What Is A Wind Mitigation?

Wind Mitigation inspections are one of the most requested reports we get today. A number of homeowner's insurance companies here in Florida have left the state or went out of business, leaving tens of thousands of customers scrambling for a new insurance company. Other homeowners are looking for cheaper rates because their insurance rates went up substantially. Most or all of these companies are requesting insurance inspections before binding a policy. One of the most common inspections are the "Uniformed Mitigation Verification Forum" or Wind Mitigation, for short.

When customers are shopping for new or cheaper rates here in the state of Florida, they find that insurance companies are requiring the Wind Mitigation report. They're requiring this report on almost all homes regardless of age or size. So, if you're in the market for finding homeowners insurance, be prepared for this request.

Licensed home inspectors and licensed general contractors are the only two professionals that are qualified to perform this type of inspection. Most general contractors are either too busy or will charge substantially more for this type of service so that will leave you with hiring a home inspector like J. Gregory Home Inspections.

A Wind Mitigation inspection is a very limited inspection so, when performing this Inspection, we look for several items such as:

• Roof permit / roofing material Florida product approval number
• Age of home
• Roof shape (hip, gable, flat, etc.)
• Decking nail attachment spacing
• Decking fastener type
• Decking thickness
• Rafter to wall connections (sometimes called hurricane clips)
• Secondary Water Resistant underlayment (self-adhesive underlayment)
• Hurricane protection/shutters (optional/not a requirement but may receive discounts on you homeowner's insurance if qualified for this credit)

There are a few things to have ready before the home inspector shows up to your home that would help the process go smoother:

• Roof documentation. Such as, contractor's invoice, latest roof permit or documentation for the roofing material used on the current roof.
• Hurricane shutter documentation. If you have hurricane shutters for your windows and doors, show any documentation to the home inspector. Sometimes the manufacturer's labels are missing or no longer visible. This will save you and the inspector's time during the inspection.
• Access to the attic hatch. If there are stored items beneath the attic access, make sure to move these items away so the inspector can access the attic space. Most of the information we gather for this report is in the attic space.

If you need addition information about the Wind Mitigation inspection, feel free to call or email our office. We're glad to answer any question about this process.