What is a wind mitigation inspection, and what does a roof earn on it?

What a wind mitigation inspection actually is

An hour or so at the house by a licensed inspector, general contractor, architect or engineer, recording how the roof is built rather than what condition it is in. They photograph the deck fastening in the attic, the roof-to-wall connections, the covering's product approval and the shape of the roof, and sign the result onto one state form. It is not a condition report and it cannot fail you: an inspection that finds nothing creditable simply earns nothing. Expect to pay roughly $75-$150 for one in Florida, paid by the homeowner, and the discounts it unlocks are applied by the insurer to the wind portion of the premium for as long as the form is current -- normally five years.

What changed on 1 April 2026

Three things. FORTIFIED Home Roof, Silver and Gold certificates are now creditable features on the form. The form captures region by design wind speed. And multi-slope single-family homes must now indicate roof slope. Any inspection carried out on or after that date has to be on the revised form.

Roof deck attachment

What the sheathing is fastened with and how closely. This is one of the biggest single credits available and a reroof is the only practical chance to improve it — on a pre-2002 home, Florida code already requires the deck to be re-nailed with ring-shank nails at six inches on centre when the covering comes off.

Secondary water resistance

A sealed roof deck beneath the covering. Florida requires sealed-roof-deck underlayment on every reroof statewide now, so a new roof should score this — but only if the inspector can verify it, which is why keeping your permit and your contractor's documentation matters.

Roof-to-wall connection

Toe nails, clips, single wraps or double wraps, in ascending order of credit. On an existing single-family home in the wind-borne debris region with an insured value of $300,000 or more, Florida code requires roof-to-wall improvements as part of a reroof — capped by statute at roughly 15 percent of the cost of the reroof.

Roof shape and roof covering

Hip roofs score better than gable. Roof covering credit depends on whether the product meets the Florida Building Code's wind requirements and whether that is documented — again, a paperwork question as much as a product one.

What to do with the form

It is generally valid for up to five years absent a material change. Get the inspection done after the reroof, not before, and send the form to your agent with a request to re-rate the policy. The credits attach to the windstorm portion of your premium under section 627.0629 — they are not automatic, and nobody applies them for you.

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This page is general information, not legal or insurance advice. Florida statutes and the Florida Building Code change; the citations here were checked in October 2026. For advice on your own policy or claim, speak to your agent, your carrier, or the Florida Department of Financial Services. JAC Builders does not interpret insurance policies — Florida law (s. 489.147) reserves that to licensed public adjusters.