Wind Mitigation Inspection in Florida: What the Form Checks
A wind mitigation inspection is a visit by a qualified inspector who records, on the state's Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form (OIR-B1-1802), how your home is built to resist wind: the roof covering, roof deck, roof-to-wall connections, roof shape, any sealed roof deck, and the protection on windows, doors and garage doors. Insurers use the completed form when they decide which wind discounts or credits apply. The state says a completed form is valid for up to five years, as long as nothing material about the home has changed (Florida OIR).
Last updated November 4, 2026. Facts checked November 2, 2026 against the sources at the end of this page.
At a glance
| The form | Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, number OIR-B1-1802. The current version is "Rev. 04/26", effective April 1, 2026, and adopted by Rule 69O-170.0155, Florida Administrative Code (Florida OIR; the form.pdf)) |
|---|---|
| How long it lasts | Up to five years, provided no material changes have been made to the structure and no inaccuracies are found on the form (Florida OIR) |
| Who can sign it | A licensed home inspector with hurricane-mitigation training, a certified building code inspector, a licensed general, building or residential contractor, a professional engineer, an architect, or anyone else the insurer recognizes as qualified (s. 627.711(2), Fla. Stat.) |
| What it is for | Insurers must use this one form when a policyholder submits an inspection to get wind discounts (s. 627.711(2)(a), Fla. Stat.) |
| What it does not do | It does not say how big a discount is. Each insurer's approved rates decide that, and the form itself warns that "some items listed may not qualify for a discount" |
What the inspection is, and what it is not
It is a narrow check of wind-resistant construction features. It is not a home inspection, and it is not a report on the condition of your roof: the form states that its definitions "are for inspection purposes only and cannot be used to certify any product or construction feature as offering protection from hurricanes." If an insurer also wants to know the age and condition of the roof, electrical, plumbing and air conditioning, that is a different report; see our guide to the 4-point inspection.
State law says the person who signs must inspect the home personally. Licensed contractors and engineers may authorize a direct employee to do the inspection, and then they are responsible for that employee's work (s. 627.711(3), Fla. Stat.). The form also requires at least one photograph or document that proves each feature marked in questions 2 through 9.
What the form checks, question by question
The current form has nine numbered questions (the form, Rev. 04/26.pdf)):
| Question | What the inspector records |
|---|---|
| 1. Building code | Which code was in force when the home was first permitted: the Florida Building Code (2001 and 2004, or 2007 and later) or, in Miami-Dade and Broward (the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone), the 1994 South Florida Building Code. For homes built in the years where the code changed, the form asks for the permit application date: after March 1, 2002 for homes built in 2002 or 2003, after December 8, 2006 for 2007 or 2008, and after September 1, 1994 for High-Velocity Hurricane Zone homes built in 1994, 1995 or 1996 |
| 2. Region | Where the home sits by design wind speed: the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, or Region 1, 2 or 3 (Region 2 is 130 to 139 mph, Region 3 is below 130 mph) |
| 3. Roof slope | Whether the slope is 6:12 or steeper, or less than 6:12. For a home with several slopes, the slope that covers at least two thirds of the main roof area counts |
| 4. Roof covering | Each covering in use (asphalt or fiberglass shingle, concrete or clay tile, synthetic or composite tile, metal, built-up, membrane), with its permit application date or product approval number and the year it was installed |
| 5. Roof deck attachment | The weakest way the roof deck is attached: the thickness of the sheathing, the size and spacing of the nails or staples, or an equivalent uplift rating, a reinforced concrete deck, or spray foam |
| 6. Roof-to-wall attachment | The weakest connection between the roof and the walls: toenails, clips, single wraps, double wraps, or structural (anchor bolts or a reinforced concrete roof) |
| 7. Roof geometry | Whether the roof is a hip roof (no other shapes over 10 percent of the roof perimeter), a qualifying flat roof on a building with five or more units, or another shape |
| 8. Sealed roof deck | Whether the roof deck has a qualifying second layer of water protection, such as taped seams, a fully adhered underlayment, a double layer of felt or synthetic underlayment, or spray foam. Standard underlayment or hot-mopped felt does not qualify |
| 9. Opening protection | The weakest protection on every opening: windows, doors, sliding glass doors, skylights and garage doors. A home with openings that need replacement does not qualify for wind mitigation rate differentials, whatever else it has |
The April 2026 version added or changed several items. Citizens' March 19, 2026 notice to agents lists them: a FORTIFIED Home certificate (Roof, Silver or Gold) can now be used to validate some of the answers, the region is based on design wind speed, and roof slope is recorded (Citizens).
Why "weakest" matters: a worked example
This is a made-up home, to show how the form reads. The inspector finds double wraps connecting the roof to the walls over most of the house, but plain toenails over the garage. Question 6 asks for the weakest connection, so the answer is "Toenails". The same rule applies to openings: if every window has an impact-rated covering but one sliding glass door has no protection, question 9 is answered at the level of the unprotected door.
That is why two homes that look alike from the street can have different forms. It also means a single weak spot can hold back an otherwise well-protected house, and fixing it and having it re-inspected changes the answer on the form. What an insurer does with each answer is up to the insurer, so ask your agent how the companies you are considering credit each feature.
How the discounts work under Florida law
- Insurers must include discounts in their rates. A residential property rate filing must include actuarially reasonable discounts, credits or other rate differentials for homes with approved wind-loss-reducing features or construction techniques. The law's examples include roof strength, roof covering, roof-to-wall strength and opening protection, and the list is not limited to them. The Office of Insurance Regulation sets the values and must re-evaluate them every five years (s. 627.0629(1), Fla. Stat.).
- Insurers must tell you. At issuance and at every renewal, the insurer must notify you, on a form prescribed by OIR, that these discounts exist and what range applies (s. 627.711(1), Fla. Stat.).
- A lower hurricane deductible can be an option. When you have taken mitigation measures, the insurer must offer you the choice of a reduction in the hurricane deductible or a discount (s. 627.701(9), Fla. Stat.). See our guide to hurricane deductibles.
The size of any discount comes from each insurer's approved rates, your home and your answers on the form. We cannot give you a typical percentage, and we do not promise one.
How long the form is good for, and the April 2026 change
A completed form is valid for up to five years, as long as no material change was made to the structure and the form has no inaccuracies (Florida OIR). A new roof, new shutters or new impact windows change what the form should say, so ask your agent whether a new inspection makes sense after that kind of work.
OIR's page lists the earlier version (revised January 2012) as the "previous version" and does not say how long insurers must keep accepting it. Citizens, for its own policies, says inspections done on or after April 1, 2026 must use the revised form, and that it will still accept the earlier form if no structural changes were made and the inspection was completed within the five years before April 1, 2026 (Citizens). Other insurers set their own rules, so check before you pay for a new inspection.
Getting an inspection
- Check the license. Confirm a contractor's or home inspector's license on the Department of Business and Professional Regulation site, myfloridalicense.com, as the state's Insurance Consumer Advocate advises for four-point inspections (Florida CFO).
- Who pays. The state's consumer guidance says policyholders may elect to have this inspection to find out which wind credits they are entitled to, that the consumer normally pays for it, and that an insurer may re-inspect to verify your credits, in which case the insurer pays (Florida CFO, homeowners insurance overview).
- Ask the price first. Inspectors set their own fees. We did not find an official source for a price range, so we do not list one.
- My Safe Florida Home. The state program says it offers free wind mitigation inspections and grant assistance for approved upgrades to eligible homeowners. Homeowners complete a survey and are placed in an inspection group, so it can take time; check the program's site for what is open now (My Safe Florida Home).
- No referral fees. Florida law bars an inspector from paying an insurance agency or agent for referring you, and bars the agent from accepting it (s. 627.711(6), Fla. Stat.). We get nothing from any inspector.
- The form is a sworn statement. You sign a certification on it, and knowingly providing a false form to obtain a discount is a first-degree misdemeanor (the form, citing s. 627.711(7)).
Wind mitigation questions
What is form OIR-B1-1802?
It is the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form that Florida's Financial Services Commission adopted by rule (Rule 69O-170.0155, Florida Administrative Code). Insurers must accept it from policyholders who submit it to get wind discounts, when it is signed by one of the people the law lists (s. 627.711(2), Fla. Stat.).
How long is a wind mitigation inspection valid in Florida?
The Office of Insurance Regulation says up to five years, as long as no material changes were made to the structure and no inaccuracies are found on the form.
Who can do a wind mitigation inspection?
A licensed home inspector who completed the required hurricane-mitigation training and exam, a certified building code inspector, a licensed general, building or residential contractor, a professional engineer, an architect, or another person the insurer recognizes as qualified.
Do I need a new inspection because the form changed on April 1, 2026?
Not necessarily. OIR's page does not say when the previous version stops being accepted. Citizens accepts the earlier form for its own policies if nothing structural changed and the inspection was done within the five years before April 1, 2026. Ask your insurer about its rule.
Will the inspection lower my premium?
It can, but there is no promise. Florida law requires insurers to include discounts or credits for wind-resistant features in their rates, and the amount depends on the insurer, the home and what the form shows. The form itself says some items may not qualify.
Is a wind mitigation inspection the same as a 4-point inspection or a roof inspection?
No. The wind mitigation form records how the home resists wind. A 4-point inspection reports on the roof, electrical, plumbing and air conditioning systems, and a roof inspection under Florida's roof-age law reports on the roof's remaining useful life. See our guides to the 4-point inspection and to roof age and home insurance.
Talk to an agent
Your agent can check your policy and explain how the insurers you are considering use the form. Bring a copy of your current inspection if you have one, and your declarations page.
More Florida homeowner guides
- All Florida insurance guides
- 4-point inspection
- Roof age and home insurance
- Hurricane deductibles
- Buying a home in Florida: insurance checklist
- Home insurance non-renewal in Florida
- Homeowners insurance in Florida
Local pages where the building-code and roof questions come up most: Doral (the building-code credits on this form), Homestead (post-Andrew building codes), Weston (1990s homes and permit dates), Pembroke Pines and all areas we serve.
Sources
- Florida OIR: Wind Mitigation Resources (form number, effective date, validity)
- Form OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26).pdf) (the nine questions)
- s. 627.711, Fla. Stat. (who may sign, notices, referral fees)
- s. 627.0629, Fla. Stat. (discounts in rate filings)
- s. 627.701(9), Fla. Stat. (deductible option)
- Citizens: form changes notice, March 19, 2026
- Florida CFO, Insurance Consumer Advocate: four-point inspection guide (license check)
- My Safe Florida Home
- Florida CFO, homeowners insurance overview (who pays, re-inspection)
This page is general information, not advice about your policy. Coverage, discounts and eligibility vary by insurance company and policy, and your policy documents control. Best One Insurance is an independent insurance agency, not an insurance company. Licensed in Florida (DFS agency licenses L035127 and L087202).
