By The Roofing Brief Team. Last reviewed: October 2026.
The florida roofing market picture turned mixed on Sunday, June 14, 2026, when Adams and Reese partner and Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association general counsel Trent Cotney published his mid-year analysis on Roofers Coffee Shop, naming “the Florida residential market” among the sectors where “things aren’t as good” heading into the second half of 2026.
What happened
Cotney, who is general counsel to FRSA, listed data centers, military and federal work and commercial roofing as stronger areas, “even some residential markets,” in the same piece. He also said that higher fuel costs have roughly doubled fleet and shipping costs for roofers. His full credentials are at Adams and Reese.
The piece, as published, does not itemize causes for the Florida residential weakness and does not discuss interest rates or insurance. The Florida insurance context below comes from statutes and carrier sources, not from Cotney. For national numbers, see the 2026 State of Roofing Insurance report.
| If you are | Then the June 14 analysis points to |
|---|---|
| A Florida homeowner planning a reroof in the next 12 months | Weaker residential demand, which may leave room to collect three written bids; this is an inference, not a Cotney forecast. |
| A Florida residential contractor | Cotney names the segment as weak; commercial, data-center and federal work are the sectors he calls stronger. |
| A supplier or distributor | No inventory or price forecast appears in the piece; watch Florida order trends against national ones before changing stock levels. |
| A contractor with an open insurance claim file | The claim rules did not soften with the market; see the AOB section below. |
Why it matters
For Florida homeowners, Cotney’s June 14, 2026 demand comment suggests easier scheduling and more time to compare bids when no emergency timeline applies, an inference rather than a forecast. The cost ranges in our Florida cost guide remain the reference for judging any quote.
For Florida roofing contractors, a weaker residential segment raises the value of commercial reroofs, maintenance contracts and long-form customer education over storm-driven volume. For the national claims context, see the 2026 Severe Weather Roof Damage Report.
The Florida insurance context
Citizens Property Insurance Corporation is Florida’s state-backed insurer, and carrier rate filings are public at floir.gov. Policy availability and premiums affect when homeowners schedule reroofs, but this page has not verified any specific market-share or premium figure.
On assignment of benefits, SB 2-A (December 2022) made a post-loss assignment void on residential and commercial property policies issued on or after January 1, 2023 under s. 627.7152(13), Florida Statutes, which removed a storm-claim channel for contractors on those policies. The full AOB reform explainer covers the practical effects.
What it means for homeowners shopping for a roof
Three practical moves apply to a Florida reroof in the next 12 months.
First, verify the license. Anyone selling a residential roof in Florida should hold a Certified Roofing Contractor license from the Construction Industry Licensing Board, which the Florida DBPR license search shows by name or number. The Florida licensing process and how to verify a contractor covers the lookup steps.
Second, get three written bids and compare scope line by line: underlayment specification, ridge venting and warranty terms. Use the contractor selection checklist.
Third, run the numbers. The current Florida cost ranges for asphalt, metal, and tile and the national average roof replacement cost give a sanity check against any off-market quote; our 2026 roofing cost report puts architectural asphalt at $5 to $8 per sq ft installed. For storm-prone counties, weigh a hurricane-rated upgrade against the wind mitigation credits your insurer actually offers.
For an active claim that the carrier is disputing, the guides to what to do after a claim denial and how actual cash value versus replacement cost settles remain the starting point, and any suit against the carrier needs a 10-business-day notice of intent filed through the Department of Financial Services under s. 627.70152(3).
What it means for contractors
Cotney’s piece does not lay out a contractor playbook, so the following is editorial: keep crews on commercial reroofs, maintenance contracts and property management portfolios where he sees stronger demand, hold price discipline on residential bids, and build homeowner education content rather than chasing storm leads. See the 2026 Hail and Storm Loss Database for storm-event data.
Sources and further reading
Cotney’s mid-year commentary is at Roofers Coffee Shop. His profile is at Adams and Reese, and FRSA resources are at floridaroof.com. Citizens policy information is at citizensfla.com, and Florida Office of Insurance Regulation filings are at floir.gov.