How to reduce your home insurance costs in Florida

Wind Mitigation Verification Inspection Form

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Please call your local insurance company and ask them about an inspection form called the “Wind Mitigation Verification Inspection Form”. And before you hire someone to do this inspection be sure he is on the states list to do these inspections.

I’m sorry to say that some of the people doing these inspections are NOT LICENSED to do them. This inspection can’t hurt your premium but the more things that you have on the form the more money you will save. On an average most people save hundreds per year and the inspection lasts for 5 years as long as your don’t make any Material changes to the structure of the home or the State changes the forms.

Some of the items on the form that can save you the most are as follows: Have the roof covering  replaced from 3/1/2002 or newer and the shingles are not curling, with a roof permit or product approval number? Is your “Roof Geometry” hip or gable? (hip saves you ) it must be less than 10% or less of the total roof perimeter. Do you have hurricane clips or other “Roof to Wall Attachments” on every rafter connecting the roof to the walls with a minimum of 3 nails per end? Another possible deduction is the “Roof Deck Attachment.” This is the nail size and the nail spacing on the perimeter and the middle of the sheet which is called the field. Also “Opening Protection” refers to the kind of windows or coverings and the garage door. All openings must be “Impact Resistant” not just wind loaded. Plywood and homemade shutters are not impact resistant unless they meet the 2004 Florida Building Code with 2006 supplements. This means that the pins that go through the brick to the frame or through the siding to the frame, ply-locks, or any other device is not accepted by the insurance companies.