Homeowners insurance in Pinellas County isn't cheap. One of the few ways to bring the cost down is a wind mitigation inspection, which shows your insurer the features that help your home hold up in a hurricane. Florida insurers are required to offer discounts for those features. Your roof plays the biggest part.
What a wind mitigation inspection is
A licensed inspector, such as a home inspector, contractor, engineer, or architect, checks your home and fills out the state's Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form (OIR-B1-1802). You send that form to your insurance company, and they apply any credits you qualify for. Reports are generally good for up to five years as long as nothing major changes.
The roof features inspectors look at
- Roof covering: whether the roof meets the Florida Building Code and when it was permitted.
- Roof deck attachment: how the plywood is nailed to the trusses. Longer nails, closer spacing, and ring-shank nails score better.
- Roof-to-wall attachment: how the roof is tied to the walls. Toe nails score lowest. Clips, single wraps, and double wraps score higher.
- Roof shape: hip roofs (sloped on all four sides) handle wind better than gable roofs and can earn a credit.
- Secondary water barrier (SWR): a sealed layer under the roof covering that keeps water out if the shingles or tiles blow off.
- Opening protection: impact-rated windows, doors, and garage doors, or approved shutters.
Why a re-roof is the best time to upgrade
When the old roof comes off, the deck is exposed. That's the cheapest moment to re-nail the deck to current standards, add a secondary water barrier, and, where it's reachable, strengthen roof-to-wall connections. Doing it later means tearing into a roof that's already finished.
Ask for the paperwork. Keep your roof permit, product approvals, and photos of the deck nailing and underlayment. Inspectors can only credit what they can verify.
What it can save
Every insurer and policy is different, so we can't promise a number. For many Florida homes, the wind portion is a large share of the premium, and the credits can make a real difference. Ask your agent to run a quote with and without the features before you decide on upgrades.
This is general information, not insurance advice. Talk with your insurance agent about your policy.
Planning a new roof in St. Pete or on the beaches? Get a free estimate and ask us which wind mitigation upgrades fit your house. More on our St. Petersburg roofing work.