By Mitigating Wind Damage, Homeowners Could Save up to 40% on Insurance
If you live on or near the Atlantic Coast or the Gulf of Mexico, you’ve likely heard about wind mitigation and inspections. If you haven’t, you might want to want to look into the homeowners insurance premium reductions that a wind mitigation inspection might avail you to. Your savings could be substantial every year.
The purpose of the inspection
Coastal property owners get wind mitigation inspections to evaluate how well their residential and commercial properties are prepared for withstanding the brute force of a strong windstorm. Neither lenders nor insurers require wind mitigation inspections, but a certified inspection report from a licensed wind mitigation inspector can save you a considerable bit of money.
Wind mitigation inspections save everybody money
These inspections were created by insurance companies for purposes of safeguarding real estate that they insure in specific areas. The intention of the insurers was to decrease the risk of windstorm damage by ensuring more secure real estate that’s less likely to be damaged because of the installation of wind mitigation protection.
Who can get a wind mitigation inspection license?
In Florida, those who might become licensed wind mitigation inspections are limited to licensed:
- General contractors
- Building contractors
- Architects
- Engineers
- Building inspectors
- Home inspectors
What do they look for?
What wind mitigation inspectors look for is different from state to state. The primary area of focus is the roof. If the roof remains on a home after a strong windstorm or hurricane, the interior walls, floors and personal property inside of the home are far less likely to be damaged by wind and rain. Roof features like its covering, how its base or deck is attached, how the roof is attached to the walls and the shape of the roof are all taken into consideration. Concrete block construction with steel reinforcement is a preferred structure to insurers. If all doors and windows are protected by hurricane-rated protection, additional discounts can apply. It’s unlikely that flying debris will come crashing through them.
What are the savings?
By mitigating possible wind damage, homeowners might see insurance savings of up to 40 percent. When it comes time to sell, the value of the home is enhanced because it has been protected, and it will remain protected.
The next big storm is inevitable. If you live in a coastal area, consider wind mitigation and its benefits.