What a wind mitigation inspection checks, why Florida insurers give credit for it, and how to get the most from yours.
Wind is one of the biggest drivers of home insurance cost in Cape Coral. Florida law gives homeowners a way to get credit for a home that is built to stand up to it: the wind mitigation inspection. A short visit by a qualified inspector documents your home's wind-resistant features on a state form, and your insurer uses that form to apply discounts to the wind portion of your premium. For many homes, the savings over the life of the report are well worth the cost of the inspection.
A wind mitigation inspection records how well your home resists hurricane winds. The inspector fills out the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, form OIR-B1-1802, which is published by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. Because every insurer in Florida uses the same form, one report can be shared with any carrier.
The form is updated from time to time. A revised version took effect on April 1, 2026, and inspections done on or after that date use the new form. If your report is on an older version, ask whether your insurer still accepts it.
Florida law requires insurers to offer discounts, credits or other rate differentials for construction features and improvements that are shown to reduce windstorm losses. Your insurer cannot give you credit for features it does not know about. Without a report on file, a policy is usually priced as if the home has none of them.
How much you save depends on your home, your insurer's filed rates and which features you have. The credits apply to the wind (hurricane) portion of the premium, which in Cape Coral is often a large share of the total.
Inspections usually take under an hour. The inspector looks at the roof covering, goes into the attic to check the deck and roof-to-wall connections, and photographs each feature. Have any permits, receipts or product approval paperwork for your roof, windows, doors and shutters ready; documentation helps the inspector give you credit for features that are hard to see.
The form lists who may sign it, such as licensed home inspectors with the required training, building code inspectors, certain licensed contractors, engineers and architects. Ask any inspector to confirm they are qualified to complete the current form, and check that every field is filled in and the required photos are attached.
A wind mitigation report has generally been treated as valid for up to five years, as long as no material changes are made to the home and nothing on the form is inaccurate. Check the current form and ask your insurer, since acceptance rules can change, as they did when the form was revised in 2026.
Get a new inspection sooner if you replace the roof, add impact windows or shutters, or make other upgrades. A new roof in particular can change several answers on the form at once.
Many Cape Coral homes were built after the Florida Building Code took effect, and many others have had new roofs, windows or shutters added in recent years, including after Hurricane Ian. Those upgrades can earn real credits, but only if they are on a current report. If you have done work since your last inspection, or never had one, it is worth asking for one.
The state's My Safe Florida Home program, run by the Florida Department of Financial Services, has offered free wind mitigation inspections and matching grants for some upgrades when it has funding. Funding and eligibility rules change, so check the program's site for what is available now.
It is Florida's Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, published by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. Inspectors use it to document a home's wind-resistant features, and insurers use it to apply wind mitigation credits.
A report has generally been treated as valid for up to five years if the home has no material changes and the form has no inaccuracies. Check the current form and your insurer's rules, and get a new inspection after a new roof or other upgrades.
Not always. It helps when your home has features the insurer is not already crediting. Homes with newer roofs, strong roof-to-wall connections, hip roofs or impact protection tend to benefit most.
Yes. The form is the same for every insurer in Florida, so a valid report can be sent to any carrier you are considering.
Next step: put your report to work on your home insurance in Cape Coral. Wind and flood are covered separately, so see our flood zones guide and hurricane season checklist.
Send us your wind mitigation report and current declarations page, and we will make sure every credit you have earned is on your policy. We have access to hundreds of carriers, and our super agents shop every carrier with an appetite for your risk. Call (239) 439-2500 any time and Sarah, our super intelligent assistant, will gather your info over the phone.
This guide is general information, not legal advice or a statement of coverage. Every policy is different; your policy documents and the official sources linked above are the final word. Last updated October 16, 2026.