- Shrink wrap for longer coverageShrink-wrap covers are polyethylene film 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 suit your roofCovers are fastened to suit tile, shingle, metal and flat roofs, which matters on Tamiami's mix of barrel tile, flat concrete tile and low-slope sections.
- Photos and a flat-rate quoteWe take photos before and after for your records and insurance claim, then give you a written flat-rate quote for the permanent repair or re-roof. Rotten plywood and fascia replacement is included in the scope, and so is full cleanup.
Licenses, permits and codes in Tamiami
For the permanent repair, the rule in Florida 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 state regulator is the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), through the Construction Industry Licensing Board. Flat Rate Roofing Inc holds Florida Certified Roofing Contractor CCC1334537, a state certification valid in every Florida county that you can verify on the DBPR website. Whether a temporary cover needs a permit is up to the local building department, so confirm with it. A tarp or shrink wrap is not a roofing product with a product approval. For the permanent roof, here is the rule: "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
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and in Tamiami the busiest stretch is August through October. Tarping is needed after hurricanes, tropical storms, severe thunderstorms and fallen trees in any month, and the dry months of November through April are also busy with seasonal residents scheduling deferred maintenance. Our phone is answered around the clock at (954) 775-8990, and the Sunrise office keeps weekday hours, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. You can also request a free estimate with the form on this page. We make no promise about arrival or completion times.
We serve Tamiami and nearby areas including the Tamiami Trail (SW 8th Street) corridor, the FIU Modesto Maidique Campus area, the Miami Executive Airport area, University Park, Westchester, Olympia Heights, Kendale Lakes, The Hammocks, West Kendall, Coral Terrace, Richmond West and Fontainebleau.
Roof Tarping in Tamiami: 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 is done. After a storm in Tamiami, plan the permanent work while the cover is still doing its job.
- Can a tarp or shrink wrap go over my Tamiami tile roof?
- Yes. Covers are fastened to suit tile, shingle, metal and flat roofs. Many homes here have barrel or flat concrete tile, and we look at the damage and the deck first so the cover goes where the water is getting in.
- 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. Sun, heat and wind wear any cover down, so it is only a stopgap until the permanent repair.
- Do I need a permit to put a temporary cover on my roof in Miami-Dade?
- Whether a temporary cover needs a permit is up to the local building department, so confirm with it before work starts. The permanent repair is a separate question, and we pull permits for it under our own license.
- What should I do about my insurance company?
- Photograph the damage from the ground, keep your records and talk to your insurer or agent. We take before and after photos of the cover for your records, but we cannot say what a claim will include. Please stay off the roof.
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