Wind Mitigation Inspections & Insurance Discounts in Sebastian & Vero Beach, FL
A wind mitigation inspection can cut hundreds — often over a thousand — dollars a year off a Florida homeowners insurance premium. The inspector documents your roof's wind-resistant features on Florida's standard Form OIR-B1-1802, and your insurer applies the credits. Leeward Roofing (License CCC1337211) helps Sebastian and Vero Beach homeowners get inspection-ready — and builds every roof we install to maximize those credits.
What Earns Wind Mitigation Credits in Florida
Roof covering installed to current Florida Building Code standards
Roof deck attachment — ring-shank nails at tight spacing beat staples by a wide margin
Roof-to-wall connections — hurricane clips and straps outperform toe-nails
Roof shape — hip roofs earn more credit than gable ends
Secondary water resistance — a sealed roof deck that keeps water out even if covering blows off
Opening protection — impact windows, doors and shutters
Replacing Your Roof? That's the Moment
Most credits get locked in at roof replacement time: deck re-nailing, sealed-deck underlayment and strap upgrades cost little during the job and pay back every year on your premium. Ask us to spec your replacement for maximum wind mitigation credit — then have the 1802 inspection done when the roof is complete.
Wind Mitigation FAQs
Storm-proofing your home? Start at the Hurricane Command Center or call 772-589-2400.
Who performs the inspection?
A licensed inspector, contractor, engineer or architect completes Form OIR-B1-1802, usually in under an hour, with photos of the attic, straps and roof. It's typically valid for five years.
How much can I save?
Savings vary by insurer and home, but Florida law requires insurers to offer wind mitigation credits — many Treasure Coast homeowners see premium reductions in the hundreds to thousands of dollars per year, especially after a code-compliant roof replacement.
Does an old roof disqualify me?
Not automatically — but roof age affects insurability on its own, and older roofs rarely have the documented features that earn credits. A free inspection tells you where you stand.
After the storm, documentation is half the job.
Anyone can throw a tarp. What actually moves a claim is dated photographs, a written scope, and a contractor who can talk to an adjuster in their own language.
- Stay off the roof. Assess from the ground and from inside the attic.
- Photograph everything — wide shots and close-ups — before any cleanup.
- Call for emergency tarping to stop water getting further in.
- Verify any contractor's Florida licence before you sign anything.
Recent Leeward jobs
Real Treasure Coast roofs installed by our own crews — not stock photography.
The form was rewritten in April 2026
If your wind mitigation report predates that, it is worth having a new one done — the current version can capture credits the old one could not.
OIR-B1-1802, revised 04/26
Florida’s uniform mitigation verification form took effect in its current version on 1 April 2026 — the first substantial overhaul since 2012. The most consequential change: it now requires attic-view photographs to verify nail length and underlayment type, rather than accepting an inspector’s attestation alone.
Why that matters to you
Under the old form, roofs were sometimes scored conservatively because the documentation standard was looser and inspectors defaulted to the safe answer. With attic photographs establishing what is actually there, a well-built roof can now be credited for what it genuinely is. A new inspection on a roof that scored poorly years ago is frequently worth the $75 to $150.
It also added a spray foam pathway
The revised form recognises closed-cell spray polyurethane foam applied to the underside of the deck, rated at 110 PSF uplift, as a qualifying secondary water resistance method. That is new, and it is relevant if you have had foam installed.
Who can complete it
A licensed home inspector, building inspector, general or residential contractor, professional engineer or registered architect. A roofing contractor does not issue this form, and you should be wary of one who offers to — it is a conflict of interest. We build roofs so they score well and then tell you to have the form done independently.
What it costs and what it returns
Typically $75 to $150. Credits apply only to the windstorm portion of your premium, but they are capped by statute at 88% of that portion. On an older coastal home in Indian River or Martin County, that ceiling represents a very large annual number, and it is the single highest-return inspection in Florida homeownership.
Get it done after the roof, not before
The credit does not exist until someone documents it. Homeowners regularly complete a reroof and never have the form redone, leaving years of discount on the table.
The seven things the form rates
Four of them are roof features a reroof directly improves.
1. Building code era
When the home was permitted. Pre- or post-2002 Florida Building Code makes a substantial difference and you cannot change it.
2. Roof covering
Whether the covering meets current FBC or Miami-Dade product approval standards. A new permitted roof scores here.
3. Roof deck attachment
Nail size and spacing into the sheathing. 8d ring-shank at 6 inches in the field and 4 inches at perimeters and corners earns maximum credit. This is the one to insist on during a tear-off — the deck is already exposed so the marginal cost is small.
4. Roof-to-wall connection
Toe nails, clips, single wraps or double wraps. Double wraps score best. Retrofitting is possible but invasive; this is largely determined by how the house was framed.
5. Roof geometry
Hip roofs score better than gable because they resist uplift more effectively. Determined by the shape of your house.
6. Secondary water resistance
A sealed deck — self-adhered underlayment or the newly recognised closed-cell foam. Mandatory on Florida reroofs anyway, so a new roof should score.
7. Opening protection
Impact-rated windows and doors or approved shutters. Not a roofing item, but it sits on the same form and carries real weight.
Wind mitigation FAQs
What is a wind mitigation inspection?
An inspection documenting construction features that help a home resist windstorm damage, recorded on Florida’s uniform mitigation verification form OIR-B1-1802 and submitted to your insurer to qualify for windstorm premium credits.
How much does it cost and is it worth it?
Typically $75 to $150. Credits apply to the windstorm portion of your premium and are capped by statute at 88% of that portion, so on an older coastal home it is frequently the highest-return inspection in Florida homeownership.
Did the form change recently?
Yes. The current version of OIR-B1-1802 took effect 1 April 2026 - the first substantial revision since 2012. It now requires attic-view photographs to verify nail length and underlayment type, and it added a pathway recognising closed-cell spray foam rated at 110 PSF uplift as secondary water resistance.
My report is a few years old. Should I get a new one?
Quite possibly. Under the older form, roofs were sometimes scored conservatively because the documentation standard was looser. With attic photographs now establishing what is actually there, a well-built roof can be credited for what it genuinely is.
Can you do my wind mitigation inspection?
No, and you should be cautious of any roofing contractor who offers to. The form must be completed by a licensed home inspector, building inspector, general or residential contractor, engineer or architect - and a roofer certifying their own work is a conflict of interest. We build roofs to score well and then tell you to have it done independently.
What does the form actually rate?
Seven things: building code era, roof covering, roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connection, roof geometry, secondary water resistance and opening protection. A reroof directly improves four of the seven.
What is the single best credit to buy during a reroof?
Roof deck attachment. 8d ring-shank nails at 6 inches on centre in the field and 4 inches at perimeters and corners earns maximum credit, and the deck is already exposed during a tear-off so the marginal cost is small. It frequently repays itself in premium within a few years.
When should I have the inspection done?
After the roof is complete, not before. The credit does not exist until someone documents it, and homeowners regularly finish a reroof and never have the form redone - leaving years of discount unclaimed.
Will a new roof automatically lower my premium?
Not automatically. It has to be documented on the form and submitted to your carrier. A reroof improves roof covering, deck attachment, secondary water resistance and potentially code era, but until an inspector records it the insurer has no basis to apply credits.
Does opening protection matter for my roof?
It sits on the same form and carries real weight. It also matters structurally: if a window or garage door fails during a storm the house pressurises internally and pushes up on the roof deck while wind pulls from above. That is how whole roofs leave.
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