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Often, we get questions about Wind Mitigation Inspections and/or whether or not a client should have one done on their home. Below is some general information about home inspections and the process involved with having them done. For further details or answers to specific questions, we would recommend reaching out to a licensed inspector.
Wind Mitigation Inspections are inspections done by a licensed inspector or certified roofing contractor, that give discounts to clients for certain characteristics related to their homes ability to sustain wind damage. Each Wind Mitigation inspection contains seven sections for which a customer might qualify for a discount on. These discounts are administered on a percentage basis, so while some people may not qualify for the full discount on a particular item, they may get a partial discount for it. These seven sections are as follows.
1. BUILDING CODE – This states if the homes was built in compliance with the Florid Building Code of FBC 2001 or later.
2. ROOF COVERING – The section states when the roof was last replaced.
3. ROOD DECK ATTACHMENT – This is the pattern for how the roof was attached to the trusses, along with the type of plywood used.
4. ROOF TO WALL CONNECTION – How the trusses are attached to the home.
5. ROOF GEOMETRY – The shape of the homes roof.
6. Secondary Water Resistance (SWR) – This is a layer of self-adhering underlayment beneath the shingles. This is an optional item that is put on roofs when they are replaced.
7. OPENING PROTECITON – This is a discount given for homes with certain protections on windows and doors.
The characteristics of the home will determine what boxes the inspector checks on the Wind Mitigation inspection, which in turn determines the amount of the discount that is applied to the premium. Often, clients will say that they have coverings over their windows and/or doors and should be receiving the OPENING PROITECITON discount. However, if the inspector does not fill out that section of the Wind Mitigation inspection, reflecting the proper coverings, the discount is not applicable. Another item to be conscious of, is the fact that Wind Mitigation inspections are only good for five years. This means that you may need to have a new inspection done at the end of the five-year expiration date, to maintain the discount. The good thing is, in most cases the Wind Mitigation inspection is inexpensive and usually costs anywhere from $50.00 – $100.00. While we cant say whether or not it will lower a clients premium, in most cases it does lower the premium enough to offset the cost of the inspection in the first year. Therefore, every year after that is a savings. The savings is only off the wind/hurricane portions of the policy and not the total premium. This means that we must submit the inspection to the carrier to determine the amount of the actual savings. With that said: most new homes will automatically reflect the savings due to the home being compliant with all of the latest building codes, so a wind Mitigation inspection is not necessary. On the flip side, the older a home is, and the newer the roof, the greater the discounts will be. Lastly, the Wind Mitigation must include both the inspectors and the homeowners’ signatures on page 5 of the inspection and must have photos of all applicable discounts attached. If not, the carriers will not accept the Wind Mitigation inspection.
