Wind mitigation is essential in Florida. In fact, the state’s high winds and water intrusion are major contributors to Florida’s disproportionate amount of insurance claims. But you can protect your home by incorporating the same research-based recommendations endorsed by the:
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Florida Department of Financial Services
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Florida Division of Emergency Management
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Florida Office of Insurance Regulation
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Florida Alliance for Safe Homes
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Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
You can find these recommendations in Florida's wind mitigation form — that is, the standard inspection document that helps determine how wind-resistant your home is.
Even better? A wind-resistant home can help you save on Florida homeowners insurance premiums. The state requires insurance companies to offer discounts when consumers take steps toward wind mitigation.
Florida isn’t the only place where wind mitigation may help reduce your home insurance costs. Louisiana, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Alabama all have incentives for wind mitigation. Check out your state’s information in our home hardening guide.
What is the new Florida Wind Mitigation Form (OIR-B1-1802)?
The Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection form (OIR-B1-1802) is a standardized document used by inspectors to verify wind-resistant features of a home. If you have an older inspection, it may still be valid — inspections completed before April 1, 2026 on the 2012 form are still accepted. But if you're getting a new inspection, make sure your inspector uses the updated 2026 form.
The form evaluates nine features of your home's construction.
9 ways to tell how wind resistant your home is
Note that homes built in 2002 or after automatically qualify for basic wind mitigation discounts and might not require an inspection — though one may be needed to unlock additional savings.
The nine categories below are what inspectors evaluate — and where your discounts come from.
1. IBHS designation
The 2026 form now includes a section for a FORTIFIED Home designation from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). This is a voluntary certification program where homes are built or upgraded to higher wind-resistance standards. If your home has been certified, the inspector will note the level — Roof, Silver, or Gold. Homes with a FORTIFIED designation can qualify for an additional discount.
Most homes won't have this designation, but it's worth asking your contractor about it when doing major roof or construction work.
2. Region (wind zone)
The new form identifies the wind zone your home falls in based on the design wind speed for your area. Your inspector will classify your home as one of the following:
- HVHZ (High Velocity Hurricane Zone — Miami-Dade and Broward counties)
- Region 1: Greater than or equal to 140 mph
- Region 2: 130–139 mph
- Region 3: Less than 130 mph
This classification helps insurance companies accurately assess the wind risk for your specific location, and it influences the discounts available to you. Note that homes in High Velocity Hurricane Zone counties are held to stricter construction standards than the rest of Florida.
3. Roof slope
Also new to the 2026 form, inspectors will record the steepness of your roof's primary area. A roof is classified as either:
- Greater than or equal to 6:12 (steeper pitch)
- Less than 6:12 (lower pitch)
Roof slope affects how wind interacts with your roof during a storm. This information, combined with other factors like shape and attachment, gives insurers a more complete picture of your roof's wind resistance.
4. Roof cover
The roof covering is what you see on the outside, and the material it’s made of helps determine how resilient it is to wind and water damage. The 2026 form now distinguishes between more roof covering types, including synthetic/composite tile and membrane as separate categories alongside the existing asphalt/fiberglass shingle, concrete/clay tile, metal, and built-up options.
Insurance companies will consider what your roof is made out of and how old those materials are to determine what wind mitigation discounts your home is eligible for. Newer materials are typically built to stronger building code equivalent standards.
5. Roof-deck attachment
Your roof deck is material underneath your roof covering that connects to the frame of your home. It can be attached through any number of nails, staples, and fasteners. The type of attachment, plus how far apart they’re spaced, helps determine how securely your roof is attached. Ideally, a solid roof deck prevents the roof from blowing off in hurricane winds.
On the inspection form, roof deck attachment is rated from weakest (Category A — 6d nails or staples) to strongest (Category C — 8d nails at 6" spacing), with additional categories for reinforced concrete, spray foam, and other methods. The form always rates the weakest attachment found anywhere on the roof.
Qualifying for wind mitigation discounts requires having a roof that has the proper amount of nails with the proper length and design to withstand the most wind. Homes built from 2002 onward are generally expected to meet Category C standards, but the inspector always rates the weakest attachment found — so the actual rating can vary.
6. Roof-to-wall connection
How well is your roof attached to the walls? This is quantified on the form by nine options:
- Toenails
- Clips
- Single wraps
- Double wraps
- Anchor bolt
- Other
- Unknown
- No attic access
- Connection not installed as intended (new in 2026 form)
Having the strongest roof-to-wall attachments tends to provide some of the greatest windstorm mitigation credits with your insurance provider. Double wraps are considered the strongest, whereas toenails provide the least protection. Structural anchor bolts and Sanibel straps are treated equivalently to single wraps for discount purposes.
Companies are unable to provide discounts when there is no attic access to determine the roof-to-wall connection. If the attachment type is unknown or falls into the other category, your company should be able to assess the photographs in the inspection to determine whether or not you qualify for savings.
7. Roof shape or geometry
This is another way to say, “What is your roof shape?” The options on the form are:
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Hip roof
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Flat roof
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Other
A hip roof is ideal, as all sides slope downward to aid in resisting clashes with hurricane winds. The flat roof classification only applies to buildings with five or more units. Therefore, any single-family home's roof that is not a hip roof is automatically classified as "other."
Granted, there isn’t much you can do about the roof of your current home. But this is good information to keep in mind when you’re buying a home.
8. Secondary water resistance
This is essentially an additional layer put onto homes post-2001 that provides additional water protection and is attached under the shingles. You either have it or you don’t. Secondary water resistance is not something folks usually invest in unless they’re installing a new roof.
9. Opening protection
This part of the inspection looks at whether your windows, doors, skylights, and garage doors can stand up to flying debris during a hurricane. Think impact-resistant windows, storm shutters, and reinforced garage doors — anything that keeps wind and debris from breaking through and compromising your home's pressure barrier.
The inspector checks every opening: glass windows, skylights, glass blocks, entry doors, and garage doors. If everything is properly impact-rated and secured, you could qualify for a meaningful discount.
One thing to know: the 2026 form added a "Damaged Openings" category. If the inspector flags any damaged openings anywhere on the form, the Opening Protection discount is off the table entirely — even if everything else checks out.
Recently built home? If your home was built in 2019 or later and sits in a wind-borne debris region, you may qualify for the Opening Protection discount without a formal inspection.
Bottom line
Assessing your home’s wind risk and mitigating against it is an important step in protecting your home from the costs that follow dangerous storms and hurricanes. Budgeting for these upgrades now can ultimately save money on homeowners insurance in Florida.
If you are unsure if your home qualifies for a wind mitigation discount, talk to your insurance representative. They can go through the checklist to help you figure out how to get a wind mitigation inspection using the updated 2026 form.
