What is a Wind Mitigation Inspection?

Slide Guide to Wind Mitigation Inspections in Florida

Most Florida homeowners dread hurricane season each year, fearing that powerful winds could damage or destroy their properties. A wind mitigation inspection (also called a windstorm mitigation inspection) offers peace of mind by assessing how well your home can withstand severe winds, identifying impactful protective measures beyond last-minute actions like boarding windows.

During the inspection, certified professionals carefully identify and document specific features that protect your home against wind damage. Their findings help you reinforce your property against storms and provide documentation that can earn substantial home insurance discounts, potentially saving you thousands each year.

In this guide, you’ll learn what every Florida homeowner should know about windstorm mitigation inspections, how to evaluate your home’s storm-readiness, identify necessary improvements, and leverage your wind mitigation report to secure meaningful savings on your home insurance.

What is Wind Mitigation?

Wind mitigation is a series of specific construction features and retrofits designed to strengthen homes against powerful wind forces. These strategic improvements focus on reinforcing critical structural components that commonly fail during severe storms.

The primary goal of wind mitigation is to prevent catastrophic damage during hurricanes and tropical storms by enhancing roofing systems, openings, and structural connections.

What is a Wind Mitigation Inspection?

A wind mitigation inspection is an assessment by a licensed professional to evaluate and document a home’s resistance to high winds. The inspection focuses on key structural elements such as roof construction, opening protection (like windows and doors), and wall-to-roof connections, to determine how well a building can withstand high winds from severe storms like hurricanes.

After the inspection, homeowners receive recommendations on improving their home's resilience against windstorms. The inspection report is official documentation that insurance companies use to calculate potential premium discounts, helping homeowners significantly reduce their insurance costs.

Why Wind Mitigation is Essential in Florida

Florida's expansive coastline and location make it uniquely vulnerable to Atlantic hurricanes, Gulf storms, and other severe weather systems.

The state experiences more direct hurricane hits than any other in the U.S. Hurricane Milton in 2024 was one of the costliest storms in the state’s history, with damage exceeding $34.6 billion. The storm’s devastating wind damage demonstrates the importance of windstorm mitigation measures.

Strong wind mitigation features provide several benefits, including:

Prevents Progressive Damage - Reinforcing vulnerable areas like roofs, garage doors, and windows prevents cascading failures caused by wind intrusion.
Gives Peace of Mind - Homes with documented wind-resistant features typically withstand major storms with significantly less damage.
Reduced Insurance Costs – Proof of wind mitigation features often qualifies homeowners for discounts from carriers like Slide.
Financial Resilience - Effective mitigation improves homeowners’ financial resilience by reducing the severity of damage and costly claims from windstorms.

Financial Benefits of Wind Mitigation

Wind mitigation can deliver many financial advantages beyond structural protection. Insurance companies reward homeowners with documented wind-resistant features by offering significant premium discounts.

Insurance Premium Discounts

A wind mitigation inspection typically costs $75 and $150, with most homeowners paying around $100. This modest investment can lead to annual insurance savings ranging from 10% to 45% on the windstorm portion of your premium, depending on your home’s features and location.

Review your insurance policy documents to verify your current discounts and ensure you're receiving all available benefits—wind mitigation discounts are itemized on your policy declarations page. Your annual renewal notice will also detail how each mitigation feature contributes to your total savings.

Long-Term Savings

For homes that lack wind mitigation features, upfront improvement costs typically range from $1,000 to $10,000, depending on your home’s size and the required upgrades. Many homeowners recoup these costs within 2 to 5 years through insurance premium reductions.

Who Needs a Wind Mitigation Inspection?

A wind mitigation inspection is not required by law or insurance companies, but it is a smart investment for most Florida homeowners. The inspection results can lead to substantial insurance savings and help identify upgrades to improve your home’s resilience against severe windstorms.

Homes built after 2002 already include many wind-resistant features thanks to updates in the Florida Building Code following Hurricane Andrew. These homes may qualify for some insurance discounts automatically, but an inspection can help unlock additional savings by documenting any enhanced mitigation features.

Homes built before 2002 typically do not meet the same structural standards and usually need a wind mitigation inspection report to qualify for insurance discounts. An inspection is often a way to access meaningful premium reductions.

Who Can Conduct a Wind Mitigation Inspection?

Florida law limits windstorm mitigation inspections to specific licensed professionals. Qualified inspectors include licensed home inspectors, general contractors, building contractors, architects, engineers, and building inspectors with current credentials.

💡Pro Tip: If you’re buying a home, consider hiring a certified home inspector who offers wind mitigation as part of a bundled inspection package—this can often save time and money.

Selecting an experienced inspector familiar with Florida's wind mitigation requirements ensures accurate documentation of all eligible features. Before scheduling, verify your inspector’s license through Florida's official licensing website to ensure they meet state standards.

Understanding Your Wind Mitigation Report

A professional wind mitigation inspection evaluates your home's wind-resistant features by closely examining structural elements that impact how well your home performs during severe weather events.

During a standard windstorm mitigation inspection, your inspector will assess:

Roof-to-Wall Connections: How securely your roof is anchored to the walls of your home.
Roof Covering: The type, condition, and age of the roofing materials.
Roof Deck Attachment: How your roof decking is fastened to the supporting structure, including nail size and spacing.
Roof Geometry: The design and shape of your roof make a difference in how it performs. For example, hip roofs typically perform better than gable roofs.
Opening Protection: The presence of impact-resistant windows, doors, garage doors, and skylights, or the use of approved storm shutters.
Secondary Water Resistance: Waterproof barriers are installed between the roof covering and decking to prevent leaks if the outer roof material is damaged.
Year of Construction: Tells which version of the Florida Building Code your home was built under.

After the inspection, you'll receive a detailed wind mitigation report with photographic evidence of all the qualifying features. Insurers use this report to calculate premium discounts.

The report also serves as a roadmap to identify cost-effective upgrades to enhance storm protection and unlock additional discounts.

Considerations for Adding Wind Mitigation Features to Your Home

After receiving your inspection results, consider working with a licensed Florida professional to complete any recommended improvements. DIY projects typically do not qualify for insurance discounts, as all wind mitigation features must meet strict building code requirements and be adequately documented by certified contractors.

Here are some strategic upgrades that offer strong protection and can lead to valuable insurance savings if you have not already maxed out your wind mitigation discounts:

Strengthen Roof-to-Wall Connections – Installing hurricane straps or clips reduces the risk of structural failure.
Add Secondary Water Barriers – During your next re-roofing project, consider applying a sealed underlayment to protect your home from water intrusion if pieces of your roofing material are lost in a storm.
Reinforce Garage Doors – Often, garage doors are the first point of failure in a storm. Hurricane-rated doors or bracing kits can provide excellent protection at a moderate cost.
Protect Windows Strategically - Starting with the windward side of your home, install impact-resistant glass or hurricane shutters to shield vulnerable openings from flying debris and pressure changes.

Once improvements are completed, submit proper documentation to your insurance company to determine if you qualify for additional wind mitigation discounts. These upgrades have the potential to increase savings while making your home safer and more resilient.

The My Safe FL Home Program: Enhancing Home Safety and Affordability

Florida homeowners may be eligible for assistance through the My Safe Florida Home Program, a state-backed initiative administered by the Department of Financial Services. This program helps owners of older homes afford critical upgrades that meet modern building codes, improving storm protection, reducing insurance premiums, and lowering the risk of costly damage.

Through grants and inspections, the program makes it easier for Floridians to invest in meaningful home improvements that enhance safety and long-term affordability.

Eligible Wind-Mitigation Improvements

Improvement 1.0 — Opening Protection: The installation of impact-resistant windows, doors, and garage doors that withstand windborne debris.

Improvement 2.0 — Roof-to-Wall Attachment: The installation of hurricane straps, clips, and wrap systems that create continuous load paths from roof to foundation.

Improvement 3.0 — Roof Deck Attachment: Enhanced nailing patterns and stronger fasteners secure roof decking to trusses, preventing sheathing failure.

Improvement 4.0 — Secondary Water Resistance: Self-adhering waterproof membranes installed beneath shingles provide crucial backup protection against water intrusion if exterior roofing materials fail.

Funding Options From My Safe FL Home

Matching Grants: The program provides $2 for every $1 a homeowner contributes, covering two-thirds of costs up to $10,000. For example, a $15,000 window replacement project would receive $10,000 in reimbursement, while a $9,000 project would receive $6,000 back.

Low-Income Grants: Qualifying homeowners can receive full $10,000 grants without matching requirements, making critical windstorm mitigation inspection improvements available regardless of financial means.

Funds are limited, so check with the program’s website for availability and qualifications.

Take Action Today: Protect Your Home and Your Wallet

You can't control the storms, but with a windstorm mitigation inspection, you can learn to strengthen your home, save money, and protect what matters most.

These valuable assessments document your home's existing wind-resistant features for insurance purposes and highlight strategic improvements that can enhance your safety and savings.

On average, Florida homeowners save between 10% and 45% annually on the windstorm portion of their premium simply by submitting a wind mitigation report, putting money back in their pockets year after year.

Wind mitigation delivers immediate and lasting value for virtually every Florida property owner. Beyond financial savings, it strengthens your home’s defenses and helps minimize potential storm damage when the next hurricane hits.

When Storms Strike, We’re Here for You

Even with substantial wind mitigation, no home is entirely immune to storm damage. You can count on Slide to deliver when it matters most.

With exceptional financial strength and a reinsurance program that exceeds regulatory and rating standards, Slide is built for resilience. And with our "Your Claim. Your Way." experience, you’re always in control—choose fast, self-service tools for convenience or connect with a live expert for personal, step-by-step support.

When the unexpected happens, we make it refreshingly easy to get back to whole—quickly, confidently, and on your terms.

Looking for coverage? Slide makes it easy to design a policy that fits your unique needs and budget. True confidence comes from knowing you've maximized your discounts and tailored your coverage to match your risks and financial goals.

Published on May 19, 2025