Palm Beach Gardens, FL Hurricane Preparedness: Roof Standards (2026)

Section 86-27(b) of the Palm Beach Gardens Code adopts local amendments to Chapter 16, structural design, of the Florida Building Code, which governs the wind loads that roof framing, sheathing, trusses and roof coverings must be engineered to resist. As required by paragraph 1609.3 of the Florida Building Code, the city establishes its own wind speed lines rather than deferring to a single county-wide figure, publishing basic wind speed maps as Exhibit B to Section 86-27 and keeping them on file with the city clerk and the building department.

Pursuant to Figures 1609A, B and C of the Florida Building Code, the ordinance sets design wind speeds by risk category: 160 mph for Category I buildings, 170 mph for Category II buildings, and 180 mph for Category III and IV buildings, which include essential facilities such as hospitals, fire and police stations and hurricane shelters that must withstand the highest wind loads. These design speeds feed directly into the roof-related inspections the city already requires: the framing inspection under Section 110.3(A)(2.3) checks trusses, bracing and connectors before concealment, and the roofing inspection under Section 110.3(A)(3) covers dry-in, insulation, roof coverings and flashing, both aimed at confirming the structure was actually built to withstand the wind speed assigned to its risk category.

Because the city's figures are locally established rather than a single blanket state number, a roofing or reroofing permit application in Palm Beach Gardens must reference the wind speed map on file with the building department for the specific site and building category, not a generic regional wind-speed assumption.