A Wind Mitigation Inspection can be key to saving an insured a lot of money on their existing homeowner's insurance. That means you won't have to change your coverage or even your company. A Wind Mitigation Inspection basically checks to see how well your home should withstand a wind storm. The inspection checks many different aspects of how your home is constructed, but today we will talk about three different things homeowners should look for before getting a Wind Mitigation Inspection.
Would You “Permit” Me To Ask, How Old Are You?
One of the first things an inspector will look at is whether your roof is up to code or not. If your roof was installed after 2004 and a permit was pulled to replace the roof, odds are your roof is up to code. If you are unsure about this, you can go to the Osceola County Permit Search website and simply type in your address and it will list all permits pulled on your property. If your roof has been replaced after 2004 and a permit was pulled, chances are it is worth getting a Wind Mitigation Inspection!
Is Your Roof A “Strapping” Young Roof?
Another thing your inspector will be looking for is how your roof is fastened to your home. Either your rafters are secured by being simply nailed to your walls, nailed together using clips or nailed together using single or double hurricane straps. If your roof is just nailed to the walls, you will not get a credit on your homeowner's policy for that, but if you have clips or hurricane straps, you have some savings in your future!
Is Your Roof “Hip”, Yo?!
Another discount you can receive is based on the shape of your roof. If you have a hip roof, you definitely want to get a Wind Mitigation Inspection! While the savings are huge on having a hip roof, more times than not, it will probably save you enough to at least pay for the Wind Mitigation Inspection. While that might not sound appealing, just think if you can at least break even the first year, you will be saving money each year after than initial inspection! If you have a Gable or Flat roof, unfortunately, there are no credits for these types of roofs.
If you have any older home with a newer roof and haven't had a Wind Mitigation Inspection done, you could be losing out on a ton of savings on your existing home insurance policy. At Harrell Agency, we always recommend getting an inspection if your home is older than 2005 with a roof 2005 and newer. We have had a few scenarios where people don't receive any Wind Mitigation Credits, but if any of the three things we discussed today apply to your home, you should highly consider getting a Wind Mitigation Inspection soon!
