Citizens Insurance Roof Inspections in Orlando: What to Expect

By the Orlando Roof Inspection team · Updated June 2026 · 7 min read

Yes, if you carry a Citizens Property Insurance policy in Orlando, expect them to ask for a roof inspection, especially on an older roof or a brand-new policy. Citizens uses that inspection to confirm your roof is sound and has enough life left to insure. Pass it, and your coverage stays put. Fall short, and the report hands you a short list of exactly what to fix before a non-renewal lands in your mailbox.

Here's the thing about Citizens: it's the state-backed insurer of last resort, and it has grown into one of the biggest carriers in Central Florida. Because it takes on the homes other companies won't touch, it's picky about roofs. I'll walk you through what Citizens actually checks, which forms you'll need, and how to keep your coverage in good standing.

Who Citizens inspects and why

Citizens doesn't inspect every roof, but in Central Florida the odds are high. Here's when the carrier tends to ask for one:

• New policies. When you first move over to Citizens, it usually wants current proof your roof is in good shape.
• Older roofs. Once your roof crosses about 15 years, expect an inspection request at renewal.
• After a storm. Once hurricane or tropical-storm season wraps up, Citizens looks for fresh damage all across Orange and Seminole counties.
• Wind mitigation re-checks. Citizens may want an updated OIR-B1-1802 form to confirm your discounts still hold up.

The reason is simple. Your roof is the part of an Orlando home most exposed to wind and rain, and it drives more claims than anything else. Citizens carries a huge slice of the state's risk, so it takes a hard look at every roof it covers.

What Citizens checks on your Orlando roof

A Citizens roof inspection comes down to three plain questions: How old is the roof? What kind of shape is it in right now? And how many years does it have left? Your inspector backs up every answer with photos. Here's what we record most often:

• Roof covering and age. Shingle, tile, or metal, plus the wear that gives it away: granule loss, curling, cracked tiles.
• Underlayment condition. On tile roofs especially, the underlayment gives out long before the tile does, and that's a frequent failure point.
• Flashing and penetrations. Worn flashing and brittle pipe boots around vents and valleys are where most Orlando leaks start.
• Active leaks or interior staining. Any sign that water is already finding its way in.
• Remaining roof life. Our estimate of how many years the roof has left, which is the number Citizens leans on most.

That remaining-life number is the heart of the report. A roof can look great from the street and still come up short on life, so an honest, photo-backed assessment is what counts.

The forms Citizens wants: 4-point and OIR-B1-1802

Two reports do nearly all the heavy lifting with Citizens, and most Orlando homeowners just bundle them into one visit.

4-point inspection

A 4-point inspection covers the roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. Citizens asks for it on most older homes before it'll bind or renew a policy. The roof section is the part that usually decides the outcome, so it pays to know where you stand before you submit anything.

Wind mitigation report (OIR-B1-1802)

The wind mitigation inspection documents the storm-resistant features of your home, like roof shape, deck attachment, and roof-to-wall connections, all on Florida's standard OIR-B1-1802 form. This is the one that can actually lower your Citizens premium. Even a roof built back in the early 2000s often has features that earn a credit, so this form regularly pays for itself.

You can see how both reports fit together on our insurance roof inspection page. And for the program details straight from the carrier, head to Citizens Property Insurance.

Citizens roof age rules and remaining life

Roof age is the single biggest factor in any Citizens decision. The exact thresholds shift around, but here's how your roof type usually lines up with what the carrier expects.

Citizens generally wants to see several years of useful life left in a roof. A shingle roof limping toward the end of its lifespan, with little life left, is the most common reason a policy gets flagged for repair or non-renewal.

So here's the takeaway: the older your roof, the more that remaining-life number matters. A solid report can keep an older roof insured well past the point most owners assume it's done for.

What happens if your roof does not pass

Take a breath: a roof that doesn't pass is not the end of your coverage. Most failed reports point to a few specific, repairable items, not a whole new roof. Here are your options:

1. Repair the flagged items. Swapping worn flashing, a few cracked tiles, or aging pipe boots costs far less than a new roof and often satisfies Citizens on its own.
2. Re-inspect. Once the repairs are done, a fresh report shows the roof now meets the standard, and that's what you send back to the carrier.
3. Use the repair allowance. Florida rules generally let you fix part of a roof without redoing the whole thing, so partial repairs are often perfectly acceptable.
4. Replace only if you truly need to. If the underlayment is shot or the roof is genuinely at the end of the line, replacement is the long-term fix, and it protects your future coverage too.

The one thing you can't do is nothing. An ignored report is exactly what leads to non-renewal. A documented fix-it list, handled promptly, almost always keeps you insured.

How Orlando homeowners prepare

A little prep goes a long way toward a smooth Citizens inspection. Before your inspector shows up:

• Dig up your roof's history. Permits, the install date, and any repair receipts all help pin down age and remaining life.
• Clear the oak debris. Central Florida's heavy tree canopy drops limbs and leaves that trap moisture, so clearing them lets us see the roof in its true condition.
• Schedule before renewal. Book a few weeks ahead so there's time to handle any repairs and re-inspect if you need to.
• Bundle your forms. Knocking out the 4-point and wind mitigation in one visit saves you money and hands Citizens both documents at once.

Most roof inspections across Orlando and Central Florida run $150 to $400, depending on roof type, size, and which insurance forms you need. The on-site visit takes about 45 to 90 minutes, and your photo report with the completed forms follows shortly after. See full roof inspection pricing or check the areas we serve across Central Florida.