It is possible to save as much as 85% on the windstorm portion of your Florida homeowner’s insurance policy if you manage to qualify for all the discounts allowed. But it’s more likely to be less. Florida law requires that insurance companies give you money off for the hurricane-resistant features of your home, and the percentage varies—someitmes significantly—between companies. 

   If the original building permit for your home was applied for after March 1, 2002 (beginning of state-wide Florida Building Code), it means the house meets higher code standards for storm resistance and automatically gets a bundle of discounts worth about 68%. This large discount will exclude or reduce some of the other discounts listed below:

Up to 47% - Hip roof (for roofs that slope downward on all sides like a pyramid). See our blog post How do I get the hip roof discount for my homeowners windstorm insurance? to learn more.

Up to 44% - Shutters, which must be rated by Miami-Dade or Florida Building Code, based on label attached to shutter or other documentation. Lower discount outside wind-borne debris region.

Up to 35% - Metal hurricane clips, single-wraps, or double-wraps at roof-to-wall connection. 

Up to 14% - Roof covering that meets Florida Building Code (FBC). Roof permit application date after 3/1/2002 or other documentation necessary.

Up to 8% - Secondary Water Resistance (SWR). Typically this would be a self-adhered and self-sealing modified bitumen roofing underlayment such as Grace Ice and Water Shield or Certainteed WinterGuard. A foam barrier applied to the underside of the roof sheathing is another option, but seldom used. 

Up to 5% - Roof deck attachment method. 2-1/2” nails spaced at 6” on center gets best discount.

    Also see our blog post How long does a wind mitigation inspection remain valid?

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Here’s links to a collection of our blog posts about the WIND MITIGATION FORM:

• Why did I get no discounts or only a small discount from my wind mitigation inspection?

• Who can perform a wind mitigation inspection in Florida?

• How long does it take for a wind mitigation inspection? 

• What is checked during a wind mitigation inspection? 

• Is a wind mitigation inspection report (OIR-B1-1802) required for homeowners insurance in Florida? 

• Which building permit date is used for the Building Code section of the wind mitigation form? 

• What are the different roof deck attachment discount categories for a wind mitigation inspection?

• What determines the year of a house? 

• What is the difference between a toe nail, clip, single wrap, and double wrap for the wind mitigation form?

• Can I do my own wind mitigation inspection?   

• What’s the difference between a gable and hip roof for my insurance? 

• What is the wind mitigation inspection for homeowner's insurance?  

• How can I tell how hurricane resistant a Florida house is before I buy it?

• What is a wind mitigation discount? 

• Do I get a a discount for partial hurricane shutters in a Wind Mitigation inspection?

• Why did I get no discount for roof-to-wall-attachment in my Wind Mitigation report? 

• What’s the difference between a four-point and wind mitigation inspection?

   Visit our INSURANCE page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles. 

Average discount data from Florida’s Foundation and insurance documents.