Wind Mitigation Inspection: What Florida Homeowners Need to Know

A wind mitigation inspection documents the hurricane-resistant features already built into your home so your insurer can apply the premium discount Florida law requires. Here is what gets checked, what it costs, and how to get one.

A wind mitigation inspection is a one-time, roughly 30 to 60 minute visual survey of your home's roof shape, roof-deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections, and window and door protection, recorded on a state form called the OIR-B1-1802. It is not a pass or fail test. It is paperwork: Florida law requires every residential property insurer to offer a discount for the wind-resistant features your home already has, and the inspection is how you prove those features exist.

What does the inspector actually check?

The inspector works through seven questions on the form: building-code compliance, roof covering type, roof-deck attachment, roof-to-wall connection, roof shape (geometry), secondary water resistance, and opening protection (shutters, impact windows, and garage doors). Attic access is required for most of these, since roof-deck attachment and roof-to-wall connections are only visible from inside the attic. Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation requires at least one photograph documenting each attribute the inspector marks, per the OIR-B1-1802 form itself.

Why does this affect my insurance premium?

Florida Statute 627.0629 requires every residential property insurer's rate filing to include "actuarially reasonable discounts, credits, or other rate differentials" for construction that reduces windstorm loss, specifically features that improve roof strength, roof covering performance, roof-to-wall strength, opening protection, and window, door, and skylight strength. Insurers set their own exact discount tables, but the state guide is unambiguous about the floor: homes built to the 2001 Florida Building Code or later, including the 1994 South Florida Building Code in Miami-Dade and Broward, "are automatically eligible for a minimum 68% discount on the windstorm coverage of the premium," according to the Florida Department of Financial Services' Premium Discounts for Hurricane Loss Mitigation guide. Older homes can still qualify feature by feature. See our full breakdown of the savings.

Who is allowed to perform the inspection?

Only certain licensed professionals may sign the form: home inspectors licensed under Florida Statute 468.8314 who have completed hurricane-mitigation training and a proficiency exam, certified building code inspectors, licensed general or residential contractors, professional engineers, and licensed architects, per Florida Statute 627.711(2)(a). Our full breakdown, including how to look up a license number, is in who can perform a wind mitigation inspection.

How much does it cost, and how long does the form last?

A standalone inspection typically runs $75 to $150 statewide, with South Florida running slightly higher, per live regional pricing at inspectordata.com. See our full cost guide for the region-by-region breakdown. Once completed, the form is valid for up to five years, provided nothing material changes on the structure and no inaccuracies turn up, per the form's own footer text and FLOIR's wind mitigation resources page. A new roof, a new set of shutters, or an addition all restart that clock.

Getting one

Tell us your county and the age of your home and we will pass your details to a licensed inspector serving your area. There is no cost to submit an enquiry.