Roofing Built for South Florida Homes

Tile Roof Wind Mitigation Inspection Discount, Florida

A wind mitigation inspection can support a premium discount on a tile roof in Florida. The inspection records how your home is built to resist wind. Your insurer then decides what credit, if any, that record earns.

What a wind mitigation inspection measures

A wind mitigation inspection is a recorded review of how a home is built to withstand wind. It uses the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, designated OIR-B1-1802 by a Florida Administrative Code rule.

The form records several features of the home: the roofing material, how the roof deck is attached, the connections between the roof and walls, the roof shape, the secondary water barrier, and the protection of openings. Florida’s building law names several of these same features as ways to reduce windstorm damage, in Fla. Stat. § 553.844.

The form is a record of what the inspector observes. It checks how parts are attached, not only how the roof looks. It is not a repair plan, and it is not a premium quote.

How Florida law connects the inspection to your premium

Florida law requires residential rate filings to include discounts for homes with features that reduce windstorm loss. Under Fla. Stat. § 627.0629, those discounts must be actuarially reasonable.

Each insurer files its own rating rules. That means two companies can give different credits for the same form.

So the discount comes from the insurer’s filed rules. It does not come from the inspector or from this page. Under Fla. Stat. § 627.711, your insurer must tell you about available discount ranges when the policy is issued and at each renewal. Read that notice for the details that apply to your policy.

How a tile roof is evaluated during the inspection

The inspector checks how a tile roof is fastened to the home’s structure. Roof deck attachment and roof-to-wall connections are the structural details that matter most. Tiles alone do not tell the whole story.

Under Fla. Stat. § 553.844, criteria for secondary water barriers may cover the composition of all elements of the roof system. The law says those criteria may not be limited to one method or material. For a tile roof, the underlayment beneath the tiles is part of that review.

Loose or missing tiles and worn underlayment are conditions a careful inspector records as they are found on the visit date. The Tile Roofing Industry Alliance publishes installation guides on proper tile-roof installation and high-wind practices in Florida. Those guides show what a properly installed system should look like.

Upgrades that can affect the inspection results

Impact-rated windows and doors affect the opening protection the form records. Florida law lists window, door, and skylight strength among the features that can earn windstorm credits, under Fla. Stat. § 627.0629.

Impact products must be approved before they are sold as protection. Under Fla. Stat. § 553.842, a product may not be marketed as impact protection from wind-borne debris unless it is approved. Approval categories include windows, exterior doors, roofing, and impact protective systems. Ask for the approval papers before you buy.

Roof replacement has its own rule. Under Fla. Stat. § 553.844, for existing structures that the new-construction building code does not otherwise cover, connecting the roof to the walls is not required unless the work at gable ends or all corners can be completed for 15 percent of the reroofing cost.

Do not expect them to change the inspection record.

Questions to ask before you schedule the inspection

Ask a few specific questions before the visit. The answers help make the record match your actual roof.

• Does the roof have recent repairs, loose tiles, or underlayment concerns the inspector should know about?
• Are my windows and doors impact-rated, and do I have the product approval papers?

Keep the answers with your renewal notice. You can then compare them with the discount ranges your insurer sends.

Next steps for a tile roof in South Florida

Before the inspection, know your roof’s condition, how it is fastened, and any past storm damage. That preparation is the most useful step you can take. A roof assessment can find repairs that change what the inspection will record, including tile repair, underlayment work, and roof replacement. Impact window and door work can also change the opening protection record.

Frequently asked questions