Roof Drain Repair & Waterproofing in Fort Lauderdale, FL

In Fort Lauderdale's high-debris environment, roof drain strainers should be inspected and cleaned at minimum twice per year — before hurricane season in June and after the peak of rainy season in October. Properties adjacent to South Florida's large canopy trees — ficus, oak, mahogany — may require quarterly cleaning during active leaf drop periods. Clogged drains discovered after a storm event should be cleared immediately, before the next rain event adds more water to an already-ponding roof.

Strainer cleaning — removing the strainer cover and clearing surface debris — is a maintenance task property owners or maintenance staff can perform safely. Investigating and clearing drain leader pipe obstructions below the roof surface, or inspecting the drain collar and membrane flashing condition, requires professional assessment. Planet Construction FL provides roof drain inspection and cleaning as a scheduled maintenance service for commercial and multi-family building clients in addition to our repair scope work.

Roof drain sizing is governed by Florida Building Code requirements based on the roof area served by each drain and the design rainfall intensity for Broward County. Fort Lauderdale's design rainfall rate — typically 8–10 inches per hour for peak storm events — requires larger drain capacity than most northern markets. Undersized roof drains are a common problem in older South Florida buildings, and adding drain capacity is often the most cost-effective way to reduce ponding and protect flat roof membranes from the stress of accumulated water loads.

Replacement of a drain body at an existing drain location typically does not require a permit. Adding new roof drains or modifying the roof drainage system's connection to the building's interior drain piping may require a plumbing permit. Planet Construction FL assesses permit requirements for each roof drain repair scope and handles all permit filings where required.