A Florida wind mitigation inspection documents the hurricane-resistant features of a home so an insurer can apply the premium credits that state law requires. It records roof covering, roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections, roof shape, secondary water resistance and opening protection.
The discount is required by statute, not offered as a courtesy
Section 627.0629 of the Florida Statutes requires every residential property insurer to build actuarially reasonable discounts, credits or other rate differentials into its rate filing for construction features shown to reduce windstorm loss. Since 1 October 2023 insurers must also publish the mitigation discounts they offer on their own website.
So the credit is not something you negotiate. If your home has the features, the carrier has to price for them, and the inspection is how you prove it.
What the inspector fills out
Florida uses one standard document, the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, catalogued as OIR-B1-1802. Every carrier accepts it, so a single inspection can be used when you shop the policy.
The form is valid for up to five years, provided no material change is made to the structure and no inaccuracy is found on the form. A re-roof or new impact windows are worth a fresh inspection before the five years are up, because the credits change.
The features that carry the most weight
- Opening protection: impact-rated glazing or approved shutters on every opening, which is usually the largest single credit
- Roof-to-wall connection: clips, single wraps or double wraps rather than toe nails
- Roof deck attachment: nail size and spacing into the sheathing
- Roof geometry: a hip roof generally outperforms a gable
- Secondary water resistance: a sealed deck beneath the covering
- Roof covering: whether it meets current code and when it was permitted
Why this matters to your mortgage, not only your insurance
Insurance is the I in PITIA, so the premium sits inside the housing figure your lender uses to calculate your debt-to-income ratio. A lower premium does not save money each month. It raises the loan amount the same income can support.
Therefore order the inspection before you finalise a budget rather than after closing. Our DTI ratio explained guide shows how much borrowing power a few hundred dollars of monthly premium is worth.
Definition reviewed by Renzo Johnson, Licensed Mortgage Loan Originator. Last updated August 2026.