What Is A Wind Mitigation Inspection?

For a place referred to as The Sunshine State, Florida sure has many storms. This is especially true for coastal areas where homes are susceptible to heavy wind damage and as such, require extra improvements to minimize the risk. 

Because of this, Florida citizens should get a wind mitigation inspection to protect their homes while also lowering their insurance premiums. 

But what is a wind mitigation inspection?

In this post, we’ll go over the basics of these inspections and provide you with some of their main benefits. 

What’s the Point of Wind Mitigation Inspections?

Although you may be familiar with the regular home inspection and the 4-point inspection, wind mitigation is often a mystery to homeowners. If you’re wondering what is wind mitigation inspection, here’s the answer:

It’s an inspection performed by a licensed professional, trained to recognize factors in homes that improve or harm the wind resistance level of the structure in question. An inspector performing the inspection must examine the exterior and the interior of a home, including any relevant landscaping elements. 

To put it differently, the point of these inspections is to determine whether your home is prepared for a storm that could cause serious damage. 

While a common misconception is that wind mitigation is focused only on anti-hurricane protection on your roof and windows, it is a lot more thorough. For starters, it may cover all the key components of the building, as well as figure out if the structure is up to code by finding out the information on when the roof and the home were built. 

In addition, the inspector will take photos of all the features outlined in the wind mitigation form, thus accurately documenting their condition at the time of the inspection. All the photographs and findings will be included in a comprehensive inspection report. 

What Does Wind Mitigation Cover?

As stated above, the report will contain different points, so it’s useful to learn what inspectors look for during a wind mitigation inspection. Some of the areas of interest include:

• Overall condition of the roof cover: it goes without saying that roof covering is the first line of protection against winds. This is why it’s necessary to know when exactly were the shingles installed, what’s their wind-resistance rating, does the roof cover meet code requirements, and the method of attachment to the roof decking. 
• Roof deck-structure attachment: inspectors will check the type of roof deck used in the construction (whether it was attached to the overall structure with staples or nails) and find out the length of the nails and their distance from each other. 
• Roof-wall connection: the method of attaching rafter and roof trusses to the building plays a key role in determining the resistance of the roof to strong winds. After all, hurricanes can lift the roof of the home so the inspectors will ascertain whether any hurricane clips were installed, if the roof was attached with wraps, and if they are single or double wraps. 
• Shape of the roof: the pitch, contours, and height of the roof affect wind resistance too, so the inspector will check whether the roof can withstand the prevailing Florida wind patterns. 
• Wall construction: certain methods of framing and reinforcing the wall will have an impact on the overall wind mitigation points you can receive. 
• Opening protection: features such as hurricane-rated windows and doors, impact-resistant glass, and closing shutters can also win you extra wind mitigation points. 
• Secondary water barrier: most modern homes employ a secondary water barrier that protects the home’s interior from water that may penetrate the primary barrier. 

This is by no means an exhaustive list as the inspector will look for additional items that may influence your home’s overall wind mitigation rating. 

Benefits of a Wind Mitigation Inspection

Though not legally required, there are many benefits to having a professional wind mitigation inspection completed. 

The main benefit is that it provides you with an objective overview of how secure your property is. You can use that information to make upgrades that will increase the overall safety and value of the home, and more importantly, prevent damage if a major storm hits your area. 

Furthermore, you can also unlock extra discounts on your home insurance premiums. Since 2006, insurers in Florida have been required to offer price reductions to homeowners who complete a wind mitigation inspection. Also, if you make upgrades to your home as per suggestions in the report, you can save even more money. 

At the moment, most homes in Florida have features that qualify them for a discount. However, without a wind mitigation report, the insurer won’t know about any of them and will assume your home isn’t wind-resistant. 

Lastly, the discounts you can receive typically outweigh the cost of the inspection, so you have virtually nothing to lose. 

When Should You Schedule a Wind Mitigation Inspection?

Most homeowners in Florida can benefit from this inspection but it’s important to note that it’s most useful in the following few scenarios:

• You’re purchasing a new home and want to confirm whether it can survive a major storm
• You’re looking to get a homeowner’s insurance policy and would like to minimize your premiums 
• You already have homeowner’s insurance but want to lower your monthly payment
• You installed a new roof or made other improvements, and you want to confirm whether you now qualify for wind mitigation discounts
• You’re listing your home and are planning to use the wind mitigation inspection as a selling point

Save Money Now!

Knowing what is a wind mitigation inspection and how it can help you is a sound basis for making a wise decision. After all, you rarely get a chance to improve your home’s safety while also saving a sizable amount of money - it sounds too good to be true but it’s not. 

The only question then is who you’ll rely on to conduct the inspection.

To receive the best service possible, choose Certified Inspectors. We’ve been in the business of construction and real estate since the early 90’s, and our track record so far has been impeccable. We’ve helped many homeowners make the most of their insurance policies, and we guarantee you won’t be an exception to this rule. 

Schedule an inspection by calling +1 561-570-6311 or filling out our contact form.