A wind mitigation inspection is a specialized evaluation of your home's ability to resist hurricane damage, and it is the gateway to some of the most significant insurance premium discounts available to South Florida homeowners. After investing in impact windows, scheduling a wind mitigation inspection is the very next step we tell all our customers to take as their next step to start saving money on your homeowner's insurance policy.
The wind mitigation inspection evaluates seven key areas of your home's construction and protection systems. These include the roof covering type, the method of roof deck attachment, the roof-to-wall connection, the roof geometry, the secondary water resistance barrier, and the opening protection for all windows, doors, skylights, and garage doors. Each category has specific qualification levels that correspond to increasing insurance discounts, and the opening protection category is where impact windows make their most significant contribution to your savings.
To earn the highest opening protection credit on the wind mitigation form, every opening in your home must be protected with impact-rated products or approved hurricane shutters. This includes all windows, entry doors, sliding glass doors, skylights, and the garage door. A single unprotected opening can reduce your credit from the top tier to a lower level, significantly reducing your insurance discount. This is why a whole-home approach to impact window and door installation is so important from an insurance savings perspective.
Preparing for your wind mitigation inspection is straightforward but important. Gather all product documentation for your impact windows and doors, including the manufacturer's product approval numbers, the Miami-Dade NOA numbers if applicable, and any installation permits and final inspection approvals from your local building department. Having this documentation readily available helps the inspector verify your protection level quickly and accurately. If any documentation is missing, your contractor should be able to provide duplicate copies of all relevant approval documents.