Benefits Of Wind Mitigation Reports

The forces of nature are volatile entities that can do serious damage if not prepared for properly. Consequently, it’s beneficial for homeowners to acquire wind mitigation reports. Reports such as these provide an overall estimate on the structure of a home and therefore ability to take on hurricane-level winds. In other words, it provides you the information as to what features your home has that will decrease losses in a hurricane. On the reverse side of this, it can also identify weaknesses in the structure of your home, and therefore what needs reinforcing.

When you submit wind mitigation reports to an insurer you can get discounts on your windstorm insurance. Most of the time the discounts you receive save more than the fee for the report itself. In Florida, discounts are given if your home has favorable structures as designated by state law. These discounts can total up to 45% of the original policy’s premium. In general, it can reduce the total cost of a homeowner’s whole premium by over 40%. For insurance companies, wind mitigation reports answer questions needed to issue you your insurance. Furthermore, older homes, those that are more than 20 years old, often require it.

In Florida, licensed general contractors, building contractors, architects, engineers, and building or home inspectors perform the inspections. The form they utilize is an OIR-B1-1802 form or simply an 1802 form, and as of February 1st, 2012 all inspections need picture proof of each structural feature listed on the form. Be aware that a wind mitigation report is not an overall inspection of a home’s structure, nor does it determine the condition of a home as a whole.

Information Gathered On Wind Mitigation Reports

  • Age of the home

Identifying the age of a home allows inspectors to know what building codes may have been in place during construction.

  • Roofing features

There are a lot of factors to consider when analyzing the structure of a roof that consequently contribute to its stability. For instance, wind mitigation reports will look at its age to prove if it was installed to certain building codes.  Inspectors will also look at the roof to wall attachment, the shape and size of the roof, the material used, and the method of attachment for the roof to trusses or rafters.

  • Leakage protection

Wind mitigation reports will assess the presence of a secondary water-resistant barrier. In other words, they will analyze your water leakage protection.

  • Opening protection rating

Ratings such as these are determined by rating stickers applied to your window, doors, and hurricane shutters. Hurricane shutters specifically only receive a visual inspection. This means it’s a simple determination as to whether there is enough present for all openings of the home. This particular aspect of the inspection is all or nothing. Consequently, homes with only some windows rated or only a partial amount of shutters present won’t qualify.

Summary

In conclusion, wind mitigation reports are beneficial for both homeowners and insurance companies. For the people, it helps to determine the stability of their home, as well as save money on their insurance. For insurance companies it allows them to better serve their clients and keep them safer. Therefore, it is in everyone’s best interest to acquire this informative, and possibly life-saving, inspection.