Home Insurance Wind Mitigation Discount

Florida residents with wind loss mitigation on their homeowners policy may qualify for an extra discount

Homeowners and dwelling policyholders that have Windstorm or Hail as a defined covered loss on their policy, a policy credit (up to a maximum of 90% inclusive of any Building Code Effectiveness Grading discount) may be available to you. Premium credits are applied from the date of the wind mitigation inspection or to the start of your Progressive Home policy, whichever occurs later.

How do I know if I qualify for Florida wind mitigation discounts?

If your home was built after 2002—good news! You automatically receive default credits on your Progressive homeowners policy. But more discounts may be available to you. Your agent can determine if additional discounts apply with a Florida Wind Mitigation Inspection Form completed by a qualified and/or licensed inspector.

If your home was built prior to 2002, you're not out of luck. You may still qualify for discounts if you have since installed mitigation features or construction techniques.

What is an example of wind mitigation?

Below are some ways older homes can be retrofitted to include wind loss mitigation techniques:

• Roof Covering - There are different types of roof coverings. The most common in Florida are Asphalt Shingle (architectural or 3-tab) and Concrete or Clay Tile applications. However, Metal, Built-up, Membrane and Other are identified on the Wind Mitigation form that qualify for a policy discount. This is top layer or aesthetic layer that can easily be identified when looking at the roof of a home.
• Roof Deck Attachment - A roof deck is generally made up of steel, concrete, or wood. Steel and concrete are generally considered superior materials, but a wood deck is the most common for single family homes. The roof deck attachment connects the roof deck to the trusses or rafters by various types of plywood and nails. Generally, the greater thickness of the plywood sheathing used, the longer the nails, and the closer together the nails are placed to secure the sheath, the lower the risk of a roof blowing off. Longer nails spaced closely together give the roof the greatest ability to withstand high winds.
• Roof to Wall Connection / Attachment - Your roof to wall connection can be held together by nails or engineered hardware such as clips, single wraps, and double wrap straps and are responsible for holding your roof down during a high wind event.
• Opening Protection - Types of opening protections include impact resistant glass, hurricane shutters, impact resistant skylights and vent covers. You can also invest in a hurricane rated garage door and outward swinging, impact resistant exterior doors.
• Secondary Water Resistance - A secondary layer/barrier of protection that helps to prevent water from entering the home even after the primary barrier — the roof covering system (i.e., shingles or tiles ) and related underlayment — has failed.
  • Normally, this would be an additional self-adhered and self-sealing modified bitumen roofing underlayment (i.e., peel & stick underlayment), a modified bitumen waterproof membrane laid over the required standard code approved underlayment, or closed-cell foam adhesives that coat the underside of the wood roof deck.
• Roof Shape / Geometry - There are many different types of roof shapes, the most common are Gable and Hip. However newer construction builds in FL tend to be Hip or Hip combination roofs because the application tends perform better against severe weather conditions (i.e., high wind speeds). Hip roof types are incredibly stable and perform well against extreme winds because they have no flat face for the wind to catch/reduce uplift pressure.

How to get a wind mitigation inspection in Florida

A qualified and/or licensed inspector must complete the Florida Wind Mitigation Form in order to qualify for the policy discount. A qualified and/or licensed inspector is defined by:

• Home inspector licensed under Section 468.8314, Florida Statutes who has completed the statutory number of hours of hurricane mitigation training approved by the Construction Industry Licensing Board and completion of a proficiency exam.
• Building code inspector certified under Section 468.607, Florida Statues.
• General, building, or residential contractor licensed under Section 489.111, Florida Statues.
• Professional engineer licensed under Section 471.015, Florida Statues.
• Professional architect licensed under Section 481.213, Florida Statues.
• Any other individual or entity recognized by the insurer as possessing the necessary qualifications to properly complete a uniform mitigation verification form pursuant to Section 627.711 (2), Florida Statues.

Common questions about wind mitigation in Florida

Not everyone qualifies, but there are ways to make a non-qualifying home qualify for a Progressive Home Wind Mitigation Discount. Here are some frequently asked questions about Florida wind mitigation.