Wind Mitigation Inspection: How a New Roof Lowers Your Florida Insurance

Florida homeowners insurance keeps climbing, but there’s one lever most Brevard County homeowners never pull: the wind mitigation inspection. It’s a one-page form (OIR-B1-1802) that documents how storm-resistant your home is, and Florida law requires insurers to give discounts for what it finds.

A new roof is one of the biggest opportunities to improve those credits.

What the inspector looks for

1. Roof covering: installed to the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, with the permit to prove it.
2. Roof deck attachment: nail type and spacing. Ring-shank nails at 6 inch spacing earn the top credit.
3. Roof-to-wall connection: clips, single wraps or double wraps on the trusses.
4. Roof geometry: hip roofs earn a bigger credit than gable.
5. Secondary water resistance: a peel-and-stick underlayment sealed over the deck.
6. Opening protection: impact windows and doors, or rated shutters, on every opening.

Where a new roof helps

When Wonder replaces a roof we install to current code by default: ring-shank nails, sealed deck / secondary water barrier, and current drip edge and flashing. That alone typically upgrades three or four line items on the form. If the trusses are exposed during the job we can also add or upgrade hurricane clips, which is far cheaper than doing it as a separate project.

Where impact windows finish the job

Opening protection is often the largest single credit, and it only counts if every opening is protected, including the garage door. Pairing a roof replacement with impact windows and doors lets you take one wind-mitigation inspection afterward and capture both.

What homeowners actually save

Discounts vary by carrier and by how many items you improve, but it’s common for Brevard County homeowners to see their premium drop by a meaningful percentage after a code-compliant roof and full opening protection. Ask your agent to run the numbers with a completed form, and remember the inspection is typically good for five years.

How to get one

Any licensed contractor, inspector or engineer can complete the form. Wonder provides the roof permit and installation documentation you’ll need, and can refer you to a local inspector.

Planning a roof replacement this year? Request a free estimate and ask us to spec it for maximum wind-mitigation credits. Call (321) 802-9100.