Buyer guide · Florida
The wind mitigation report: Florida's most useful one-page inspection
What a Florida wind mitigation inspection checks, the new April 2026 form, how long a report lasts, who can sign it, and how it fits with a four-point and home inspection.
What the inspection is, in one sentence
A qualified inspector walks the house and the attic, photographs specific construction details, and fills out a state form that tells your insurer how well the home should hold up in high wind. That form is called the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, number OIR-B1-1802, and it's issued by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.
Why buyers care: Florida law requires insurers to offer discounts for windstorm mitigation features. The discounts apply only to the windstorm portion of your premium, but in a hurricane state that portion is often the big one.
What the inspector looks at
The state's consumer guide from the Department of Financial Services lists the features the form documents:
- Roof covering, and whether the home has a reinforced concrete roof deck
- Roof deck attachment, meaning the nail size and spacing that hold the plywood down
- Roof-to-wall connections: toe nails, clips, single wraps or double wraps
- Roof shape; a hip roof, shaped like a pyramid, is the most wind-resistant
- Secondary water resistance, a barrier under the roof covering
- Opening protection, such as rated shutters or impact windows
- Garage doors that are hurricane-rated or braced
The inspector has to back each feature with photographs, so expect someone in your attic with a flashlight and a camera.
The new form, and how long a report lasts
OIR updated the form based on a 2024 engineering study. The new version must be used for inspections done on or after April 1, 2026; inspections before that date could use the 2012 version.
A completed form is valid for up to five years, as long as no material changes are made to the structure and nothing on it is inaccurate. That's good news for buyers. If the seller had an inspection done in the last few years, ask for it. Your insurer may accept it, which saves you a fee and a scheduling headache during a busy contract.
A new roof, new windows or added shutters are exactly the kind of changes that justify a fresh report, because they can earn bigger discounts.
Who can sign the form
The inspector must be authorized under Florida law. The Department of Financial Services lists these:
- Licensed home inspectors who completed hurricane mitigation training and passed a proficiency exam
- Licensed contractors, engineers and architects
- Certified building code inspectors
OIR advises checking the inspector's authorization before you pay. You can verify a contractor's license through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
Wind mitigation vs. the other inspections you'll hear about
| Report | Who wants it | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Full home inspection | You | Condition of the whole house, so you can negotiate or walk away |
| Four-point | Insurers, often for older homes (Citizens: over 20 years) | Roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC condition |
| Wind mitigation | Insurers, for discounts | Hurricane-resistant features and the discounts they earn |
| Roof certification | Insurers, for older roofs | Remaining useful life of the roof |
Book them together. Many Florida inspectors offer all of them in one visit, and you'll want the results before your inspection period ends so your insurance quote reflects the real house. Our homeowners insurance guide walks through the quoting side.
Reading the results like a pro
A few patterns show up again and again in Florida neighborhoods:
- Newer construction tends to score well. The state's consumer guide notes that homes built to the 2001 Florida Building Code or later qualify for significant discounts, with more for extra features.
- Roof-to-wall connections matter. Clips or wraps usually beat toe nails, and that difference is set when the house is built.
- Opening protection is often the easiest upgrade. Rated shutters or impact windows can be added later; roof shape can't.
Meeting the 2001 code's minimum requirements may also let you lower your hurricane deductible, regardless of when the home was built. Ask your agent to show the discount line by line. Insurers must give you a Notice of Premium Discounts with each new policy and renewal.
Upgrades after you move in
Before you pay for any upgrade, ask your agent what discount it would earn and get estimates from licensed contractors.
The state's My Safe Florida Home program, run by the Department of Financial Services, has offered free hurricane mitigation inspections and matching grants. Under its 2025-26 terms:
- The home needed a homestead exemption, so it fits after your first January 1.
- Insured dwelling coverage had to be $700,000 or less, and the home had to be permitted before January 1, 2008.
- Matching grants reimbursed two-thirds of the project cost, up to $10,000.
- Low-income homeowners at or below 80% of area median income could get up to $10,000 without a match.
Grants depend on what the Legislature appropriates, so check whether applications are open before you plan around one. Our homestead guide explains when your exemption starts.
Wind mitigation checklist for your contract
- Ask the listing agent for any existing wind mitigation and four-point reports.
- Confirm the date; under five years and no structural changes means it may still work.
- If you need a new one, book it with your home inspection.
- Send the report to your insurance agent and ask for quotes with and without it.
- Give the final quote to your lender for your loan estimate.
A good report won't make a house cheap to insure, but it makes sure you're not overpaying. Next step: check your eligibility for first-home help.
Questions we hear
How long is a wind mitigation inspection good for in Florida?
Up to five years, as long as no material changes are made to the structure and the form has no inaccuracies.
Can I use the seller's wind mitigation report?
Often, if it's less than five years old and the house hasn't changed. Your insurer decides whether to accept it, so send it to your agent early.
What changed with the wind mitigation form in 2026?
Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation issued an updated OIR-B1-1802 form based on a 2024 study. Inspections on or after April 1, 2026 must use the new version.
Who can do a wind mitigation inspection?
Inspectors authorized under Florida law, including licensed home inspectors with hurricane mitigation training, licensed contractors, engineers and architects, and certified building code inspectors.
Do wind mitigation discounts lower my whole premium?
No. They apply only to the windstorm portion of the policy, which is often a large share of a Florida premium.
Keep reading
- Your first Florida homestead: the exemption, the cap and the new rules
- Florida homeowners insurance, explained for a first-time buyer
- Flood insurance and your first Florida home: what to check before you sign
- Doc stamps, intangible tax and the rest of a Florida closing statement
- Your first Florida condo: reading the building before you buy the unit
- SHIP down payment help: Florida's county-by-county second chance
- Hometown Heroes has two versions. Here's how to tell which one fits
- Florida's down payment second mortgages, sorted by what you'll owe later
- From pre-approval to keys: a Florida timeline for Hometown Heroes buyers
