A Florida wind mitigation inspection is a state-standardized assessment of how well your home resists hurricane wind, documented on the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form (OIR-B1-1802), that every Florida insurer must use to apply premium credits. It rates seven construction features (roof covering, roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connection, roof shape, secondary water resistance, opening protection, and building code era), and the resulting credits apply only to the windstorm portion of your premium, up to a statutory maximum of 88% off that portion under Fla. Stat. §627.0629. For a typical post-2002 Florida Building Code home with documented mitigation, that commonly works out to $800 to $2,500 per year in savings. The inspection itself runs about $75 to $150 and is valid for five years.
This guide explains exactly what the inspection checks, what the OIR-B1-1802 form documents, how much you can actually save (and why "88%" is the windstorm-portion ceiling, not 88% off your whole bill), what changed in the April 1, 2026 form update, and how to get the inspection done. For the full premium picture, see our Florida homeowners insurance pillar and the Florida homeowners insurance cost breakdown.
Key Takeaways
- The OIR-B1-1802 is Florida's mandatory Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, the single document every insurer uses to apply wind credits. It rates seven home features and must be signed by a qualified inspector. Source: FL OIR Wind Mitigation Resources.
- Credits apply only to the windstorm (hurricane) portion of premium, not your full bill. Florida law caps the combined discount at roughly 88% of that windstorm portion. Source: Florida DFS Premium Discounts guide.
- A typical post-2002 Florida Building Code home with full mitigation saves $800 to $2,500 per year, while the highest savings go to homes with hip roofs, impact glass on every opening, and modern roof-deck nailing.
- Opening protection is all-or-nothing: if even one window, door, skylight, or garage door lacks impact rating or shutters, the home gets no opening-protection credit at all.
- The inspection costs roughly $75 to $150 and is valid for five years under Fla. Stat. §627.711, after which you must re-inspect to keep the credits.
- The OIR-B1-1802 form was updated effective April 1, 2026, adding design-wind-speed Region and Roof Slope fields and requiring at least one photo of proof per rated feature. Source: FL OIR Wind Mitigation Resources.
- The cheapest way to capture every credit you qualify for is to inspect, then re-shop with a broker who quotes the Florida homeowners insurance market carrier by carrier, because each insurer weights the credits differently.
What Is a Florida Wind Mitigation Inspection?
A Florida wind mitigation inspection is a visual, photo-documented assessment by a qualified inspector that records the wind-resistant construction features of your home so your insurer can apply hurricane premium credits. It is not a pass/fail home inspection and it does not affect whether you are eligible for coverage. It is purely a discount document: it tells the carrier how your home is built so the carrier can reduce the windstorm portion of your premium accordingly.
The inspection must be performed by a person authorized under Fla. Stat. §627.711: a licensed home inspector, general/building/residential contractor, professional engineer, professional architect, or building code inspector. They physically examine the roof, attic, openings, and structure, take photographs, and record findings on the state form, usually in 30 to 60 minutes.
Wind mitigation credits exist because Florida law requires them. Fla. Stat. §627.0629(1) directs every residential property insurer in the state to offer discounts for construction techniques that reduce hurricane loss. The inspection is the mechanism that proves your home qualifies. If you have those features and never file the form, you pay full windstorm rate for no reason.
The OIR-B1-1802 Form: What It Documents
The OIR-B1-1802, formally the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, is the single statewide form every Florida insurer accepts for wind credits. Because it is standardized by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, the same completed form works across every carrier, so you do not need a new inspection if you switch insurers (as long as the form is still within its five-year validity).
The form is organized into numbered sections, each capturing one wind-resistance attribute plus the supporting documentation. The inspector marks the applicable option in each section, attaches photos, and signs. The carrier then maps each marked option to its filed credit schedule. The credits are not additive in a simple way: they interact (for example, roof-deck and roof-to-wall credits are evaluated together), and the carrier's rating engine combines them up to the statutory ceiling.
As of the April 1, 2026 update, the form also requires at least one photograph or supporting document to validate each rated attribute, a stricter documentation standard than earlier versions. Source: FL OIR Wind Mitigation Resources and Radey Law Firm on the OIR mitigation form adoption.
The Seven Features Inspectors Rate
The OIR-B1-1802 rates seven construction features, and each one independently affects your windstorm credit. The two roof-related categories (deck attachment and roof-to-wall connection) and opening protection move the premium the most. Here is what each feature means and why it matters.
1. Building Code Era
The inspector records when the home was built or last re-roofed relative to the Florida Building Code. Homes built to the 2001 Florida Building Code (effective March 1, 2002) or later, and High-Velocity Hurricane Zone homes (Miami-Dade and Broward) built to the 1994 South Florida Building Code or later, earn a baseline structural credit. This is why "post-2002 Florida Building Code" homes are referenced so often: that code era triggers the strongest baseline mitigation rating.
2. Roof Covering
The inspector documents the roof material (shingle, tile, metal) and whether it meets Florida Building Code or Miami-Dade product-approval standards for wind. Covering installed to current FBC standards rates better than older or non-compliant covering. Roof permit dates and product approvals are the supporting evidence.
3. Roof Deck Attachment
This rates how the plywood or OSB roof sheathing is fastened to the trusses or rafters: nail type, size, and spacing. Older homes often used staples or widely spaced 6d nails, which earn little credit. A deck fastened with 8d ring-shank nails at tight spacing resists uplift far better and earns a meaningful credit. It is one of the highest-impact categories, because deck failure is a leading cause of catastrophic wind loss.
4. Roof-to-Wall Connection
This documents how the roof structure is anchored to the walls: toe nails (weakest), clips, single wraps, or double wraps (strongest). The progression matters a lot. Toe-nail-only connections earn little to nothing, while clips and especially single or double hurricane straps earn substantial credits because they keep the roof from peeling off in high wind. This is frequently the single largest line-item credit on the form.
5. Roof Geometry (Shape)
The inspector classifies the roof as hip, gable, flat, or other. A hip roof (sloped on all four sides) is the most wind-resistant shape and earns the largest geometry credit; gable roofs are more vulnerable and earn less. To qualify as "hip," generally 90% or more of the roof perimeter must be hip, so even a small gable section can drop the rating.
6. Secondary Water Resistance (SWR)
SWR is a self-adhering waterproof membrane (or foam-bonded underlayment) applied to the roof deck beneath the covering, so that if the shingles or tiles blow off, water still cannot pour into the home. Standard felt underlayment does not count. Documented SWR earns its own credit and is one of the more cost-effective upgrades to add during a re-roof.
7. Opening Protection
This rates protection on all glazed and exterior openings: windows, doors, skylights, and garage doors. To earn the credit, every opening must have impact-rated (windborne-debris) glazing or properly rated shutters. Opening protection is the all-or-nothing category: one unprotected opening (a single skylight or non-rated garage door) drops the whole home to the lowest opening-protection rating and forfeits the credit. Source: FL OIR Wind Mitigation Resources.
The April 1, 2026 form adds two more data points alongside these features, a design-wind-speed Region field and a Roof Slope field, reflecting the state's 2024 residential wind-loss mitigation study. Source: FL OIR Wind Mitigation Resources.
How Much Can Wind Mitigation Actually Save?
Wind mitigation credits commonly save $800 to $2,500 per year on a post-2002 Florida Building Code home with documented opening protection and modern roof features, and the statutory maximum is roughly 88% off the windstorm portion of your premium, not 88% off your total premium. That distinction is the most misunderstood part of the program, so it is worth being precise.
Your Florida homeowners premium has two big buckets: the windstorm (hurricane) portion and the all-other-perils portion. Wind mitigation credits only discount the windstorm bucket. Source: Florida DFS Premium Discounts for Hurricane Loss Mitigation guide. In high-wind coastal counties the windstorm portion can be more than half of the total premium, so the credits are large in absolute dollars. In inland counties the windstorm portion is a smaller slice, so the same percentage credit produces fewer dollars of savings.
A few realities about the numbers:
- The 88% figure is a ceiling, rarely the actual discount. Only a home with the strongest rating in nearly every category (hip roof, FBC-era construction, tight roof-deck nailing, double wraps, SWR, and full opening protection) approaches it. Most homes land in the middle. Source: Florida DFS Premium Discounts guide.
- Credits are not simply added together. The carrier's filed rating schedule combines them, and some overlap (a strong roof-deck plus strong roof-to-wall connection are evaluated as a system), so two carriers can produce different totals from the identical form.
- There is no single "45% maximum." Some marketing and older guides cite round numbers like 45% as a typical combined credit, but the statutory framework caps total mitigation discounts at the windstorm-portion level (about 88%), and your actual result depends entirely on your home and your carrier's filing.
Because the inspection usually costs $75 to $150 and the annual savings commonly run $800 to $2,500, the payback is typically within the first year and recurs for the five-year life of the form.
| Mitigation profile | Typical windstorm-credit outcome |
|---|---|
| Pre-1994 home, gable roof, toe-nail connections, no shutters | Little to no credit |
| 1990s home, clips, partial shutters | Modest credit (often a few hundred dollars/yr) |
| Post-2002 FBC home, single wraps, SWR, partial opening protection | Mid-range credit |
| Post-2002 FBC home, hip roof, double wraps, SWR, full impact glass | Highest credit, approaching the windstorm-portion ceiling |
Source: framework per Florida DFS Premium Discounts for Hurricane Loss Mitigation guide and FL OIR Wind Mitigation Resources. Actual dollar savings depend on county, dwelling value, carrier filing, and the windstorm share of your premium.
How the Post-2002 Florida Building Code Interacts
The post-2002 Florida Building Code is the dividing line for the strongest baseline wind credit, because homes built (or substantially rebuilt) to the 2001 FBC, effective March 1, 2002, were engineered to higher wind and debris standards from the ground up. Homes meeting that code era can qualify for the "FBC compliant" building-code rating on the OIR-B1-1802, which is one of the most valuable single line items on the form.
In the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (Miami-Dade and Broward), the relevant threshold is the 1994 South Florida Building Code or later, reflecting the post-Hurricane Andrew code overhaul. Homes in those two counties built to that standard get the equivalent baseline credit.
The practical implication: if your home was built in 2002 or later (or 1994 or later in Miami-Dade/Broward), you almost certainly qualify for the code-era credit and several roof credits by default, and skipping the inspection leaves real money on the table. If your home predates the code, an inspection still helps, because individual upgrades (a code-compliant roof, hurricane straps, impact windows, or SWR added during a re-roof) earn their own credits regardless of the original build year.
How to Get a Wind Mitigation Inspection (and How Long It Lasts)
To get a Florida wind mitigation inspection, hire a qualified inspector (licensed home inspector, contractor, engineer, architect, or building code inspector), have them complete and sign the OIR-B1-1802, and submit the form to your insurer or agent. The inspection costs roughly $75 to $150, takes 30 to 60 minutes, and the completed form is valid for five years under Fla. Stat. §627.711.
The basic sequence:
- 1.Book a qualified inspector. Confirm they are authorized under §627.711 and use the current (April 1, 2026 or later) OIR-B1-1802 form. Many companies bundle wind mitigation with a four-point inspection.
- 2.Prepare documentation. Roof permit dates, product approvals for impact windows or shutters, and re-roof paperwork help the inspector rate features accurately and meet the new photo-of-proof requirement.
- 3.Submit the signed form to your insurer. Credits are not automatic. Your agent or carrier applies them once the valid form is on file, sometimes back-credited to the current term.
- 4.Re-inspect before the form expires. It is valid for five years. After a re-roof, new shutters, or impact-window upgrade, get a fresh inspection right away to capture the new credits.
If you are also getting the inspection an aging-home carrier requires, see our Florida four-point inspection guide, which is a different inspection (roof, electrical, plumbing, HVAC) often performed in the same visit. And if the cost of the upgrades themselves is the barrier, the state grant program covered in our My Safe Florida Home guide provides free wind mitigation inspections and matching funds for qualifying improvements.
After the Inspection: Re-Shop, Do Not Just Refile
Filing your wind mitigation form with your current carrier captures the credits you are owed today, but the bigger savings often come from re-shopping the market with the form in hand. Carriers weight the same OIR-B1-1802 differently, so two homes with identical forms can see materially different premiums depending on each insurer's filed credit schedule and appetite. For the full walkthrough, see our Florida homeowners insurance quotes guide. If your current carrier has issued a non-renewal, a fresh wind mitigation form is also one of the strongest tools for re-placement; see our Florida non-renewal playbook.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a wind mitigation inspection in Florida?
A wind mitigation inspection in Florida is a visual, photo-documented assessment of how well your home resists hurricane wind, recorded on the state's Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form (OIR-B1-1802). A qualified inspector rates seven construction features (building code era, roof covering, roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connection, roof shape, secondary water resistance, and opening protection), and your insurer uses the results to credit the windstorm portion of your premium. It is a discount document, not a pass/fail inspection, and does not affect your coverage eligibility.
What is the OIR-B1-1802 form?
The OIR-B1-1802 is the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, the single statewide form the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation requires every property insurer to accept for wind mitigation credits. Because it is standardized, the same completed form works across carriers, so you do not need a new inspection when you switch insurers within its five-year validity. The form was updated effective April 1, 2026 to add design-wind-speed Region and Roof Slope fields and to require at least one proof photo per rated feature.
How much can wind mitigation save on Florida home insurance?
Wind mitigation commonly saves $800 to $2,500 per year on a post-2002 Florida Building Code home with documented opening protection and modern roof features. The statutory maximum is roughly 88% off the windstorm (hurricane) portion of your premium, not 88% off your total bill, under Fla. Stat. §627.0629. Coastal homes save the most in dollar terms because the windstorm portion is a larger share of their premium. Since the inspection costs only about $75 to $150, it usually pays for itself in the first year.
How long is a Florida wind mitigation inspection valid?
A Florida wind mitigation inspection is valid for five years from the inspection date under Fla. Stat. §627.711. After five years you must get a new inspection and submit an updated OIR-B1-1802 form to keep the credits. You should also re-inspect sooner whenever you make a qualifying upgrade, such as a new code-compliant roof, hurricane straps, secondary water resistance, or impact windows and shutters, so the new credits are captured right away.
Why is opening protection all-or-nothing on the wind mitigation form?
Opening protection earns a credit only when every glazed and exterior opening, including windows, doors, skylights, and the garage door, is protected by impact-rated glazing or properly rated shutters. A single unprotected opening lets windborne debris breach the building envelope, which is why a single unrated skylight or garage door drops the entire home to the lowest opening-protection rating and forfeits the credit. To capture the opening-protection credit, protect 100% of openings, not most of them.
Do I get wind mitigation credits automatically?
No. Florida law requires insurers to offer wind mitigation credits, but they are not applied automatically. You must have a qualified inspector complete and sign the OIR-B1-1802 form, then submit it to your insurer or agent, who applies the credits to your policy. If you have qualifying features (a hip roof, hurricane straps, impact windows) and never file the form, you pay full windstorm rate. Many homeowners with brand-new code-compliant homes overpay for years simply because no one filed the inspection.
How Latent Insurance Services Helps
Latent Insurance Services is an independent brokerage (NPN #20972791) that takes your wind mitigation form and puts it to work across the whole Florida market, not just one carrier's credit schedule. Because we are not captive, we can quote your post-inspection home against multiple admitted carriers and Citizens at once and find the insurer that rewards your specific roof, straps, and opening protection most, which is often a different carrier than the one you started with.
A typical engagement: we review your OIR-B1-1802 (or help you schedule the inspection), confirm you are capturing every credit you qualify for, and run 3 to 5 carriers in parallel so the windstorm credits actually show up in your premium. We will also flag where a modest upgrade (SWR at the next re-roof, finishing opening protection on the last unprotected opening) would unlock a materially larger credit.
Book a 30-minute consultation with a licensed broker: https://cal.com/latent-insurance/intro
No obligation, no pressure. We will walk through your home's mitigation features, the credits you are likely missing, and a realistic quote range before any application is filed.