A new roof in Central Florida is priced from your roof, not your floor plan. The price depends on roof size in squares, pitch, material, how much rotten decking turns up at tear-off, and the upgrades Florida code requires on a re-roof. A written, itemized estimate after someone walks the roof is the only real number.
That’s the honest answer to “how much is a new roof in Florida?” Statewide averages blend a one-story ranch in Kissimmee with a two-story tile house on the coast, so they don’t describe your roof.
Why nobody can price your roof over the phone
Nobody on the phone has measured your roof. Roofers price by the square, which is 100 square feet of roof surface, and roof area runs well past the home’s living area once you add the overhangs, porches, garage, and slope.
A steep hip roof with valleys, dormers, and a chimney takes more shingles, flashing, and labor than a low, simple gable over the same floor plan. A phone number is a guess. The estimate after an inspection is a price.
If you want that number for your own house, book a free roof inspection. Tommy walks the roof, takes photos, and you get them whether the news is good or bad.
What drives the cost of a new roof in Central Florida?
Almost every re-roof quote in Orange, Osceola, Lake, Polk, Brevard, and Volusia counties comes down to the same handful of factors:
- Roof size in squares. The biggest single driver.
- Pitch and height. Steep or two-story roofs need more safety setup and move slower.
- Material. Asphalt shingle, metal, and tile are priced very differently.
- Tear-off. How many old layers come off and how much debris gets hauled.
- Decking. Any rotten OSB or plywood that has to be replaced.
- Details. Valleys, skylights, vents, pipe boots, drip edge, and wall flashing.
- Permit and inspections. A re-roof in Florida is permitted work.
- Code-required upgrades. Florida law adds specific steps to a residential re-roof (more on that below).
- Underlayment choice. Standard synthetic underlayment versus an upgrade like peel and stick.
Most of the gap between two quotes lives in the decking, the details, and the underlayment.
Rotten decking is the usual surprise
Decking is the layer of OSB or plywood your roof is nailed to. You can’t see its condition until the old shingles come off, which is why it’s the most common surprise on a re-roof.
We handle it the same way on every job. When tear-off exposes rotten wood, Tommy, the owner, tells you right away and shows you. Most of our proposals already include two sheets of decking or the price equivalent.
Ask every roofer you’re comparing for their per-sheet decking price in writing.
The upgrades Florida code requires
This is the part out-of-state cost guides miss. Under Florida Statute 553.844 (opens in a new window), a roof replacement on a site-built single-family home must include a secondary water barrier and strengthening or correcting the roof-decking attachments and fasteners. In practice that means re-nailing the deck to current standards and adding a layer that helps keep water out if the shingles blow off.
There’s a second requirement for some homes. If the house sits in the state’s wind-borne debris region and has an insured value of $300,000 or more, the re-roof must also improve the roof-to-wall connections, but only when that work can be completed for 15 percent of the roof replacement cost. Your local permit office can tell you whether your address falls in that region.
A quote that leaves these steps out is a lower number for a different job.
Shingle, metal, or tile
Asphalt shingles are what most Central Florida homes have and what most of our residential re-roofs use. They usually carry the lowest upfront cost of the three common materials. We’re certified with GAF and Owens Corning.
Metal roofing costs more to install but holds up to heat and wind for a long time. If you’re weighing the tradeoff, our post on how long a metal roof lasts in Florida covers lifespan, salt air, and fasteners.
Tile gets priced on its own, based on the tile you choose and the underlayment system beneath it, so ask for a tile estimate written for your specific roof.
Whatever the material, residential work should be a full tear-off to the deck. A roof-over layered on top of old shingles can come in lower, but it covers up whatever is wrong underneath. We don’t do residential roof-overs.
Peel and stick underlayment and your insurance
Peel and stick adds to the price as an upgrade. It’s a self-adhering underlayment that bonds straight to the deck, and it counts as a secondary water resistance layer on a Florida wind mitigation report.
That matters for insurance. Under Florida Statute 627.0629 (opens in a new window), residential property insurance rate filings have to include discounts or credits for construction features shown to reduce windstorm losses, including roof strength and roof covering performance. A wind mitigation inspection after your re-roof documents those features. We can’t promise what your carrier will credit, so ask your agent before you choose underlayment.
How do you compare two roof quotes fairly?
A complete Central Florida re-roof quote should answer all of these:
- Is it a full tear-off down to the deck?
- What’s the per-sheet price for decking, and how many sheets are included?
- Which underlayment is named, standard or peel and stick?
- Are drip edge, flashing, and pipe boots replaced or reused?
- Are the permit and inspections included?
- Does it include the deck re-nailing and secondary water barrier the code requires?
- Is the workmanship warranty in writing, and how long does it run?
- What’s the contractor’s Florida license number? Ours is CCC1334599.
On our estimates, the price on the estimate is the price. There are no add-ons at the end, and the only variable (decking beyond what’s included) is priced on the proposal up front. Every full re-roof carries our 5-year workmanship warranty.
Insurance and a new roof
Sometimes insurance pays for part of a new roof. It depends on why the roof needs replacing, how old it is, and whether your policy settles on replacement cost or actual cash value. Our guide to whether homeowners insurance covers roof replacement in Florida walks through it.
If a storm is the reason you’re pricing a roof, start with what to do first after storm damage.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to roof a 1,500 sq ft house in Florida?
A 1,500 square foot house needs more than 1,500 square feet of roofing once you count overhangs, porches, the garage, and the slope. Pitch, material, decking condition, and code-required upgrades then move the price. A roofer has to measure the roof itself before any number means much.
Why do two roof quotes for the same house come in so far apart?
Usually because they aren’t quoting the same job. One may skip full tear-off, leave out decking pricing, reuse flashing, or ignore the deck re-nailing and secondary water barrier Florida code requires. Compare line by line before you compare totals.
What is the 15-year roof rule in Florida?
Under Florida Statute 627.7011 (opens in a new window), an insurer can’t refuse to write or renew a homeowners policy solely because the roof is less than 15 years old. For a roof 15 years or older, the insurer must let you get an inspection, at your expense, before it can require a replacement, and it can’t refuse on age alone if the inspection shows at least 5 years of useful life left.
Is the price on a roofing estimate the final price?
It should be, and on ours it is. Our written estimates are itemized with no add-ons at the end. The one thing nobody can see before tear-off is rotten decking, so our proposals include two sheets or the price equivalent and state the per-sheet price for anything beyond that.
Get a real number for your roof
Burnes Roofing Company is owner-operated, so Tommy inspects the roof himself, photographs what he finds, and writes an itemized estimate you can hold against any other quote. If it only needs a repair, we’ll tell you, and our roof repair team can take it from there.
We work on homes across Central Florida, from Orlando out to Lakeland and the Space Coast.
See how a full roof replacement in Orlando works with us, or call 407-446-9290 to book your free inspection.