Anyone had a "Wind Mitigation Survey" done for homeowners ins. purposes? (Orlando: 2015, homeowners insurance)

[mickeyfinn]

Hi,

Our insurance agent has recommended we pay for a 'Wind Mitigation Survey" done on our home by a licensed general contractor. He says it will save us money on our homeowners insurance.

We re-did the entire roof less than 3 years ago. The company pulled a permit and so on, which is required for the insurance "discount" we may receive.

The cost is $100 for the survey.

At this point, I trust no one when it comes to homeowners insurance in this state. Have you read the newspaper lately? God, what a crooked state we live in.

Anyway, is it worth the investment of $100 to have it done?

Thanks.

[amy3455]

My father had it done as his house was +10 years old. He had a guy fixing his front doors - they like to swing open in high winds. He recommended that my dad get the study done. I can't remember all of the details, but the guy basically said if it doesn't dave you x amount on your policy, I won't charge you. My dad ended up saving $1200 a year. So it can definately worth it. Our home is brand new, so we wouldn't benefit from it.

[drive carephilly]

Yeah, we had one done a few years ago. It seems standard in Orlando.

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by mickeyfinn

Hi,

Our insurance agent has recommended we pay for a 'Wind Mitigation Survey" done on our home by a licensed general contractor. He says it will save us money on our homeowners insurance.

We re-did the entire roof less than 3 years ago. The company pulled a permit and so on, which is required for the insurance "discount" we may receive.

The cost is $100 for the survey.

At this point, I trust no one when it comes to homeowners insurance in this state. Have you read the newspaper lately? God, what a crooked state we live in.

Anyway, is it worth the investment of $100 to have it done?

Thanks.

Absolutely!

I've had them done after a re-roof or on a new home purchase. On average I would say they saved $400 off my insurance policy. Talk to your insurer and they'll be able to identify what they offer in the way of a discount with a wind mitigation survey.

Money well spent.

RM

[HWTechGuy]

I had it done as part of the overall home inspection process when I bought my house. The agent gave me a price without the survey and with it. It was more than worth it. And, I paid more than $100 for that aspect of the inspection.

[gypsychic]

Definitely, 100% worth it!

[bentlebee]

Originally Posted by mickeyfinn

Hi,

Our insurance agent has recommended we pay for a 'Wind Mitigation Survey" done on our home by a licensed general contractor. He says it will save us money on our homeowners insurance.

We re-did the entire roof less than 3 years ago. The company pulled a permit and so on, which is required for the insurance "discount" we may receive.

The cost is $100 for the survey.

At this point, I trust no one when it comes to homeowners insurance in this state. Have you read the newspaper lately? God, what a crooked state we live in.

Anyway, is it worth the investment of $100 to have it done?

Thanks.

When my new roof was installed the insurance broker had me get the wind mit, which sounds crazy as the new roof was permitted. But the roofing company included the wind mit which of course can't be performed by the roofing company that installed the roof.

This was the first time, but not the last time different insurance companies are telling owners to have a wind mit performed. This almost sounds like a scam for newer roofs to require that.

But if that is what it takes to get the lower quote than you have not much choice.

[EngGirl]

We recently shopped around for HOI. 6 y.o. house with 6 y.o. roof. Hubby called one company, they asked if we have wind mitigation papers, but husband said no as he didn't remember we had it. We got a quote. I called back few hours later and spoke with the person who provided the quote - explained that we have wind mitigation. He asked for info from the paperwork, told me where to look for answers he needed. Quoted price went down by $60. I couldn't believe my eyes and double checked. This is a joke when saving is less than the actual cost of wind mitigation inspection...

[bentlebee]

Originally Posted by EngGirl

We recently shopped around for HOI. 6 y.o. house with 6 y.o. roof. Hubby called one company, they asked if we have wind mitigation papers, but husband said no as he didn't remember we had it. We got a quote. I called back few hours later and spoke with the person who provided the quote - explained that we have wind mitigation. He asked for info from the paperwork, told me where to look for answers he needed. Quoted price went down by $60. I couldn't believe my eyes and double checked. This is a joke when saving is less than the actual cost of wind mitigation inspection...

That seems to be an exception and not in general. Most insurances go way down based on wind mitigation and roof certification and in your case you were missing the roof certification.

[Sunshine Rules]

A wind mitigation inspection (also called a windstorm mitigation inspection) is when a certified inspector inspects your home for wind-resistant features. These features can be anything from door/window coverings (hurricane shutters) to the way your roof is attached to your home to how your roof is sealed to prevent water from entering. The Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form is a standardized form that can only be completed by inspectors that are certified to complete the forms, not all home inspectors are certified for Wind Mit.

Many insurance companies now require both a wind mitigation report and a 4-point home inspection report (roof, electrical, plumbing, HVAC system) before they will quote insurance rates on older homes. Different insurance companies have different requirements for when you need to start providing these reports. I've seen as little as 5 - 6 years to 10 years as a starting point, but most seem to fall into that 5 - 7 year range.

As to why the wind mitigation inspection report did not yield significant savings for a home built in 2006, your insurance agent should be able to provide a definite answer. However, based on my recent dealings with insurance agents while searching for replacement coverage (previous company pulled out of our part of FL), it is probably because the insurance company is already factoring in most of the wind mitigation savings into your policy based on when the home was built and required building codes at that time.

The laws creating the uniform FL building codes went into effect in 2002 and require the building codes to be updated at a minimum of every 3 years. A 2006 built homes falls under the building code changes that went into effect Oct 1 of 2005. The next big changes were in 2009 and 2012, 2015, 2018 and the latest changes effective Jan 1, 2021. Most insurance companies use 1994 as a significant cut off year, with homes built before 1994 having the least amount of wind resistance and therefore the insurance rates are much higher.