Florida homeowners
Your house may already qualify for credits you've never claimed
Florida requires carriers to discount your premium for features that help your home survive a hurricane. You only get them if you prove them. Here's roughly what yours are worth.
Homeowners policy only, before escrow.
Your home's features
0 of 6These are the exact sections an inspector fills out on the state's 1802 form. “I don't know” is a fine answer. That's what the inspection is for.
Add your premium, your area, and all 6 features to continue.
What the inspector actually checks
Three of the 1802 form's questions describe construction details most homeowners have never seen. Here is what each one looks like, and why it matters in a hurricane.
Roof shape: hip vs. gable
A hip roof slopes down on all four sides, so wind flows over it from any direction. A gable roof has flat, triangular end walls that catch wind like a sail. Only a hip roof earns the roof-shape credit.
Roof-to-wall attachment: how the trusses hold on
In the attic, an inspector looks at where each truss meets the top of the wall. Nails driven in at an angle (toe nails) earn nothing. Metal connectors earn credits, and the more completely the metal wraps the truss, the bigger the credit. This is usually the single largest line on the form.
Roof deck attachment: the nailing pattern
The plywood deck is what everything else rides on. Larger 8d nails spaced 6 inches or closer along every truss hold the deck through far higher winds than the small nails and wide spacing used decades ago. Only an inspector in the attic can confirm which pattern your home has.
Diagrams are simplified for illustration. Your inspector documents the actual hardware with photographs on the OIR-B1-1802 form.
Wind mitigation credits at a glance
- Florida law requires insurers to offer premium discounts for construction features that reduce hurricane wind damage (s. 627.0629, Florida Statutes).
- Credits are documented on the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form (OIR-B1-1802), completed by a licensed inspector.
- Homes built to the 2001 Florida Building Code or later are automatically eligible for a minimum 68% discount on the windstorm portion of the premium, per the Florida DFS consumer guide (July 2025 edition).
- A wind mitigation inspection typically costs $75-$175 in Florida and the report stays valid for five years.
- Mitigation credits apply to the wind portion of your premium, not the whole bill, so the same features save more near the coast than inland.
Wind mitigation, explained
- What is a wind mitigation inspection?
- An inspector walks your home, goes into the attic, and fills out a state form called the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form (OIR-B1-1802). It documents six things: your roof covering, roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall attachment, roof shape, secondary water resistance, and opening protection. You send the completed form to your insurance agent, and the carrier applies whatever credits your home qualifies for.
- How much does a wind mitigation inspection cost?
- Commonly somewhere in the range of $75 to $175 in Florida, and the report stays valid for five years. For most homes the credits recover that in the first year, though not every home qualifies for enough credit to make it worthwhile. A house with toe-nailed trusses, a gable roof and no shutters may find little to claim.
- Can I get a wind mitigation inspection for free?
- Sometimes. The state's My Safe Florida Home program (MySafeFLHome.com) has offered free wind mitigation inspections to eligible homeowners when the legislature funds it, along with matching grants for hardening upgrades. Funding comes and goes by budget year, so check the program site for current availability. Otherwise expect to pay roughly $75 to $150 for a standalone inspection, a little more in coastal markets.
- Which wind mitigation feature saves the most?
- Usually roof-to-wall attachment and opening protection. Double wraps or single wraps on the trusses carry the heaviest weight on the form, and full hurricane-rated protection on every opening is close behind. Roof shape matters too: a hip roof, sloped on all four sides, earns a credit a gable roof does not.
- Do the credits apply to my whole premium?
- No, and this is where most estimates mislead people. Mitigation credits apply only to the wind portion of your premium. In coastal South Florida wind can be more than half the bill, so credits land hard. Inland, wind may be a third or less, and the same credits produce much smaller savings.
- Can I get the credit applied to a policy I already have?
- Generally yes. Carriers will typically apply mitigation credits mid-term once they receive the form, and many will refund the difference back to the start of your current policy period. Ask your agent directly, and ask specifically about a retroactive adjustment rather than waiting for renewal.
- Is it worth adding shutters or impact windows just for the credit?
- Sometimes, but run the numbers rather than assuming. Opening protection is all-or-nothing: every window, door, skylight and the garage door must be covered before the credit lands, so a partial job earns nothing. If you're already close to complete, finishing is often the best-value move on the whole list. Starting from zero on a large house is a different calculation entirely.
Want the full walkthrough of the inspection itself, including how to get one free through My Safe Florida Home? Read our wind mitigation inspection guide.
The Florida Home Pros is an independent home services directory serving Central Florida and Greater Tampa Bay. We are not an insurance agency, carrier, adjuster, or law firm, and we do not sell or service insurance policies. Credit amounts shown are estimates only. Each carrier sets its own credits through rate tables filed with the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, and only a completed inspection and your carrier can confirm what your home qualifies for. Florida insurance statutes and carrier underwriting guidelines change frequently, so confirm anything that affects your coverage with your carrier, a licensed insurance agent, or the Florida Department of Financial Services.