Wind Mitigation Inspection Florida

What the inspector actually checks

The form has seven main questions. Each answer either earns a credit or does not, and the inspector must back the answers with photos.

• Building code. Whether the home was permitted and built under the 2001 Florida Building Code or later, or under the 1994 South Florida Building Code in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone of Miami-Dade and Broward.
• Roof covering. Whether the roofing product and its installation meet the code, usually shown by the permit date and product approval.
• Roof deck attachment. How the plywood or decking is nailed to the trusses, including nail size and spacing.
• Roof-to-wall attachment. Toe nails, clips, single wraps or double wraps. Straps that wrap over the truss rate better than nails driven at an angle.
• Roof geometry. A hip roof, sloping down on all four sides, rates better than a gable roof with flat triangular ends.
• Secondary water resistance. A sealed layer under the shingles or tile that keeps water out if the covering blows off.
• Opening protection. Whether every window, door, skylight and garage door is impact-rated or covered by approved shutters.

How the discount is applied

The credits apply to the wind or hurricane portion of the premium, which in coastal Florida is usually most of the bill. They do not reduce flood insurance, which is a separate policy, and they do not change the liability portion. Each insurer files its own discount table with the Office of Insurance Regulation, so the same report can be worth different amounts at different companies.

The largest credits usually come from roof-to-wall straps, a hip roof and full opening protection. A home that has all three often prices very differently from the same-sized house next door built with toe nails and no shutters. A house with partial shutters gets little or no opening credit, because the form requires every opening to be protected. That detail surprises buyers who see storm panels in the garage and assume they count.

When to order it during a purchase

Order it inside your inspection period. The standard Florida contract gives the buyer a set number of days to inspect, often 15 unless changed, and insurance is the item most likely to blow up a deal late. My routine with a buyer is simple:

• Ask the listing agent on day one whether the seller has a current wind mitigation report. Reports are generally accepted for up to five years if nothing on the roof has changed.
• If not, book it the same day as the home inspection. Many home inspectors are also qualified to sign the form, so one visit covers both.
• Send the report, the roof permit date and any 4-point inspection to two or three insurance agents for quotes before the inspection period ends.
• If the quotes come back far higher than expected, you still have time to renegotiate or cancel.

Lenders need a binder before closing, and Citizens Property Insurance, the state-backed insurer of last resort, also uses the form. Having it early helps with every option.

Who is allowed to sign the form

The form lists who may complete it: Florida-licensed home inspectors who have completed the required training, building code inspectors, general, building and residential contractors, professional engineers and architects. The inspector signs a statement and the homeowner also signs, confirming the information is accurate. Insurers can and do reinspect, and a report with missing photos or wrong answers can be rejected.

Because credits depend on what is visible in the attic, a cluttered or sealed attic can lead to an unverified answer and a lost credit. If you are buying, ask the seller to give clear access to the attic hatch before the inspection.

Older homes, new roofs and condos

Many Florida homes were built before 2002. They may lack code credit, but they can still earn credits for features added later. A reroof under the current code often adds secondary water resistance and better deck nailing, and some roofers will add straps or clips while the deck is open. Ask what the new roof permit included, since the inspector relies on it.

Older homes also usually need a separate 4-point inspection covering roof, electrical, plumbing and heating and cooling. The two reports do different jobs: the 4-point decides whether a company will write the policy at all, while wind mitigation decides how much of a discount you get.

For condos, the master policy covers the building, so a unit buyer's own HO-6 policy depends less on these features. Townhomes and villas that carry their own structure coverage are different, and the report matters there as much as for a house.

Upgrades that can change the form's answers

After closing, some owners improve the report instead of accepting the first quote. The usual upgrades, from smaller to larger jobs, are adding secondary water resistance and better deck nailing at the next reroof, retrofitting roof-to-wall straps where the attic allows access, and installing impact-rated windows and doors or approved shutters on every opening. A garage door is an opening on the form, so a non-rated garage door can cost the whole opening credit.

Before paying for any upgrade, ask your insurance agent to rerun the quote as if the feature were already installed. That tells you what the credit is worth at your company, which is the number that matters. Keep permits and product approval paperwork, because the next inspector will ask for them.

Reading a report before you buy

A report can also be a quick condition check. A roof that only rates for toe nails, an old roof with no secondary water resistance and no opening protection all tell you what upgrades a future insurer may reward. When a buyer is choosing between two houses, I look at the reports side by side. The cheaper house is sometimes the more expensive one to own once impact windows or a new roof are added to the budget.

Hurricane deductibles in Florida are a percentage of dwelling coverage, typically 2%, 5% or 10%, and apply once per calendar year. On a home insured for its typical value of $396,809, a 2% deductible is about $7,936, and 5% is about $19,840. A good report does not change that percentage, but it can make a lower deductible option affordable. If you want houses shortlisted with roof age and opening protection already flagged, that is a practical first filter.