Interested in receiving a FREE Wind Mitigation Inspection through the My Safe Florida Home program? Find out how below!

What is a Wind Mitigation Inspection?

A wind mitigation inspection is a visual noninvasive evaluation of a home or building’s structural features designed to hold up against high force wind. If a home has these protective features correctly installed, they will help protect a home from strong storms such as hurricanes and tornadoes. Having these structural features will also help Florida homeowners qualify for homeowners insurance discounts by qualifying for wind credits. With the rising cost of insurance in the state of Florida, this inspection can lead to substantial savings for homeowners. This is why wind mitigation inspection requests are now at an all time high.

What features of a home are examined with a Wind Mitigation Inspection?

A wind mitigation inspection looks at seven key areas of your home and roof to determine its ability to withstand strong winds and water intrusion. Here is what it includes:

• Construction Year: The year your home was built tells a home inspector how strict the building codes were at construction.
• Roof Covering: The type of roof coverings installed (i.e. shingle, tile, metal, etc.) and the age of the roof gives valuable insight into how it will hold up against high winds.
• Roof Deck Attachment: The material your roof deck is made of (i.e. dimensional lumber, plywood, OSB, etc.), the type of nails used to secure the decking (i.e. 8D, 6D, staples) and how far apart the nails are spaced all indicate what the uplift resistance is of a roof.
• Roof To Wall Attachment: The method used to attach the roof system to your walls (i.e. single wrap straps, hurricane clips, toe nails, etc.) indicates how protected your roof is from lifting off the walls in the event of high winds.
• Roof Geometry: The shape and slope of your roof will have a bearing on how wind will affect your home.
• Secondary Water Resistance: This indicates the type of underlayment material installed between the roof covering and the roof decking.
• Opening Protection: This identifies whether you have impact rated protection on openings such as on skylights, garage doors, windows and entry doors.

The newer and better constructed your home or roof are, the more protection it will provide you against wind damage. And, the greater your wind credits for homeowners insurance will be.

How often do you need to replace a wind mitigation inspection report?

Your wind mitigation inspection report is good for five years. But if you update your roof, a new inspection is recommended to confirm work was done correctly and to qualify for additional wind credits. Many home owners qualify for deductions they may not even know about. A hip shaped roof alone may give you a deduction of 40% off the wind portion of your insurance premium! For more details contact us.

The state of Florida is currently providing free wind mitigation inspections through a limited time program called the “My Safe Florida Home” program. Maverick Inspection Services is an approved inspection company providing these wind mitigation inspections for the My Safe Florida Home program, through InterNACHI. To find out more information, please visit https://mysafeflhome.com/