A wind mitigation inspection is a licensed inspector's record of the features that help your Florida home resist hurricane winds. It is written up on the state's standard form, OIR-B1-1802. Your insurer can use it to lower the wind portion of your premium. Most inspections run about $75 to $200, and the completed form is valid for up to five years if nothing material changes. The inspection does not tell you whether your roof is worn out. That is a separate question, and it matters just as much.
TL;DR
- A wind mitigation inspection documents construction features such as roof covering, roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections, roof shape, and opening protection on form OIR-B1-1802.
- Typical Florida pricing is $75 to $200. Miami and Fort Lauderdale area pricing runs higher because of the high-velocity hurricane zone.
- The form is valid for up to five years, provided no material changes are made to the structure. A revised version (Rev. 04/26) has been required since April 1, 2026.
- Your actual discount comes from your carrier's own filed credits, so ask for your premium discount notice.
- The report is not a roof condition report. If your shingles are aging, get a separate roof assessment before you decide on replacement.
Table of Contents
- What a wind mitigation inspection is
- The form: what OIR-B1-1802 records
- Who can perform the inspection
- What a wind mitigation inspection costs
- How much you can save on insurance
- How long the report lasts
- What the inspection does not tell you
- How to get ready for the inspection
- Where roof preservation fits
- Our perspective
- Get your roof assessed before you replace it
- FAQ
- Sources
What a wind mitigation inspection is
Florida law requires insurers to give credits for verified wind-resistant features. Section 627.0629, Florida Statutes, also requires the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) to review and update the mitigation fixtures, construction techniques, discounts, and deductible reductions every five years. The most recent review was due by January 1, 2025, according to the Florida OIR Wind Mitigation Resources page.
The inspection is how you prove those features exist. An inspector walks the exterior, goes into the attic, photographs what the form requires, and records the results on the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form. You give that form to your insurance agent or carrier.
The inspection is not a general home inspection. It looks at structure and openings only. It leaves out non-structural items, cosmetic roof issues, and unrelated home systems, as Hope Home Inspections explains.
The form: what OIR-B1-1802 records
The OIR approved a revised form, OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26). It must be used for all inspections as of April 1, 2026. Earlier inspections may have used the older Rev. 01/12 form, according to the Florida Department of Financial Services. The update followed a June 2024 wind-loss mitigation study by Applied Research Associates, as the OIR page describes.
The form captures nine categories, as PBC Inspections lays out:
| # | Category | What it answers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Building code | Which code era the home was built under |
| 2 | Region / design wind speed | Where the home sits and what wind speed it was designed for |
| 3 | Roof slope | The pitch of the roof |
| 4 | Roof covering | The type of covering and the code it meets |
| 5 | Roof deck attachment | How the sheathing is fastened to the framing |
| 6 | Roof-to-wall attachment | Toenails, clips, single wraps, or double wraps |
| 7 | Roof geometry | Hip roof or other shape |
| 8 | Secondary water resistance | Whether a sealed roof deck is present |
| 9 | Opening protection | Shutters, impact glass, or none |
Categories 2 through 9 must be backed by at least one photograph to earn credit, unless other compliance documentation is provided. This comes from the Citizens Property Insurance Wind Loss Mitigation Guide.
Which features tend to matter most
Roof-to-wall connection type is one of the biggest drivers. According to Rates Chaser, hurricane straps earn the most credit, and older toenail connections earn none. The same source says 8d ring-shank nails at 6-inch spacing earn better roof deck credit than 6d smooth nails at wider spacing.
Roof shape counts too. A hip roof earns the geometry credit only if other roof shapes make up no more than 10% of the total roof perimeter. Porch and carport roofs attached only to the fascia or wall are not counted, as PBC Inspections explains.
The roof covering line asks about the covering type and its installation date or permit. This is where your shingles enter the picture. It records the covering's compliance with code. It does not grade how healthy the shingles are today.
Who can perform the inspection
The Florida Department of Financial Services lists the qualified inspectors. They include licensed home inspectors who have completed the required hurricane mitigation training and passed a proficiency exam. They also include licensed general, building, or residential contractors, professional engineers, professional architects, and certified building code inspectors. Your insurance agent or carrier can give you a list of people who meet these qualifications, per the DFS guide on premium discounts for hurricane loss mitigation.
The inspector has to examine the structure personally. The statute prohibits delegating the inspection to employees. The exception is that licensed engineers and contractors may authorize a direct employee with the right skill and experience, according to LegalClarity's summary of Section 627.711.
Before you book, ask the inspector for the license type and number, and confirm your carrier accepts that inspector's form.
What a wind mitigation inspection costs
Published prices vary by region and by whether the visit is bundled with other inspections.
- Florida insurance agencies report $75 to $150 for a residential inspection, per Roofing-IT.
- Another Florida inspection company puts the statewide range at $75 to $200 in its cost guide.
- Regional pricing as of May 2026 shows Miami/Fort Lauderdale at $100 to $175, Tampa Bay at $85 to $150, and Orlando at $75 to $130, according to InspectorData.
For Broward County homes, the Fort Lauderdale figure is the closest published guide. For Palm Beach County, expect a price in that same general neighborhood, and get two quotes. Many inspectors discount when the wind mitigation report is bundled with a 4-point inspection. Our guide on how to pass Florida's 4-point roof inspection explains what that second inspection looks at.
Free inspections through My Safe Florida Home
The My Safe Florida Home Program, run by the Florida Department of Financial Services, offers free wind mitigation inspections to eligible homeowners statewide. Qualifying homeowners in windborne debris regions may also receive up to $10,000 in grants for approved upgrades when funding is available, according to Citizens. Funding levels and waitlists change from one budget year to the next, so check the program's official page for current eligibility before you count on it.
How much you can save on insurance
Savings vary a lot, and anyone quoting a single number is simplifying.
Rates Chaser reports that an inspection costing $75 to $150 can cut premiums by 20 to 40 percent, with savings of $500 to $1,500 or more a year. Another source says discounts can reach up to 88% off the windstorm portion of a policy, according to SaferHome's explainer on the form update. Treat both as ceilings for homes with strong features, not as promises.
Florida insurers must offer credits for qualifying features, applied to the windstorm portion of the premium. On a newer home, or an older home with a hip roof, clips or straps, and full opening protection, first-year savings can easily exceed the inspection cost. On an older gable-roof home with no opening protection, the credits may be small, per FL Storm Pros.
The number that counts is your carrier's. Since October 2023, carriers have had to publish their mitigation discount information on their websites. The definitive answer for your home is the carrier's premium discount notice (form OIR-B1-1699 or OIR-B1-1700), as Roofing-IT notes.
A simple way to judge value:
- Ask your agent what the wind premium is now.
- Ask what credits each feature earns with your carrier.
- Compare the likely savings with the inspection price. One source puts the typical payback at 3 to 12 months, per InspectorData.
How long the report lasts
The form is valid for up to five years, as long as no material changes are made to the structure and no inaccuracies are found on it. The OIR states this on its Wind Mitigation Resources page.
A new roof, new shutters, or new impact windows are material changes. Any of them can raise your credits, so a fresh inspection after upgrades is worth scheduling. If your last form predates April 2026, it can stay in force within its five years, but your carrier may ask for the current version when you renew or switch companies.
What the inspection does not tell you
This is the part most homeowners miss. The OIR-B1-1802 verifies construction features only. It is not acceptable proof of roof condition or replacement, as the Citizens guide states.
So a home can have a good wind mitigation report and still have shingles that are drying out, cracking, curling, and losing granules. The reverse is also true. A roof with a weak form can have shingles in good shape.
Two questions need two different answers:
| Question | Who answers it | Document |
|---|---|---|
| What wind-resistant features does the home have? | Licensed wind mitigation inspector | OIR-B1-1802 |
| Is the shingle surface still healthy, and can it be preserved? | Roof preservation specialist | Roof condition assessment |
We cover the roof condition side in our guide to the roof damage assessment workflow and in our post on what insurers look for in your roof's remaining life.
How to get ready for the inspection
A little preparation makes the visit faster and the form more accurate.
- Gather paperwork. Find your roof permit, the date of the last roof replacement, window and shutter product approvals, and any contractor invoices for upgrades.
- Clear attic access. The inspector needs to see the roof deck and the connections between the roof framing and walls.
- Unlock shutters and gates. The inspector has to photograph opening protection on every opening.
- Point out upgrades. Tell the inspector about anything installed since the last form.
- Review the form afterward. Check that the boxes match what you have, then send it to your carrier and ask for the updated premium.
If you recently had a storm, a post-storm review of the roof is a separate step. Our post-storm roof inspection checklist walks you through what to look for.
Where roof preservation fits
If you live in Broward or Palm Beach County, the sun, heat, rain, and storms act on asphalt shingles year after year. The shingles dry out, and they can become brittle, crack, curl, and lose granules. That wear is what leads many homeowners to think they need a new roof, often a $15,000 to $30,000 job.
Before you commit to that, have the shingles assessed. Some roofs still qualify for preservation. We use Fresh Roof's Green Soy Technology, which is designed to restore flexibility, slow deterioration, and lock in granules. The company reports lab results of restoring 50% of shingle flexibility, compared with about 20% for standard rejuvenation oils. You can read more in our comparison of Fresh Roof and rejuvenation.
We do not replace the wind mitigation inspection, and preservation does not change your form on its own. If you are weighing shingle options and wind ratings, our post on the three checks to qualify wind-rated shingles covers the order to do things in. For the lab-backed side of wind performance, see how to improve shingle wind resistance.
Our perspective
Homeowners ask us about wind mitigation in the same breath as roof replacement, and they are different questions. The wind mitigation form tells your insurer how your house is built. It does not tell you how your shingles are holding up.
We see the same pattern on South Florida roofs. Years of sun and heat dry out the asphalt, the granules start to go, and the homeowner assumes the only answer is a tear-off. Often nobody has looked at whether the roof can still be maintained.
That is why our message is simple: call us before you call the roofer. We inspect the roof, assess its condition, and tell you honestly whether it qualifies for renewal. If it does, you could save up to 80% compared with a full replacement, and the work comes with a 6-year transferable warranty. It also keeps a roof's worth of material out of the landfill.
Get your wind mitigation inspection for the insurance credits. Get your roof assessed for the decision about what to spend on the roof itself. Doing both in the right order protects your budget.
Daniellison
Get your roof assessed before you replace it
If your shingles are aging and you are wondering whether you need a new roof, start with a free assessment. We inspect the roof, assess its condition, and tell you whether it qualifies for preservation and renewal using Fresh Roof Green Soy Technology. Our service is built for homes in Broward and Palm Beach County.
Schedule your free roof assessment and find out where your roof stands. You can also see how our service works, or read about local service in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and Plantation.
FAQ
How do I get a free wind mitigation inspection in Florida?
The My Safe Florida Home Program offers free wind mitigation inspections to eligible homeowners, according to Citizens. Eligibility and funding change by budget year, so check the program's official page. Some insurers and agents also arrange inspections, so ask yours.
How long is a wind mitigation report good for in Florida?
Up to five years, as long as no material changes have been made to the structure and no inaccuracies are found on the form, according to the Florida OIR. A new roof or new opening protection is a reason to inspect again sooner.
How much of a discount can I get?
It depends on your carrier's filed credits, your location, and your home's features. Published estimates range widely, from 20 to 40 percent of the premium to as much as 88% off the windstorm portion, and the credits apply to the wind part of the premium only. Your carrier's premium discount notice gives the figure for your home.
Does a wind mitigation inspection show if my roof needs replacing?
No. The form verifies construction features, and the Citizens guide says it is not proof of roof condition or replacement. For the condition of your shingles, ask for a separate roof assessment.
Sources
- Florida OIR: Wind Mitigation Resources
- Florida DFS: Mitigation Notices, Inspections and Forms
- Florida DFS: Premium Discounts for Hurricane Loss Mitigation
- Citizens: Wind Loss Mitigation Guide
- Citizens: My Safe Florida Home Program
- PBC Inspections: The Florida Wind Mitigation Form
- Hope Home Inspections: Wind Mitigation and 4 Point Reports
- LegalClarity: Florida Wind Mitigation Form
- Rates Chaser: Florida Home Insurance
- Roofing-IT: Florida Roof Insurance Discounts
- Suncoast Certified Home Inspections: Cost Guide
- InspectorData: Wind Mitigation Inspection Cost
- FL Storm Pros: Wind Mitigation Inspection Cost
- SaferHome: OIR-B1-1802 Rev. 04/26