4.6/5 on Google · 1,200+ reviews online

Tampa Bay

Roof Inspection in Tampa

In October 2024, Hurricane Milton made landfall at Siesta Key as a Category 3 storm and caused major damage across the Sarasota and Tampa Bay areas, and a lot of Bay Area homeowners found out what their roof was actually made of. Our condition inspection is free and comes back as photographs and a written report — and we perform the wind mitigation and 4-point inspections Bay Area insurers ask for.

$0 Inspectionfree

Tampa office

Wind mitigation & 4-point

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Free Roof Inspection

What does your roof need? Pick one to start.

Repair Replace Inspect Storm Commercial Metal

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No obligation. We'll tell you if your roof doesn't need work.

4.6/5 on Google · what Tampa homeowners say

Bonnie M.

Mike Emrich was our initial contact person right after Hurricane Milton. Although we were out-of-state at the time, he was sent to Tampa, and he was flooded with work, he kept in contact with us and was always quick respond. He organized that a colleague would assess our roof so that we would know the extent of the damage and if the roof was leaking or not. Next, he got us in contact with Damian Crawford who organized the scheduling and repairs. We are very pleased with Mike's responsiveness, even late into his evening, and also with Damian and his crew. We would definitely recommend them to friends and will return when we need a full roof replacement. Honest assessment and quality work!

Nov 21, 2024Verified customer

Kim T.

Fantastic customer service. Kenneth was great. Very professional. Found problem within minutes and fixed. Would recommend for repairs and full roof replacement.

Aug 10, 2022Verified customer

Ryan T.

Universal roofing did an amazing job. Everyone I worked with was very professional and polite. They professionally helped me out throughout the entire process. In the middle of summer it only took them a day and a half and I have a wonderful roof.

Aug 4, 2017Verified customer

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A roof inspection in Tampa is a documented assessment of what shape your roof is in — the covering, the flashing, the edges and, where we can reach it, the attic side. Universal performs them free across Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee and Sarasota counties, and you keep the photographs and the written report whether or not you hire us. Separately, Florida homeowners often need one of two insurance inspections: a wind mitigation inspection to document features that may qualify the home for premium discounts, or a 4-point inspection covering roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC. We perform all three.

5112 E Adamo Dr, Tampa, FL 33619

Local conditions

What Tampa Bay actually does to a roof

The Bay's roofing problem is not a constant grind — it is long quiet stretches punctuated by events the roof was never really tested for. Four things drive what we find.

Milton tested Bay roofs in 2024

The 1921 hurricane was the most destructive to hit the Tampa Bay area since 1848, according to the National Weather Service. Then in October 2024, Hurricane Milton made landfall at Siesta Key as a Category 3 storm and caused major damage across the Sarasota and Tampa Bay areas. Many Bay roofs took real hurricane wind for the first time in 2024, and plenty of that damage was never documented.

What it looks like: Anything that changed in 2024 and was never looked at — including damage you assumed was cosmetic.

Flat and low-slope everywhere

The Bay has far more flat and low-slope roofing than the rest of our markets — Florida rooms, additions, mid-century blocks and small commercial. Those roofs fail by ponding and seam separation rather than by losing shingles, and they need a different inspection entirely.

What it looks like: Standing water still on the roof more than 48 hours after rain; blistering or open seams.

Salt air off two coasts

Pinellas, Manatee and Sarasota properties sit close enough to open water that salt reaches the fasteners. On metal roofs it attacks the screws and flashing long before it touches the panels, which is why corrosion inspections here focus on hardware, not surface.

What it looks like: Rust bleeding at screw heads; staining that runs downhill from a fastener line.

Afternoon convection, most of the summer

The sea breeze collision that makes the Bay so storm-prone in summer delivers repeated wind-driven rain against the same elevations. West- and south-facing slopes here take a beating the sheltered sides never see.

What it looks like: Leaks that show up on one side of the house only, and only in blowing rain.

Sources: NOAA hurricane records · National Weather Service Tampa Bay

On Tampa roofs specifically

What we actually find up there

Not a generic checklist — these are the four things our crews write up most often in this metro, and none of them are visible from the ground.

Ponding on Florida rooms

Low-slope additions are the Bay's most common leak source. Water that never drains finds the seam eventually, and the ceiling below tells you months later.

Undocumented 2024 storm damage

Milton damage that was never photographed or written up. We still find it on Bay roofs, and the record matters more the longer it goes untouched.

Corroded fasteners on coastal metal

Screws and flashing give out well before the panels do near the water. It is a hardware problem, not a roofing-material problem, and it is fixable early.

Tile slippage on older Bay stock

Cracked and slipped barrel tile with sound underlayment beneath — worth repairing tile-by-tile rather than re-roofing a whole slope.

Wind mitigation

Wind mitigation across Tampa Bay

A wind mitigation inspection documents the wind-resistant features a home already has on the state's uniform mitigation verification form, and Florida insurers use it to apply premium discounts. Fla. Stat. § 627.0629 requires residential rate filings to include actuarially reasonable discounts for those features.

One caution worth stating plainly: we have seen Bay Area inspection sites cite "Florida Statute 626.0629" for these discounts. That section does not exist. The correct citation is § 627.0629, and § 627.711 governs the form itself.

What gets documented

Roof covering type and code compliance
Roof deck attachment
Roof-to-wall connections
Roof geometry (hip, gable, flat)
Secondary water resistance barrier
Opening protection

Not every roofer can sign the form

Under Fla. Stat. § 627.711(2)(a), an insurer must accept a uniform mitigation verification form signed by a licensed home inspector, a certified building code inspector, a general, building or residential contractor licensed under § 489.111, a professional engineer, or a registered architect.

Universal holds a Certified Building Contractor licence — CBC1258484 — alongside its roofing licence, so we qualify. A roofing-only CCC licence does not appear on that list.

Ask about a wind mitigation inspection

4-point inspection

The four systems your insurer asks about

Insurers commonly request a 4-point before writing or renewing a policy on an older Tampa home. It is not a full home inspection and it is not a grade on your house — it records the age and condition of four systems so the insurer can make its own call.

Roof

Covering type, age, condition and remaining service life.

HVAC

Age, type, condition and whether it's still operational.

Electrical

Panel, wiring type, capacity and any known hazards.

Plumbing

Supply and drain material, water heater age, visible leaks.

The roof section is the one we can speak to directly. Questions about what your policy covers, or what your insurer will do with the report, belong with your insurance agent rather than your roofer.

What you walk away with

A written report, not a sales pitch

The point of a free inspection is that you end up knowing something you did not know before — in writing, so you can act on it whenever you choose, with us or with anyone else.

Photographs of every problem area we find, roof and property
A written condition summary in plain language, not roofer shorthand
An itemised, fixed-scope quote if work is genuinely needed
An honest read on storm damage versus normal Florida wear
A straight answer when the roof is fine and needs nothing

Getting more than one quote? Our roof buyer's checklist lists five questions to ask any roofer before you sign.

Sometimes the answer is “it's fine”

A free inspection that always finds work is not an inspection, it is a sales call. If your roof has years left in it, that is what the report will say — and we will tell you roughly how long you have before it needs attention.

Found something already? Active damage goes to roof repair in Tampa, and a roof at the end of its life goes to roof replacement.

The process

Five steps. Zero surprises.

The same streamlined process on every roof — from an accurate quote to an impeccable installation.

1
Schedule Your Visit
Book online or call — we arrive on time, ready to listen.
2
Personal Consultation
Your goals, your budget, and the right materials for you.
3
Inspection & Quote
Photos, a written report, and a transparent quote that holds.
4
Convenient Scheduling
The install lands on your calendar, not ours. No surprises.
5
Expert Installation
A trained crew, a clean yard, and a roof installation done right.

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Where we inspect

Roof inspections across Tampa Bay

Free condition inspections throughout Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee and Sarasota counties, from our office at 5112 E Adamo Dr, Tampa, FL 33619.

St. Petersburg Brandon Clearwater Riverview Lakeland Sarasota Wesley Chapel

Outside Tampa Bay? See roof inspections across Florida, or pick another service area.

Tampa roof inspection questions

How much does a roof inspection cost in Tampa?

Our roof condition inspection is free across Tampa Bay — Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee and Sarasota — including flat and low-slope roofs, and the photos and written report are yours either way. Wind mitigation and 4-point inspections for your insurer are separate services.

Do you inspect flat and low-slope roofs?

Yes. The Bay has far more flat roofing than our other metros — Florida rooms, additions, mid-century blocks and small commercial — and those roofs fail by ponding and seam separation rather than by losing shingles. They need a different inspection, and we do that work in-house.

My roof came through Milton fine. Should I still get it looked at?

Worth doing. Many Bay roofs took real hurricane wind for the first time in 2024, and one of the most common things we find is damage that looked cosmetic at the time and was never documented. Seal strips break without the shingle moving; fasteners back out; flashing shifts. None of that is visible from the ground.

Why does wind mitigation matter in Sarasota?

Coastal exposure and 2024 both play into it. The inspection documents features a home already has, on the state's uniform form, and Fla. Stat. § 627.0629 requires residential rate filings to include actuarially reasonable discounts for them.

Can a roofing company perform a wind mitigation inspection?

Only certain licence types can sign the form. Fla. Stat. § 627.711(2)(a) lists licensed home inspectors, certified building code inspectors, general, building or residential contractors licensed under § 489.111, professional engineers, and registered architects. Universal holds a Certified Building Contractor licence, CBC1258484, so we qualify — a roofing-only CCC licence does not appear on that list.

Which Bay Area cities do you cover?

St. Petersburg, Brandon, Clearwater, Riverview, Lakeland, Sarasota, Wesley Chapel and the surrounding communities, from our office on Adamo Drive in Tampa.

Find out what your Tampa roof actually needs — free

Photos, a written condition report, and an honest answer. If your roof is fine, we'll tell you that too.