Who Can Perform a Wind Mitigation Inspection in Florida

Florida law limits who may sign the OIR-B1-1802 form to a specific list of licensed professionals. Here is exactly who qualifies and how to look up a license number before you book.

Florida Statute 627.711(2)(a) names five specific categories of licensed professional who may sign a wind mitigation inspection form, then adds a narrow catch-all for any other individual or entity an insurer itself recognizes as qualified to complete it. In practice, the five licensed categories below are who almost every homeowner deals with.

Who qualifies?

• Home inspectors licensed under Florida Statute 468.8314, who have also completed the statutory hours of hurricane-mitigation training approved by the Construction Industry Licensing Board and passed a proficiency exam.
• Building code inspectors certified under Florida Statute 468.607.
• General, building, or residential contractors licensed under Florida Statute 489.111.
• Professional engineers licensed under Florida Statute 471.015.
• Professional architects licensed under Florida Statute 481.213.

The statute also leaves a narrow sixth path open: an insurer may accept a form from any other individual or entity it recognizes as possessing the qualifications to complete it. In practice insurers rely on the five licensed categories above, so those are the ones to ask about.

Individuals in the first three categories, other than licensed contractors, must inspect the structure personally rather than send an employee. Licensed contractors and professional engineers may send a trained employee and remain personally responsible for that employee's work, per the form's own certification language.

How do I look up a license number?

Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation runs a public license search at MyFloridaLicense.com covering home inspectors, contractors, and several of the categories above. Ask any inspector for their license type and number, and look it up yourself before the appointment. The DFS consumer guide gives the same advice for anyone hiring a contractor to install mitigation features, not just to inspect them.

What happens if the form is filled out fraudulently?

Florida takes this seriously. Under Florida Statute 627.711(4) through (7), text printed directly on the OIR-B1-1802 form, anyone who knowingly submits a false or fraudulent mitigation form is subject to investigation by the Division of Insurance Fraud and can face administrative or criminal action; a homeowner who knowingly uses a false form to obtain a discount commits a first-degree misdemeanor. This is the practical reason to work with a properly licensed inspector rather than the cheapest available option.