What Are Wind Mitigation Credits?

Owning a home is expensive. Between the down payment, the mortgage, and homeowners insurance you’re already down a big portion of your income. There are ways to save some money here though. One of the best ways to save on your homeowners insurance is with wind mitigation credits. So, what are these wind mitigation credits and how do you get them?

In the state of Florida, insurance companies are required to provide discounts to homeowners who take steps to protect their home from wind damage. These discounts are offered in the form of wind mitigation credits. These credits aren’t just given out freely, however, you have to prove that your home contains these safety features. Here’s how you can do just that.

How To Get Wind Mitigation Credits
You get wind mitigation credits by performing a wind mitigation inspection on your home. During the inspection your inspector will look at the areas of your home that are most important for mitigating wind damage and write up a report detailing their findings. A few things you might see listed in this report are:

• The shape of your roof
• The type of shingles used
• The roof deck attachment
• The roof wall attachment
• Window and door protections

The results of this report will determine how many wind mitigation credits you receive. Your credits will be good for for five years. After that you’ll need to perform another wind mitigation inspection to see if you still qualify. Note that performing a wind mitigation inspection is completely optional. It’s not required by any insurance companies or home lenders.

Is A Wind Mitigation Inspection Worth It?
Since it’s an optional inspection, you might be wondering if it’s even worth bothering. Wouldn’t a regular home inspection tell you all you need to know anyway? This isn’t the case. Other types of home inspections don’t cover the essential aspects of wind mitigation in nearly as much detail. For that reason, these wind mitigation credits are only granted to homeowners who have performed a wind mitigation inspection. No other inspection will work. You can’t don’t it on your own either. It must be performed by a licensed inspector.

Most of the time, especially if your home is relatively new, the wind mitigation inspection will pay for itself within a few years time. The cost for a wind mitigation inspection is very low and you can save 4 to 5 times what the inspection costs if not more. There are many features of your home that may qualify for wind mitigation credits and you won’t be penalized if you lack these safety features. Your premiums can only go down, never up.

Even if you don’t end up saving on your homeowner’s insurance, wind mitigation inspections can save you in other ways. When you live in Florida hurricanes are a common occurrence and the more you prepare the better off you are. Wind mitigation inspections pinpoint the weakest areas of your home and tell you exactly what you need to do to make your home a safe from these devastating storms. Your safety and security are surely worth their weight in gold.

Please, contact us at Super Inspection Pros. today to learn more about our inspections or to schedule a wind mitigation inspection for your home. You can also find more information about us here on our website.