Quick Answer
A wind mitigation inspection is a Florida home inspection that documents the features of your house that help it resist hurricane-force winds. A licensed inspector records them on a standardized form, the wind mitigation report, which you send to your insurance company. Florida law requires insurers to offer premium discounts for verified wind-resistant features, so a report that shows strong features can lower what you pay. The inspection checks roof covering, roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections, roof shape, secondary water resistance, and window and door opening protection. A new roof can improve several of these, particularly roof covering, roof deck attachment, and secondary water resistance. Discounts vary by insurer and by what your home already has, so ask your insurance agent for a quote with and without the updated report.
Here’s what the inspection looks at, what a roof replacement can and can’t change, and how to make sure your roof gets credit for the work.
What Is a Wind Mitigation Inspection?
Florida insurers know that two houses of the same size and age can behave very differently in a hurricane. One roof may be nailed down tightly, sealed underneath, and tied firmly to the walls. Another may be held on with minimum nailing and little else.
A wind mitigation inspection is how that difference gets documented. An inspector visits the home, checks specific construction features (including in the attic), photographs them, and fills out Florida’s standard mitigation verification form. That form is the wind mitigation report. Your insurer uses it to decide which windstorm premium credits apply to your policy.
The inspection is not a general home inspection, and it isn’t a roof condition report. It’s a specific checklist of wind-resistance features, and the result is only as good as what’s actually there to verify.
What the Wind Mitigation Inspection Checks
The standard Florida form covers these areas. The first three are the ones a roofing project most directly affects.
1. Roof Covering
The inspector confirms what the roof covering is (shingle, tile, metal, or another type) and whether it meets the Florida Building Code. This is usually verified through the permit date and product approval information. A roof installed under a permit, with documentation showing code-compliant materials, is easier to verify than one with no paperwork. This is one more reason a permitted installation matters.
2. Roof Deck Attachment
Roof deck attachment describes how the plywood or other sheathing under your roofing is fastened to the trusses or rafters. It’s one of the most important wind-resistance details in the house, because strong winds try to peel the roof deck off the structure from above. The form sorts attachment into categories based on:
- The type and size of fasteners (for example, smaller nails versus stronger 8d nails)
- The spacing of those fasteners along the edges and across the field of each panel
- The deck material (plywood or OSB, dimensional lumber or tongue-and-groove, or reinforced concrete)
Tighter spacing and stronger fasteners generally mean a stronger category. The inspector usually checks this from the attic by looking at the underside of the deck, or by relying on documentation from the roof installation.
3. Secondary Water Resistance
Secondary water resistance (SWR) is a layer that helps keep water out if the outer roof covering is damaged or blown off. On the form, it generally means a sealed deck: a self-adhering membrane or similar approved product over the seams of the roof deck. It’s a “yes or no” feature, and it can be one of the more valuable credits. It’s also something an inspector usually can’t confirm after the fact unless it’s documented, because it’s hidden under the roofing.
4. Roof-to-Wall Attachment
This records how the roof framing is connected to the walls. The categories, from weakest to strongest, are generally toe nails, clips, single wraps, and double wraps (metal straps that wrap over the trusses). This connection is part of the home’s structure, so it’s typically set when the house is built or changed through separate structural work.
5. Roof Shape
The form records whether the roof is a hip roof (sloping on all four sides), a gable roof, or another shape. Hip roofs generally handle wind better than gable roofs. Roof shape is a feature of the house’s design and is not something a re-roof changes.
6. Opening Protection
The inspector also notes whether windows, doors, and garage doors are protected by impact-rated products or approved shutters. This is separate from the roof, but it affects the overall result.
What a New Roof Can Change (and What It Can’t)
This is the question most homeowners are really asking. Here’s how the main items break down:
| Wind mitigation item | Can a roof replacement improve it? |
| Roof covering | Yes. A new, permitted, code-compliant roof updates the covering and its documentation |
| Roof deck attachment | Often. When the old roof is torn off, the deck is exposed and can be inspected and re-fastened to current standards |
| Secondary water resistance | Yes. It can be installed during replacement if your contractor includes it |
| Roof-to-wall attachment | Rarely. This is a structural connection, not part of the roofing material |
| Roof shape | No. This is part of the home’s design |
| Opening protection | No. Windows and doors are a separate project |
The takeaway: a roof replacement is the single best time to improve the most valuable roof-related items, because the deck is open and visible. Once new roofing goes on top, those details disappear from view, which is why documentation matters so much.
How a New Roof Can Lower Your Insurance Premium
Florida law requires insurers to offer discounts for verified wind-resistant features, but the size of the discount varies by company, county, the age and design of your home, and which features your report confirms. A few things tend to drive savings:
- A newer, permitted roof replaces uncertain or older documentation with clear, code-compliant proof.
- Stronger roof deck attachment can move you into a more favorable category.
- Secondary water resistance can add a separate credit.
- A new, accurate report replaces an outdated one that may be undercounting your home’s features. Many older reports predate a roof replacement, and some insurers will not credit upgrades that were never re-inspected.
It’s smart to get a quote from your insurance agent both before and after the updated report, so you can see what actually changed. Some homes see a meaningful drop; others see little, especially if the house already scored well. Be skeptical of anyone who promises a specific percentage in advance.
Wind Mitigation and Metal Roofing
Metal roofing has a strong reputation for wind performance, and for good reason, but it helps to understand how that translates to the report. The form doesn’t give a metal roof a bonus just for being metal. Instead, the credits come from the specific features the inspector verifies: a permitted, code-compliant roof covering, a securely fastened deck, and secondary water resistance underneath the panels.
A well-installed metal roof can support strong results in each of those areas, because the system is typically installed over a solid deck with a protective layer beneath. The details of how the panels, deck, and underlayment are installed are what an inspector and your insurer care about. For more on how metal performs in storm conditions, see our guide to whether metal roofs are worth it in hurricane zones.
Who Can Perform a Wind Mitigation Inspection?
In Florida, the inspection must be done by a qualified, licensed professional. That generally means a licensed home inspector, general contractor, building code inspector, architect, or engineer, working within the rules for the state’s standard form. A roofer pulling the permit and installing the roof is not the same as the person who signs the mitigation report, so it’s worth asking who’s doing the inspection and whether they’re licensed to certify it.
How Long Is a Wind Mitigation Report Valid?
Insurers generally accept a completed wind mitigation form for five years, as long as nothing about the home has changed. If you replace the roof, add shutters or impact windows, or make other changes that affect the features on the form, a new inspection is worth scheduling, because the old report won’t reflect the improvement. Your insurer’s specific requirements can vary, so confirm them with your agent.
Tips to Get Full Credit for Your New Roof
- Ask your contractor to document the deck and underlayment. Photos taken during tear-off (the bare deck, nailing, and any sealing layer) can be valuable proof, because they’ll be invisible once the roofing is installed.
- Keep the permit paperwork. The permit date and closeout documents help verify a code-compliant roof covering.
- Schedule the inspection after the roof is complete. The report should reflect the finished roof, not the old one.
- Send the new report to your insurer and ask for a re-quote with the updated features.
- Keep a copy. Report validity and renewal rules mean you may need to show it again.
Related Reading
- My Safe Florida Home Grant 2026: What Treasure Coast Homeowners Need to Know
- Florida Homeowners Insurance & Your Roof: What Homeowners Need to Know in 2026
How Rhino Roofs Approaches This
We handle the permit, the inspections, and the closeout documentation as part of every installation, because those records are exactly what insurers and inspectors look for later. If you’d like your new roof to count toward a wind mitigation report, tell us up front. We’ll walk you through what the roofing work will address, what it won’t, and how to keep the documentation your inspector will need. There’s no pressure, and no promise of a specific discount, just a clear picture of what your roof contributes.
Explore Roof Replacement Options · See Metal Roofing
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a wind mitigation inspection in Florida?
It’s an inspection that documents the features of a home that help it resist high winds, including the roof covering, roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections, roof shape, secondary water resistance, and opening protection. The results are recorded on a standardized form, called the wind mitigation report, that you submit to your insurance company.
What is a wind mitigation report used for?
Insurers use it to determine which windstorm premium discounts apply to your policy. Florida law requires insurers to offer discounts for verified wind-resistant features, though the amount varies by company and by what the report shows.
Will a new roof lower my homeowners insurance?
It can, but not automatically. A new, permitted roof can improve the roof covering, roof deck attachment, and secondary water resistance entries on the report, which may qualify you for larger credits. You’ll need an updated wind mitigation inspection to document the changes, and the savings depend on your insurer and your home.
What is roof deck attachment?
Roof deck attachment describes how the roof sheathing is fastened to the home’s trusses or rafters. Stronger fasteners and tighter spacing generally earn a better category on the report, because they make the deck more resistant to being pulled off in high winds.
What is secondary water resistance on a wind mitigation report?
Secondary water resistance is a sealed layer over the roof deck, typically a self-adhering membrane over the seams, that helps keep water out if the outer roof covering is damaged or lost in a storm. It’s usually installed during a roof replacement and should be documented so it can be verified later.
How often do I need a new wind mitigation inspection?
Insurers generally accept a completed form for five years if nothing has changed. A new inspection makes sense after you replace the roof or add features like impact windows or shutters, since the old report won’t show them.
Does a metal roof automatically get a wind mitigation discount?
No. The report credits specific features, not the roofing material alone. A metal roof installed over a well-fastened deck with secondary water resistance and proper permitting can score well, but each item has to be verified on the form.
Who is allowed to perform a wind mitigation inspection?
A qualified, licensed professional, such as a licensed home inspector, general contractor, building code inspector, architect, or engineer, using Florida’s standard form. Your roofing contractor can help with documentation but isn’t automatically the person who certifies the report.
