Florida’s Residential Roofers Need to Be Aware of New Legislation Governing Work Performed After a Hurricane or Other State of Emergency

By Adam B. Edgecombe June 13, 2024 Posted in Construction Law Share

Residential roofers in Florida should be aware of significant new changes to Florida law governing work performed after hurricanes and other events subject to a state of emergency declaration by the Governor.

Effective as of July 1, 2024, and pursuant to the updated Florida Statute § 489.147, when a roofer executes a contract for residential roofing work during a state of emergency, the contract must include, or add as an attachment to the contract, certain notice language, extending the 3-day statutory right to cancel the contract to either 10 days after the execution of the contract or by the official start date of the roofing work, whichever comes first.

Unfortunately, roofing work performed following a hurricane or other natural disaster can often lead to misunderstandings between the owner and his or her insurer and the roofer, and such misunderstandings often lead to litigation.  As a result, it is very important for Florida residential roofers to not only ensure that their contracts comply with the new statutory requirements, but that they also understand how to adjust their day-to-day operations to comply with the new legislation as well.