Wind Mitigation Inspection in Florida:
Your Guide to Insurance Savings
One inspection, one form, and credits your insurer is required by Florida law to offer — most homeowners are already paying for wind-resistant features nobody ever documented. Here's how the OIR-B1-1802 works and how to capture every credit you've earned.
The Highest-ROI Inspection in Florida
Here's a number that surprises people on almost every roof we inspect: Florida insurers are required by law (Statute 627.0629) to offer premium discounts for wind-resistant construction features. Not encouraged — required. The catch is that the credits don't apply automatically. You have to prove the features exist, on a specific state form, completed by a qualified inspector.
Without that form on file, your carrier rates your home as if it has none of the features — maximum risk, maximum premium. And since Florida has required stronger construction for decades, a large share of homes already qualify for credits their owners have never collected. The wind mitigation inspection is how you collect them: a roughly 30–45 minute visit, typically $75–$150, that routinely saves several hundred to over a thousand dollars per year — every year the form stays on file.
The one-sentence version: if your roof was replaced after 2002, or your home was built after 2002, and you've never filed a wind mitigation form — you are very likely overpaying for insurance right now.
What the Inspection Actually Documents: Form OIR-B1-1802
The inspector completes Florida's uniform mitigation verification form — the OIR-B1-1802 — which rates seven construction features. Every carrier in the state accepts the same form. Here's what gets evaluated and why each one matters, roughly in order of credit impact:
| Feature | What Qualifies | Credit Impact* |
|---|---|---|
| Roof-to-wall attachment | Hurricane clips, single wraps, or double wraps connecting trusses to walls (vs. toe-nails only) | Largest single credit |
| Opening protection | Impact windows/doors or rated shutters on ALL openings, including the garage door | Major |
| Roof deck attachment | Decking nailed to current code — ring-shank nails at tight spacing (vs. staples or sparse nailing) | Major |
| Roof covering | Covering installed to the Florida Building Code (permitted 2002 or later is the usual test) | Significant |
| Secondary water resistance (SWR) | Sealed roof deck — peel-and-stick underlayment across the entire deck, not just felt paper | Modest but cheap to earn |
| Roof geometry | Hip roofs (sloping on all sides) rate better than gable ends | Modest — can't be changed |
| Building code era | When the home was permitted relative to modern code cycles | Baseline rating |
*Exact credit percentages are set by each carrier's rate filing and interact with each other — they don't simply add up. The ordering above reflects how they typically weigh; your declarations page after filing shows your actual numbers.
What Happens During the Inspection
Three places, with photos of everything, because the form is only as strong as its documentation:
- On the roof: covering type, condition, geometry, and permit history for the covering rating.
- In the attic — this is the part that matters most: the inspector photographs the underside of the roof deck to document nail type and spacing, and the truss-to-wall connections to document clips or straps. No attic access, no credit — the two largest ratings on the form cannot be verified from outside. Clear a path to your attic hatch before the appointment; it's the single best thing you can do to maximize the result.
- Around the house: every window, door, and the garage door for opening protection. One unprotected opening drops the whole category, which is why a $400 garage-door bracing kit is often the cheapest credit upgrade in the state.
You receive the completed, signed 1802 with photo documentation. Submit it to your agent or carrier; the credits apply at the next renewal or policy change. The form is valid for five years — refresh it sooner any time you replace the roof or add protection, so new features start earning immediately.
The Re-Roof Is Where the Credits Are Won
Three of the seven features are decided on the day your roof is replaced — and upgrading them costs a fraction of their value when the roof is already open:
- Roof deck attachment: the deck gets re-nailed to the current code fastening schedule during any permitted Florida re-roof. Done right, this moves you to the strongest attachment rating automatically.
- Secondary water resistance: peel-and-stick underlayment across the entire deck earns the SWR credit and — more importantly — keeps the house dry if shingles are lost in a storm. Full explainer on our underlayment & SWR page.
- Roof covering: a new permitted roof is FBC-rated by definition.
Every roof replacement we perform includes all three as standard spec — and we document them so your wind mitigation form captures the credits the week the roof is finished, not years later when someone finally asks. A new roof without an updated 1802 on file is leaving money on the table every single renewal.
Timing note: many carriers scrutinize shingle roofs from around year 15 at renewal — the wind mitigation form is also the document that shows your roof's permitted age and condition features. If you've had a renewal premium spike or a carrier inspection notice, an updated 1802 is usually the first move, not the last. More on how roof age drives Florida premiums in our Florida 25% roof rule guide.
The Free Version: My Safe Florida Home
If your home qualifies for the My Safe Florida Home program, the state will send a wind mitigation inspection to your home at no cost — and the inspection report doubles as the gateway to grants of up to $10,000 toward the hardening upgrades it recommends. For homesteaded single-family homes, this is the order of operations: free state inspection first, grant eligibility second, upgrades third — each step funded or discounted by the one before it. We broke down the full 2026 program rules in our MSFH roof grant guide.
Who Can Perform It — and the Red Flags
Florida allows licensed roofing and general contractors, home inspectors, engineers, architects, and building inspectors to complete the 1802. A licensed roofing contractor has one practical advantage: when the inspection finds a weakness, you're talking to someone who can quote the fix on the spot — and who knows which fixes are worth it and which aren't.
Red flags, whoever you hire: anyone guaranteeing specific ratings before seeing the home, anyone unwilling to enter the attic, an inspection under 20 minutes, or a form delivered without photos. Carriers reject undocumented forms, and a rejected form saves you nothing. Verify any inspector's license at the Florida DBPR — ours are CCC1332394 and CGC1533052, public record, thirty seconds to check.
Wind Mitigation Inspection FAQs
How much does a wind mitigation inspection cost in Florida?
Typically $75–$150 as a standalone inspection, taking about 30–45 minutes on site. With savings that commonly run several hundred dollars per year or more, it usually pays for itself within the first couple of months of the next policy term.
How much can I actually save?
It depends on your premium, your carrier's rate filing, and which features your home has. Homes with documented hurricane straps, code-level deck nailing, an FBC roof, and full opening protection routinely see wind-premium reductions in the tens of percent — often several hundred to over a thousand dollars annually. The credits are set by each carrier, so the honest answer arrives on your declarations page after the form is filed.
How long is a wind mitigation form valid?
Five years under Florida's uniform form rules. Get a new one sooner whenever you replace the roof, add shutters or impact windows, or complete structural retrofits — new features only earn credits once they're documented on a current form.
Is a wind mitigation inspection required for insurance in Florida?
No — it's voluntary. But without a current OIR-B1-1802 on file, your insurer assumes your home has no wind-resistant features and charges accordingly. The inspection is how you prove what you have; skipping it just means paying the no-credit rate.
Why does the inspector need attic access?
The two most valuable ratings on the form — roof deck attachment and roof-to-wall connections — can only be verified by photographing the underside of the roof deck and the truss-to-wall hardware from inside the attic. Without attic access those features rate as "unknown," and unknown earns no credit. Clear the attic hatch before your appointment.
Does a new roof automatically lower my insurance?
Only once it's documented. A permitted Florida re-roof upgrades your roof covering, deck attachment, and usually secondary water resistance — but the carrier applies credits from the wind mitigation form, not the permit. Schedule the inspection as soon as the roof is finished so the savings start at your next renewal instead of years from now.
You May Already Have the Features.
Get the Form That Proves It.
Wind mitigation inspections with full photo documentation, performed by a state-certified roofing contractor — and an honest read on which upgrades are worth it and which aren't. Serving the Treasure Coast, Palm Beach, and South Florida from Stuart.
Schedule My Inspection Call (561) 970-3626Expert Roofing Services, LLC · Florida State Certified Roofing Contractor CCC1332394 · General Contractor CGC1533052 · 7847 SW Ellipse Way, Stuart, FL 34997. Wind mitigation credits are established by each insurer's rate filing under Florida Statute 627.0629 and vary by carrier, policy, and home; figures above are typical ranges for planning purposes, not a promise of savings. This article is general information, not insurance or legal advice — premium decisions rest with your carrier. Current as of October 2026.