When your buyer gets their first homeowners insurance quote, the windstorm portion is often the biggest part of it. One short inspection can change that number, and most of what it looks for was decided the day the house was built.
It’s called the wind mitigation inspection, and it’s documented on one state form: the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, OIR-B1-1802. Florida updated the form this year, so here is what it checks now, why insurers give credit for it, and how to use it in a transaction.
Why a wind mitigation report can lower the premium
This isn’t a sales perk. It’s in state law. Section 627.0629, Florida Statutes, requires residential property insurers’ rate filings to include “actuarially reasonable discounts, credits, or other rate differentials, or appropriate reductions in deductibles” for homes with features shown to reduce windstorm loss: roof strength, roof covering performance, roof-to-wall strength, opening protection and more.
Insurers can’t credit what they can’t verify, so the OIR-B1-1802 form is how a homeowner proves those features exist. Under Section 627.711, insurers also have to tell policyholders at issuance and at every renewal what discounts are available and what they can do to reduce their windstorm premium.
How much a report saves depends on the insurer, the home and its location, so we never promise a number. What we can say is that a home with verified features is rated on what it actually has. Without a report, the insurer has to rate it without that proof.
What changed in 2026
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) revised the form after its required five-year review, which was informed by a 2024 wind-loss study. OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26) took effect April 1, 2026, and every inspection performed on or after that date must use it. The new version:
- Adds two new items: Region (the home’s design wind speed) and Roof Slope
- Adds spray-foam options for roof deck attachment and sealed roof deck
- Adds uplift-capacity thresholds for purpose-made roof-to-wall connectors
- Lets a FORTIFIED Home Roof, Silver or Gold certificate support several items
- Adds a new “Z” category for damaged openings
What the inspector checks: the 9 items on the form
1. Building code. Which Florida Building Code was in force when the original permit was applied for: FBC 2001/2004, FBC 2007 or later, or (Miami-Dade and Broward only) the 1994 South Florida Building Code. For homes built in the transition years, the permit application date decides it. Newer code-built homes already have many wind features built into their base rate.
2. Region (new). The home’s design wind speed under ASCE 7-22: the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, Region 1 (140 mph or more), Region 2 (130–139 mph) or Region 3 (under 130 mph).
3. Roof slope (new). Whether the main roof is at least 6:12 or flatter than 6:12.
4. Roof covering. Every roof covering type on the house, with a permit application date or a Florida/Miami-Dade product approval number, plus the year it was installed. This is where a recent permitted re-roof pays off. If the paperwork can’t be found, the covering may not earn credit.
5. Roof deck attachment. How the plywood or OSB is fastened to the trusses, checked from the attic: staples or 6d nails, 8d nails at 12 inches, 8d nails at 6 inches, concrete deck, or a qualifying spray foam. The form records the weakest attachment found. If there’s no attic access, the box says so and the feature can’t be verified.
6. Roof-to-wall attachment. How the roof is tied to the walls, from weakest to strongest: toenails, clips, single wraps, double wraps or structural anchors. Again the weakest connection counts. Connectors that weren’t installed as intended can drop the rating.
7. Roof geometry. A true hip roof (no other roof shapes making up more than 10% of the total roof perimeter) is rated separately from “other” shapes such as gables.
8. Sealed roof deck / secondary water resistance. A backup layer that keeps water out if shingles or tiles blow off: fully adhered peel-and-stick underlayment, taped deck seams, a qualifying double layer of underlayment, or spray foam. Standard underlayment or hot-mopped felt doesn’t count. It’s usually installed during a re-roof, so ask for the roofer’s paperwork.
9. Opening protection. Every window, entry door, slider, skylight and garage door, rated by the weakest one. Verified impact-rated products or shutters (levels A and B) are at the top. Unverified shutters are rated N, and a single unprotected opening is rated X.
Two details that can quietly cost the credit
One unprotected opening. Because opening protection is graded by the weakest opening, a home with impact windows and an original, unrated garage door or a slider without shutters can lose the top rating. That one opening may be the best upgrade to make.
Damaged openings. This is new in 2026. The form says all windows, doors and skylights “must be in good condition,” and that “buildings with openings that need replacement do not qualify for wind mitigation rate differentials, regardless of the presence/absence of other features.” A cracked pane or a failed slider is a repair item before listing.
Proof matters as much as the feature
Every attribute from item 2 through 9 needs at least one photo or supporting document: permits, product approvals, a FORTIFIED certificate. “It has hurricane straps” doesn’t count. A photo of the straps does. That’s why the inspector goes into the attic, and why missing permits or blocked attic hatches lead to “unknown” answers that earn nothing.
The form also has to be signed by a qualified inspector. Under Section 627.711, that includes a Florida-licensed home inspector who has completed approved hurricane-mitigation training and a proficiency exam, a building code inspector, a licensed contractor, an engineer or an architect. The homeowner signs too, confirming the inspection happened. Knowingly using a false form to get a discount is a first-degree misdemeanor.
How Realtors can use it in a transaction
- Listing side: Ask sellers if they have a wind mitigation report on file. A valid report can be good for up to five years if nothing material has changed on the structure. If the roof or windows were replaced since, a fresh inspection documents the upgrade. Some insurers will accept a report in the prior owner’s name for a new purchase. The buyer’s insurance agent can confirm.
- Buyer side: Order it with the home inspection so it’s ready when the buyer starts shopping for insurance during the inspection period, not the week of closing.
- Upgrades: The report shows what is verified and what isn’t, which gives buyers a roadmap (such as a garage door, shutters or a re-roof with sealed deck) and a way to document the credit afterward.
- Keep the paperwork: Roof permits, window and door product approvals, and shutter receipts are what turn “appears to be” into “verified.”
Note: A wind mitigation report is not a 4-point inspection or a roof condition certification. Insurers often ask for those separately, especially on older homes.
Eligible homesteaded owners may also qualify for a free state-funded hurricane-mitigation inspection and matching grants through the My Safe Florida Home program, depending on funding. Check mysafeflhome.com for current status.
FAQ
How long is a Florida wind mitigation report valid?
Up to five years, as long as no material changes are made to the structure and no inaccuracies are found on the form.
Is a report done before April 1, 2026 still usable?
Inspections performed on or after April 1, 2026 must use the new form. Whether an insurer still accepts an older-version report depends on the insurer. At least one major Florida insurer continues to accept the prior version if it was completed within five years and the home hasn’t changed.
Does a newer home need one?
Often it’s still worth it. Homes built under the modern Florida Building Code get much of the credit through their base rating, but features above code minimums (impact openings, a sealed roof deck, stronger connections) only count when they’re documented.
Will it lower my client’s premium?
It can lower the windstorm portion when verified features qualify for the insurer’s credits. Results vary by insurer and home, so no inspector should promise a dollar amount.
Who should be there?
Someone who can provide attic and garage access, and any permits, product approvals or shutter documentation.
Book a wind mitigation inspection
Quality Real Estate Inspections performs wind mitigation inspections on the current OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26) form, with photos for each attribute, and can bundle them with a home inspection or 4-point. Book at qreinspections.com or call 321-222-3116.
Tariq AbouAdma, Certified Master Inspector · Florida Home Inspector HI9899 · Quality Real Estate Inspections LLC
Related: for questions about what a report could mean for a client’s policy, see qreinsurancellc.com. For financing, see qrefllc.com, and for buying or selling, qresllc.com.
Sources
- Florida OIR, Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26), Rule 69O-170.0155, F.A.C.
- Florida OIR, Wind Mitigation Resources, floir.gov/consumers/wind-mitigation-resources
- Section 627.0629, Florida Statutes (2026), residential property rate filings
- Section 627.711, Florida Statutes, notice of premium discounts; uniform mitigation verification form
- Section 215.5586, Florida Statutes (2026), My Safe Florida Home Program
This article is general information about the inspection form. It is not insurance advice, and it does not promise any discount, rate or coverage decision.