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Reduce Your Insurance Costs with a Wind Mitigation Inspection

Notice of Premium Discounts for Hurricane Loss Mitigation Information contained in your homeowners insurance policy explains the premium discounts, the discount amounts, and the requirement to have a Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection performed by a Professional Licensed Inspection Company. Disaster Smart’s Wind Mitigation Inspections are accepted by all Florida Insurance Companies.

All residential structures including single family homes, condos, townhomes or apartments qualify for premium credits. The windstorm premium discounts are based on your home or residence having one or more of the following wind resistant features.

image of construction features that reduce wind damage and loss which include roof deck attachment, secondary water resistance, roof covering, doors, protection of openings, roof to wall connection, roof shape and bracing

QUALIFYING WIND RESISTANT FEATURES

Roof Covering

If your roof has been replaced after March 1, 2002, it should have a roof covering that is tested to resist uplift from 110 MPH winds qualifying for a premium discount. In order to qualify your roof covering you will need proof of the year of replacement AND documentation of the roofing manufacturer and model, examples of proof are;

  • Roofing Permit that indicates the local building department performed a final inspection, or
  • Roofing Manufacturers Warranty that is signed by the roofing contractor and shows the date of replacement and the model of the roofing product used, or
  • Roofing Contractors Proposal that details the items of work to be performed, the manufacturer and model of roof covering used, and is marked paid with a date of payment, or
  • Disaster Smart Roofing Contractors Affidavit this form requires the roofing contractor to document the products used, whether or not a permit was applied for, the date the work was performed, an if the work was in compliance with the Florida Building Codes- Existing Buildings which requires renailing of the deck and may qualify you for Secondary Water Resistance credits.

Roof Deck Attachment

(Intermediate) If your roof decking is OSB (chip board) or plywood and is nailed with 8d common nails (min 2-1/4 inches in length) that are at least 6 inches on center on the edges and 12 inches on center in the field this qualifies for an Intermediate Roof Decking Attachment premium discount. (Superior): If your home was built before 1960 it probably has tongue and groove or dimensional lumber decking that is ¾ inch or thicker with large nails holding the decking to your rafters, this qualifies for a Superior Roof Decking Attachment premium discount.

LEFT and LEFT CENTER: are examples of an 8 Penny (8d) Ring Shank Nail and 8Penny (8d) Smooth Nail, if these are used and spaced a maximum of 6-12 inches on center it qualifies for a credit (Superior or Intermediate). RIGHT CENTER and RIGHT: Staples and 6 Penny (6d) Nails, these are the weakest form of attachment and do not qualify for any credit.

 

Roof to Wall Connection

If your home was built in the last 40 years it may have clips or straps (metal connectors) connecting your roof trusses or rafters to the top of the wall, this qualified for a premium discount.

LEFT: Typical Toe-Nailed Rafters on older homes. LEFT CENTER: Metal Clip CENTER: Double Sided Metal Clip. RIGHT CENTER and RIGHT: Strap or Single Wrap. All but the first photo of the Toe-Nail qualify for credits. There are additional requirements for straps and clips, they must have at least three nails, they have to be free of severe corrosion and they must be properly installed. If your connectors look like the ones below they will not meet the requirements to qualify for a credit

LEFT and CENTER LEFT: Improperly installed with slack in them promoting premature failure. RIGHT CENTER Severe Corrosion the galvanic coasting has rusted away and the metal is loosing strength. RIGHT: Improper installation AND only has 2 nails.

Roof Geometry

If your home has a Hip roof the inspection will qualify the Roof Geometry for a premium discount.

LEFT: This is a full Hip Roof and qualified for discounts. CENTER: This is a Dutch HIP roof and does not qualify for discounts because the non-hip features are more than 10% or the total perimeter. RIGHT: This is a Gable roof and does not qualify for discounts.

Secondary Water Resistance (SWR)

SWR (also called Sealed Roof Deck or SRD) is a method or providing additional protection from water damage from typical roof covering failures common in wind and hail storms. Sealing the roof deck requires using either a continuous self-adhering roll or 4-6 inch wide self-adhering roof deck tape.

 

LEFT: SprayFoam Hurricane Adhesive is one form of SWR that is applied inside the attic to the underside of the decking at all trusses and all plywood joints, this should not be confused with spray foam insulation products; insulation alone does not qualify. CENTER: By far the most cost effective type of SWR is applied during a re-roof, 4-6 inch wide strips of self adhering tape are applied to all plywood/OSB joints before the roofing underlayment is applied. RIGHT: Continuous self adhering cap sheets are typically used prior to application of tile or metal roofs. To qualify for the discount, documentation of the existence of a qualified SWR is required through photos, or a roofing contractor’s affidavit.

 

Building Code Credit

If your home was permitted after March 1, 2002 (proof required) or built in 2004 or later then you already have most of the qualified features, the inspection will qualify and additional features that you may not be getting a credit for. These include Roof Geometry, Secondary Water Resistance, and Opening Protection. The reason these are not automatic credits is because they are not required by the building code everywhere and Code enforcement varies from county to county, especially between 2002 and 2008.

 

Opening Protection

If you have added shutters or impact glass windows, doors, and ALL Openings including doors, windows, garage doors, sliding doors, skylights, glass block, etc., and the following is true you qualify for a premium discount.

  • All openings or protective products meet the Cyclic Pressure and Large Missile Impact resistant protection requirements in the Florida Building Code, and
  • All openings or protective products had a listing on the Florida Building Code or Miami Dade product approval websites that was current at time of installation.
  • All openings or protective products are rated for Wind Zone 3 or 4 with testing demonstrating compliance with Missile Type D (9 lb. 2×4 moving at 50 feet per second or 34 mph).
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