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Florida Building Inspector Statutes
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I wonder how often insurance companies pay for damages that would not even exist if contractors actually did their work in compliance with the building code and if building inspectors actually enforced those building codes? And....we all wonder WHY our premiums are so high? "If you aren't part of the solution, you're part of the problem."
These photos were taken AFTER our "new roof" passed final inspection.
If you'd like a larger view of the photos click here
Have you ever seen a roof MOVE? Our new roof does. If you like to see it check out this Video How Government Agencies Help To Fuel The Rising Cost Of Homeowner's Insurance Are They Protecting Homeowners Or Just Taking Our Money?
Video The Rising Cost Of Homeowner's Insurance And How Our Government Can Help To Keep Those Costs Under Control
Letters - From City Building Department & State of Florida Department of Professional Regulation (DPR) Regulatory Statute Chapter 489
We’re all aware of the skyrocketing cost of homeowner’s insurance but what can be done about it? It seems that reducing the amounts the insurance companies have to pay out on claims would be a good place to start. No, that doesn’t mean the homeowner should be responsible for more of the costs of recovery and repairs while the insurance companies are responsible for less. It means that insurance companies and homeowners should not be forced to pay for damages that could have and should have been prevented. It means that the costs for damages could be greatly reduced if the building codes were fully enforced but apparently that is not happening. Due to hurricane damage we had to have a new roof put on our house. We hired a licensed Florida contractor. We checked with the State to see if any complaints had been filed against the contractor and found that there were none. We insisted that the contractor’s insurance carrier provide us with proof of insurance. We had a building permit and our new roof underwent not one but two mandatory inspections as required by our local building department. We were very careful to do everything correctly. The roof looked rather strange in some places and that was even brought to the attention of the City Building Inspector. He indicated that it looked fine and although he didn’t even go up on the roof he did sign off on the final inspection. Just a few months after the new roof was completed we began to understand why it looked so strange. When the crew came to demolish our old Florida room and install the new one they found a big surprise. The new shingles had been put on plywood that was water damaged and rotted. We filed a complaint with the State of Florida Department of Professional Regulation. We provided photographic evidence as per their instructions. According to the DPR investigator the fact that the roof did pass final inspection would weigh heavily in the contractor’s favor. Apparently the investigator was correct. The DPR did rule in his favor citing that we had provided insufficient evidence. While getting estimates for another new roof we learned that according to the building code damaged wood is to be replaced. We also learned that situations like this are not uncommon and contractors see it all of the time. So, who is responsible for enforcing the building code? It seems like that would be the responsibility of the City and County Building Inspectors. Who is responsible for taking action against contractors who knowingly violate the building code? It seems like that would be the responsibility of the DPR. How often do insurance companies unknowingly pay for storm related damages that could have been prevented or would be less severe if the construction had been done properly? Does anyone even know the answer to that question? If the insurance companies knew it was pre-existing damage would they even be responsible for the claim? Perhaps the homeowner would be financially responsible for those repairs even though they had faithfully paid their insurance premiums for years and even though they hired a licensed contractor to do the work. Why? The answer is simple, because the contractor’s work was not completely inspected and the building code was not fully enforced. I invite you to examine the roof that had no problem passing final inspection and a portion of the “insufficient evidence” that was presented to the DPR. You decide if the contractor and Building Inspector have done their jobs properly. You decide if this roofing job was done in compliance with and meets the building code. You decide if the DPR should have taken action against the contractor. You decide who should be responsible for the cost of repairs when the next hurricane blows through.
Governor Crist vowed to do something about the rising cost of homeowner's insurance while campaigning. Apparently the Florida building codes are NOT being fully enforced and I have no doubt that does contribute to the high cost of homeowner's insurance. If you think something needs to be done about it perhaps you should contact Governor Crist
Office of the Governor
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