Florida law requires insurers to discount premiums for wind-resistant features. In Fort Myers a great many properties qualify and have never filed the form.
Lee County is currently one of the best wind mitigation markets in Florida, for an unhappy reason. Enormous numbers of roofs were replaced after Ian to current standards, which means current deck attachment, frequently a sealed secondary water barrier, and a fresh permit date to evidence it.
Owners who have been through a roof replacement and have not since had a mitigation inspection are very likely to be leaving money on the table. The form needs redoing after any re-roof, and in Lee County that applies to a large share of the housing stock.
Opening protection improved sharply after Ian as well, with shutters and impact glazing fitted during rebuilds. Where protection is now complete across every opening, that is a significant credit that will not be applied until the form is filed.
The state form is fixed. Every inspector records the same seven items, which is why the discount is predictable once you know what the building has.
1. Building code compliance. The date the permit was issued. Homes built to the 2002 Florida Building Code or later, and anything in Miami-Dade or Broward built to the 1994 South Florida Building Code, sit in a stronger category from the outset.
2. Roof covering. Whether each covering meets current code, evidenced by permit and product approval.
3. Roof deck attachment. What the deck is fixed down with. Staples score worst; 8d ring-shank nails at close spacing score best. This is checked from inside the attic.
4. Roof-to-wall attachment. The big one. Toe nails, clips, single wraps or double wraps, in ascending order of credit. The step from toe nails to clips is often the largest single discount available on an older house.
5. Roof geometry. A hip roof — sloping on all four sides — earns a credit that a gable does not, because it sheds wind rather than catching it.
6. Secondary water resistance. A sealed underlayment beneath the covering, so a roof stripped of tiles still keeps water out.
7. Opening protection. Impact-rated glazing or shutters across every opening, including the garage door. Partial protection scores far lower than full, and one unprotected opening can cost the whole credit.
Most of the value in a wind mitigation report comes from the attic. Roof-to-wall attachment cannot be seen from the ground, and it is the item where the difference between categories is worth the most money.
Plenty of Florida homes were re-roofed at some point and had clips or straps added during the work without the owner ever knowing, because it was a line on the roofer's invoice rather than something anyone explained. That upgrade is sitting in the attic unclaimed, and it stays unclaimed until an inspector goes up and photographs it.
The inspection has to be carried out by someone the statute authorises — a licensed home inspector, general contractor, building code inspector, registered architect or professional engineer. A report signed by anyone else will be rejected by the carrier.
A wind mitigation report is generally accepted for five years. It should be redone sooner if anything on the form changes: a new roof, new impact windows, new shutters, or a garage door replacement.
Re-roofing is the obvious trigger. If you have just spent money on a roof, the new deck attachment and any added straps are worth documenting immediately rather than at the next renewal, because the credit applies from when the carrier has the form.
The credits are statutory and apply wherever the features exist. On Fort Myers property built to the 2002 Florida Building Code or later, or re-roofed in the last twenty years, there is usually something to claim. We will tell you honestly if there is not.
Yes — Fort Myers and the surrounding area including Cape Coral, Estero, Bonita Springs, Lehigh Acres, North Fort Myers. We cover the whole state, so if you are just outside, call and ask.
Yes. We give proper notice and work to a time that suits them. The utilities need to be on and we need access to the attic, the panel and the water heater, so a completely unattended visit does not usually work.
Not always, but often enough that it is worth doing. If the house has none of the features — gable roof, stapled deck, toe-nailed trusses, no shutters — there may be nothing to claim. On anything built to the 2002 code or later, or anything re-roofed in the last twenty years, there is usually something. We will tell you honestly what we found.
If it is under five years old and nothing has changed, usually yes. If you have re-roofed, replaced windows or fitted shutters since, a new one will be worth more than the old one.
Yes, for a report worth having. Deck attachment and roof-to-wall connection are the two highest-value items on the form and neither can be verified from outside. An inspector who does not open the attic hatch cannot complete those sections properly.
One call for the inspection and for whatever it turns up. Licensed, insured, and reporting in the format your carrier expects.