Wind Mitigation Basics for Home Buyers New to our Area (HOA, insurance)

[Sunshine Rules]

I've been asked about this topic a couple of times recently, so thought others that are moving here from out of state may not know about Wind Mitigation inspections and their impact on your insurance rates.

Wind mitigation is a Florida home insurance inspection that assesses how well your home may perform during a high wind event like a tropical storm or hurricane.

In 2002 the state of FL legislated that insurers must accept wind mitigation credits and offer discounts based on those credits. A credit is given for having one or more features that may reduce the risk of wind damage to your home. The more credits, the larger the discount on your insurance rates.

In a wind mitigation inspection, the roof is examined for type of roof covering, it's condition and how the roof is attached to the walls (strapping, clips). Hip roofs typically qualify for credits vs gable roofs, as do roofs installed after the new building codes went into effect in 2002.

Windows that have hurricane shutters or other qualifying safety protection may qualify if all "glazed openings" are protected. Also windows that meet specific impact ratings.

Exterior doors and garage doors may qualify for credits if they meet specific impact ratings as well.


A wind mitigation inspection typically takes about 30 minutes and can be done when a buyer has their home inspection done under the purchase contract's Inspection Period clause. Some home inspectors will give discounts if you have both a wind mit and regular home inspection done at the same time, so ask.

If you're not sure who to use for a wind mitigation inspection, ask your insurance agent for a referral to a wind mitigation inspector, as most will have a list of licensed inspectors they refer customers to.

[loves2read]

Also--if you are making an offer on a home, you should ask to see the current owners' insurance status--
it will tell you what level of wind mitigation the current owner has...
There is place on disclosure notice that refers to what the insurance costs to current owner are...
and believe me, if anyone thinks they qualify for more vs less discount because they meet wind mitigation they would try to get it out of the insurance company...

[Avalon08]

I am in the midst of trying to figure out this wind mitigation thing. My mother owned this condo for years; I inherited it and have just moved here full-time. I remember her telling me back in '06 or so that Liberty Mutual would no longer write homeowners' policies here because of the hurricanes.

Anyhow, in looking over her records, I can see that this condo qualified for wind mit credits every year and her policy would be adjusted accordingly. From her notes, it appears she would get the HOA's office manager to fax a wind mit report to the insurance agent and then she'd get a reduction.

So there have been some problems the past few years with the policy being cancelled (I never received the bill, two years in a row) and then the rates going up enormously when trying to get reinstated. So this year I was trying to be proactive and make sure I got the bill paid on-time (again, I did not receive a bill, the stupid insurance company had the wrong address). Anyway, the agent tells me I need a current wind mit report. Apparently the condo association's report is not current or some such thing. So I pay $75 to get an inspection (this is a one-story unit so he was up in the attic etc.) and the agent had deducted the anticipated credit. Later, I get a letter telling me the report did not produce the anticipated credits, so I now owe almost $200 more. She attaches the old report (the one from the HOA) and the new report I paid for, and the answers are different -- e.g., on the roof construction, etc.

My questions are:

Why do I have to pay for a wind mit report, if the HOA gets a report done on our building (4 units)? This is not MY roof, it is owned by the HOA.

How on earth could the answers have changed from the last report to this one? The roof construction has not changed. The reports were done by different inspection companies. However, I used the inspector recommended by the insurance agent. The agency also represents the HOA.

Doesn't the HOA pay for hurricane/wind insurance on this building? Isn't this double-dipping?

I really feel like this whole thing is a big scam. The insurance company conveniently has the wrong address and my bill gets cancelled. But oh nooo, they can't just reinstate me at the same price -- now the bill goes up $400. And oh, each time the annual policy comes, it doesn't include the wind mit credits that it had before, and the owner is responsible for producing a wind mit report so the bill gets reduced. Why doesn't the insurance company have a record that this unit has already qualified for wind mit credits? The company is Universal, btw, but I got the policy through a local insurance agency.

I would appreciate any help anyone can provide in explaining this to me.

[coastal chic]

In 2012, the office of Insurance regulation changed the definitions on the form and revised it. Wind mits completed prior to that had to be reinspected and submitted on the new form; in most cases the insurance companies would not accept any inspections on the old form. Many, many people lost credits due to the new definitions. The biggest one was roof to wall connectors. On the old form, it did not define how many nails were required. On the new form, it defined that a connector had to have a minimum of 3 nails (most homes have two, and therefore lost their credits).

The other problem is wind inspectors weren't required to have any training, so didnt know how to fill out the forms properly, or filled them out fraudulently. The insurance compiles (especially Citizens) cracked down on that too.

Wind mits on condos were expensive for the HOA, but they apply only to the building coverage. You, as a unit owner, have a policy to insure only your contents. If the HOA didn't pay to have the buildings reinspected (may not have been approved by the board), you would be responsible for your own if you want any discounts. The fact that your discounts are different now than they were, is very common. You have no way of knowing if the previous inspector was qualified, and now that the definitions have changed (roof to wall connectors and roof coverings are the most common areas people lose their credits). There's not much you can do about it.

I suggest setting up a reminder on your phone, etc, for your renewal date. Unfortunately, it is your responsibility to know what major bills will be due, and the fact that you didn't receive your bill, is no excuse for not paying. That's how the insurance company sees it.

[yellowsky]

Thanks, Coastal chic, for your cogent explanation.

[loves2read]

Re the nail number to qualify for better status--
can ANYONE add the extra nails to raise the numbers to 3 or more?
Does it have to be licensed roofer?
Can you even get to all the places once the roof is on that would need the additional nails?
Has anyone done it?
In our situation I think our roof is the wrong design anyway so it probably wouldn't do us any good...

[PCHI]

Originally Posted by loves2read

Re the nail number to qualify for better status--
can ANYONE add the extra nails to raise the numbers to 3 or more?
Does it have to be licensed roofer?
Can you even get to all the places once the roof is on that would need the additional nails?
Has anyone done it?
In our situation I think our roof is the wrong design anyway so it probably wouldn't do us any good...

Anyone can renail the hurricane straps. That having been said getting to all the straps can be difficult. Depending on the pitch of the roof and the overhang design plus the amount of insulation in the attic all have an impact on the ability to access all the straps. As a rule of thumb, all straps should be accessible from the soffit, so removing the soffit is generally an easier solution. Also, if a new roof is being installed, prior to reroofing having the first two feet of plywood decking removed can open the rafter tails to then allow for new straps installed or old straps renailed. The three or more rule is for a strap that goes over the top of the rafter and is bent down on the other side. Two nails minimum on the origin side and one nail minimum on the bent side.

Rood design has nothing to do with hurricane straps. Depending if the house is a gable or hip is a separate issue. The 1802 is broken down to basically roof shape, straps, nailing pattern of the roof decking, decking type and SWR (secondary water resistance). All are separate issues.

Condos, generally, are covered in structure by a wind mitigation form preformed for the HOA by a licensed contractor, engineer or architect. The individual unit can and frequently do have wind mitigation forms preformed by a licensed home inspector but is limited to the doors and windows.

Keep in mind also as far as credits for exterior hurricane protection is a all or nothing thing. In other words, the windows, skylights, glass block, exterior doors and sliders and garage door all have to be rated for large missle impact. this get tricky with doors in general because markings and ratings are not always the easiest to prove. And proving is the point. Its not what an inspector thinks, its what he or she can prove through documentation or other means.

[sware2cod]

Your new wind mitigation inspection form should be good for 5 years. Always ask for your own copy (from the inspector) in case you change insurance carriers or in case the insurance folks cannot find the one you submitted. My inspector wanted to send the inspection form right to the insurance agent and call it a day. This is fine to send the completed inspection form to the agent directly, but I requested a signed(by inspector) mitigation form from the inspector for my own records as well. They weren't going to give it to me if I didn't ask.

[d4g4m]

Every house is built according to the code of the year the house was built. The building inspector signs off on the form that code has been complied. Since 1994 every home built has straps imbedded in concrete in the top header for truss tie down. First it was one strap with x amount of nails, then code was updated to have two straps with x amount of nails. Insurance companies know this and the effective year, so why do we have to pay an inspector to verify that the county building inspector did their job? Shouldn't you only need an inspection to prove upgrades after a C. O. has been issued to get insurance credits?

[coastal chic]

The original point of the wind MIT Inspection was to apply for discounts *IF* your home was built beyond code and included features that would help it withstand a storm with less damage.

There are lots of older homes with 3/4" T&G decking, there are older homes with 3 nails on their straps, and there are older homes with roofs replaced with a permit after 2002. All of these things help.

The problem is, MOST older homes do not have these features, but people think because they pay for an optional inspection, they should be entitled to them. No I surance company, that I know, is requiring an inspection.

The age of homes that seem to benefit most are those built in the late 1990's to 2001, and the older homes that have hip roof, T&G decking, and/or a new roof.