The cheapest credit most Florida homeowners skip

There is one inspection in Florida that reliably pays for itself, and a surprising number of homeowners have never had it done.

A wind mitigation inspection documents the features of your home that resist hurricane damage. An inspector spends an hour or two on site, fills out a standardized state form, and your carrier applies credits based on what that form shows. That is the whole process. The form is valid for five years, and Florida law requires carriers to honor the credits it documents.

What the inspector is looking for

The form — Florida's OIR-B1-1802 — walks through seven construction features. Each one either earns a credit or it doesn't, and the inspector has to photograph the evidence.

• Roof covering — whether your shingles, tile, or metal roof was installed to current building code. A roof permitted after 2001 under the Florida Building Code generally qualifies on its own.
• Roof deck attachment — the size and spacing of the nails holding the plywood deck to the trusses. Bigger nails, closer together, better credit.
• Roof-to-wall connection — how the roof structure is tied to the walls. Toe nails are the weakest; clips are better; single and double wraps are the strongest and earn the most.
• Roof geometry — a hip roof (slopes on all sides) sheds wind better than a gable roof and earns a meaningful credit on its own.
• Secondary water resistance — a sealed membrane beneath the roof covering that keeps water out even if the covering fails.
• Opening protection — impact-rated glass or shutters rated for windborne debris, on every opening. Partial protection earns partial or no credit, which is why the last unprotected window matters.

Why this beats chasing small discounts

Most insurance discounts shave a few dollars off the small parts of the bill. Wind mitigation credits attach to the wind portion of a Florida homeowners premium — which is the largest component of the bill in most of the state. Credits applied against the biggest line item produce savings that are meaningful rather than token. Homes with a newer roof, hip geometry, and full opening protection routinely see the strongest reductions.

The inspection itself typically costs less than the first month of savings. If your last one is more than five years old, or you have never had one, the math almost always favors booking it.

When to get a new inspection even if yours hasn't expired

The form documents the house as it stood on inspection day. If any of these have happened since, a new form can unlock credits your carrier is not currently applying:

• You replaced the roof — this is the big one. A re-roof changes the covering answer and usually the deck attachment answer at the same time.
• You added impact windows, impact doors, or rated shutters — including a rated garage door.
• You bought the house and inherited the seller's old form, or no form at all.
• Your carrier changed at renewal and the new carrier never received the form.

That last one is quiet and common. Credits do not always follow you automatically from carrier to carrier. When we move a client to a better market at renewal, part of the checklist is making sure the wind mitigation form moved too.

How to actually do this

Book a licensed inspector — general inspectors, roofing contractors with the right license, and dedicated wind mitigation firms all offer it. Expect roughly an hour on site, with attic access required, and the completed 1802 form with photos a day or two later.

Then send the form to your agent. This is where working with an independent agency earns its keep: we file the form with your current carrier, confirm each credit actually lands on the renewal, and keep the form on file so it follows you if we ever move your policy to a stronger market.

What it will not do

A wind mitigation inspection is not a repair mandate and it is not an underwriting inspection. The inspector is not looking for reasons to cancel your policy — a different inspection, the four-point, serves that role for older homes. The 1802 exists only to document credits. The worst realistic outcome is that your home earns nothing new and you are out the modest inspection fee.

If your premium went up this year — and if you own a home in Broward or Palm Beach County, it probably did — this is the first lever to pull before shopping carriers. It is also worth reading what is actually driving Florida premiums, because the credits work best as part of a renewal strategy rather than a one-off.

Talk it through

Send us your current declarations page and your last wind mitigation form, if you have one. We will tell you whether a new inspection is likely to move your number, and by roughly how much, before you spend anything. Request a review here or call (561) 503-2696.