Wind Mitigation Inspections in Florida: How They Lower Insurance Costs

If you live in Florida and own a home, a wind mitigation inspection is one of the most useful pieces of paper you can have. It's a short inspection that can reduce the wind portion of your insurance premium, and it shows which upgrades would help most.

What the inspection is

Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation publishes a uniform form, the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form (OIR-B1-1802), that inspectors use to document a home's wind-resistant features. Section 627.0629 of the Florida Statutes requires insurers to offer discounts and credits for these features, and the Office of Insurance Regulation reviews the discounts periodically. The form was most recently revised in 2026, so make sure your inspector uses the current version.

What it checks

• Building code. Whether the home was built to the Florida Building Code (2001 or later) or the South Florida Building Code in Miami-Dade and Broward.
• Roof covering. The type of covering and whether its permit date meets the form's standards.
• Roof deck attachment. How the decking is nailed to the trusses.
• Roof-to-wall attachment. Toe nails, clips, single wraps or double wraps.
• Roof geometry. Hip roofs generally perform better than gable roofs.
• Secondary water resistance. A barrier under the roof covering that limits leaks if shingles or tiles blow off.
• Opening protection. Whether every window, door, skylight and garage door is protected by impact-rated products or approved shutters.

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Upgrades that can make a difference

• A new roof installed to current code, with improved deck nailing and secondary water resistance. See roof replacement costs.
• Roof-to-wall connections, sometimes added during a reroof. See roof permits.
• Opening protection on every opening, including the garage door. See impact windows vs. shutters and impact window costs. For how shutters are rated on the form, see hurricane shutters and insurance discounts; for the front door, see impact front door costs.

Ask your insurance agent which features would change your premium the most before you spend money; the answer depends on your home and your insurer. Our guide to whether impact windows are worth it in Satellite Beach and Melbourne Beach lists questions to ask your insurer before you buy.

Who can do the inspection

The form must be completed and signed by a qualified inspector. That typically includes licensed home inspectors who've completed the required hurricane mitigation training, building code inspectors, general, building and residential contractors, engineers and architects. Check the current form for the exact list and verify the inspector's license.

My Safe Florida Home

The state's My Safe Florida Home program has offered free wind mitigation inspections and grants for upgrades such as impact windows, doors and roof improvements to eligible homeowners with owner-occupied, homesteaded single-family homes. It has worked as a reimbursement program, so homeowners pay for the work first and are reimbursed after approval.

Funding comes in rounds, and eligibility rules, including income limits, have changed from year to year. Before planning around a grant, check current funding and eligibility on the program's official website, mysafeflhome.com, and follow its rules about when work can start.

After the inspection

Send the report to your insurance agent and ask how it changes your premium. Keep copies with your permits and product approvals, because the inspector relies on documentation like permit dates and product approval numbers.