How Much Can a Wind Mitigation Inspection Save on SWFL Homeowners Insurance?

Florida homeowners insurance premiums have climbed sharply for most Southwest Florida families over the last few years. A wind mitigation inspection is one of the few things you can do in an afternoon that pushes the number the other way. Here is what it can realistically save, what the inspector is looking for, and who should bother.

How the discount works

Florida law requires every residential insurer to offer premium credits for construction features that reduce hurricane damage. The credits apply to the windstorm portion of your premium, which in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and Punta Gorda is usually the biggest slice of the bill. To claim them, you submit a completed Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form (OIR-B1-1802) filled out by a licensed inspector, with photos of each feature.

No form, no credits. Carriers don’t apply them automatically, and they don’t send someone out to check. The burden is on you.

What it can save

Every carrier files its own credit table, so there’s no single number. In practice, homes we inspect in Lee and Collier County fall into three groups:

• Built 2002 or later, hip roof, impact windows or shutters on every opening. These homes qualify for close to the maximum credits. Annual savings in the high hundreds to low thousands are common, and the inspection pays for itself in the first month.
• Built 2002 or later, gable roof, partial or no opening protection. Still worthwhile. The building-code credit alone is significant, and roof-to-wall clips or straps add to it.
• Built before 2002 with the original roof and no shutters. Credits are smaller, but a new roof installed under the current code changes everything. If you’ve re-roofed since 2002, get the inspection. Many owners of older Cape Coral homes are leaving real money on the table because their wind mit was done before the new roof went on.

The report is good for five years. If it’s been longer than that, or you’ve replaced the roof, added shutters, or installed impact windows since your last one, you need a new form to get the credit.

The seven things on the form

The inspection takes 30 to 45 minutes and requires attic access. We photograph and document:

1. Building code – permit date of the original construction. Homes permitted on or after March 1, 2002 (the 2001 Florida Building Code) get the base credit.
2. Roof covering – whether the current roof was permitted under the current code, with the permit date and product approval if available.
3. Roof deck attachment – the size and spacing of the nails holding the decking down, measured in the attic. 8d nails at 6 inches or closer is the top rating.
4. Roof-to-wall attachment – how the trusses connect to the walls: toe nails (lowest credit), clips, single wraps, or double wraps (highest).
5. Roof geometry – a hip roof, where every side slopes down, earns a large credit. To qualify, non-hip sections can’t exceed 10 percent of the roof perimeter.
6. Secondary water resistance – a self-adhering underlayment or sealed deck seams under the roof covering. Common on roofs replaced after Hurricane Ian; many roofers include it now.
7. Opening protection – impact-rated glass or code-approved shutters on all openings, including garage doors and skylights. One unprotected window drops you to the lower tier, which is the most common way homeowners miss this credit.

Common reasons people miss credits

• The previous wind mit was done before the new roof, shutters, or windows were installed.
• Shutters exist but the inspector couldn’t verify the rating labels, so they were marked as non-compliant.
• Garage door isn’t wind-rated, so the whole house loses the opening protection credit.
• The attic wasn’t accessible, so roof deck and roof-to-wall attachment were marked “unknown,” which earns nothing.
• The homeowner never sent the form to the agent.

Before we arrive, it helps to have any roof permits, shutter or window invoices, and product approval numbers handy. They can move an item from “unknown” to “verified.”

Who should get one

• Anyone whose last wind mitigation report is more than five years old, or who has never had one.
• Anyone who has replaced the roof, garage door, windows, or added shutters since the last report.
• Buyers closing on a home. Get it done during the home inspection so your first policy is priced right from day one.
• Anyone shopping carriers. A current 1802 form lets every agent quote you accurately.

What it costs

Wind mitigation is one of the least expensive inspections we do, and it’s often combined with a 4-point on the same visit. See our current services and fees. Compare that against your windstorm premium and the math is rarely close.

Schedule a wind mitigation inspection

Brick and Mortar Inspections provides wind mitigation inspections in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, North Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres, Bonita Springs, Estero, Naples, Punta Gorda, and Port Charlotte. Call or text 239-560-8611 or request an inspection online. You’ll have the completed OIR-B1-1802 form the same day, ready to send to your agent. Not sure whether you need this or a 4-point? Here’s the difference.