Wind Mitigation Inspection Reports
The state of Florida requires insurance companies to offer discounts to homeowners who protect their homes against damage caused by windstorms. The discounts are offered after a certified inspection is done on your home. Your insurance company or lender do not mandate wind mitigation inspections. These inspections, unlike mandated four-point inspections, are entirely optional.
While optional, wind mitigation inspections can result in savings that cover the cost of the $75 inspection, so it makes sense to have it done. You can never be penalized for having safety features, so your premiums can only go down, not up. The wind mitigation credit is good for 5 years. After five years, a new inspection will be required to ensure you qualify for the credits based on new forms submitted by the Office of Insurance Regulation.
Wind Mitigation Inspectors Examine These Key Safety Features:
A certified inspector will look for specific factors in your home that would make it more resilient to becoming damaged in a windstorm. The inspector will look at the roof, doors, and windows specifically.
- Roof Shape
- Roof Bracing of Gable End
- Roof Deck Attachment
- Roof Covering
- Roof-to-Wall Connections
- Secondary Water Resistance
- Doors
- Protection of Openings (windows and other openings)
The current features of your home will be evaluated to determine how wind resilient it is. Homes in Florida with constructed after 2002, were built to certain safety codes and will most likely save you money. Homes built before 2002 with roofs replaced after 2002 should still have a wind mitigation inspection since some of the roof’s features may qualify for discounts.
You can take steps to safeguard your home and reduce your hurricane-wind premium with a few cost-effective measures; secure your roof with hurricane clips, hurricane-proof your windows, openings, and garage doors with protective wind impact-resistant glass.
Learn more about us at www.JonesFamilyInsurance.com