Would you like to get a refund
from your homeowners insurance company?

What's the history of Wind Mitigation?

In 2005 the Florida legislature passed a law requiring all residential property insurance companies to file with the Office of Insurance Regulation (Office) a range of premium discounts they offer customers who live in homes of certain construction types or who apply loss mitigation devices (like shutters) to their homes.

Accordingly, the Office sent the following notice to all residential property insurance companies on December 8, 2005: Informational Memorandum - Premium Discounts for Hurricane Loss Mitigation instructing them to electronically file their discounts with the Office and to start sending the list of discounts to all new and renewed policies starting on February 1, 2006.

Commissioner McCarty recognized this was a good first step, but thought the wide ranges of discounts offered were not helpful for Floridians who need to know exactly what the discounts would be to make an informed decision on whether or not to spend money on retrofitting their homes. The Commissioner also thought the discounts should be higher, even doubled because of an engineering report conducted for the Florida Department of Community Affairs. The report demonstrated that recognized loss mitigation devices are much more resistant to damage than previous data indicated. Click here if you would like to view the research document on which the new higher discounts are based: Report on Mitigation Discounts.

Therefore, in December 2006, the Office promulgated Rule 69O-170.017 which required all property insurers to provide to the Office higher discounts in their insurance rates for policyholders who had recognized loss mitigation devices on their homes no later than March 1, 2007. The Rule requires insurers to send a list of those discounts with exact dollar savings to all new and renewed policyholders. Insurers must start sending the “Notice of Premium Discounts for Hurricane Loss Mitigation” form (OIR-B1-1655) to new and renewing policyholders starting September 5, 2007.

How much will your refund check be?

Answer: Your agent should have provided you with a list of possible discounts for your home as required by Rule 69O-170.017 . We can verify those applicable discounts with our surveys performed by our certified inspector(s) at HomeFirst Inspections. Call us today so that you can fight back against the high cost of insurance.

The following items are building features that reduce wind damage for which many insurance companies offer wind premium discounts.To learn more about each of these categories, click on the highlighted portion of the text.

1. Roof coverings, such as shingles that meet the FBC Requirements.

2. Roof decks that have been installed with large nails and close spacing.

3. Hurricane clips/straps that hold the roof structure to the walls.

4. Protection of Openings such as windows and glass doors with impact resistant glazing or other protection systems.

5. Secondary Water Resistance that prevents the roof from leaking if the roof covering is blown off in a windstorm.

6. Roof Design , Hip roofs seem to divert the stronger winds and therefore sustain less damage.

7. Garage Doors require reinforcement . Shutters have little value when the garage door is not protected.

Newly Constructed Homes built to the Florida Building Code since March 1, 2002

Homes built to the South Florida Building Code in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties after 1994.

How can I take advantage of the discounts?

Most homeowners will need a licensed or certified professional (general, residential or building contractor, building inspector, a registered architect, engineer or certified building code official) to inspect the home to identify potential mitigation measures and legally verify improvements. There may be other inspection professionals available, for a listing of Individuals and/or Inspection Companies meeting these qualifications contact your Insurance Agent. (per OIR-B1-1655)

What if my agent or insurance company refuses to accept the inspection results submitted on the proper form?

Call the Department of Financial Services’ Consumer Hotline 1-877-MyFLCFO (877-693-5236) (In Florida) or 850-413-3132 (Out-of-State) to report what happened.

MIAMI-DADE VS. FLORIDA BUILDING CODE

After Hurricane Andrew devastated South Florida in 1992, Miami- Dade, Broward, and unincorporated Palm Beach counties passed building codes that required new homes to be built with opening protection (impact-resistant windows and doors, or impact-resistant coverings, such as shutters, for windows and doors).  These codes also included standards for how opening protection products would be tested and approved for use.  

Today, the Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) is the best way to be sure the products you buy pass the strictest tests in the country for windborne debris, pressure, and water.

All opening protection products that have received a Miami-Dade NOA are also approved by the Florida Building Code.  But the reverse is not true.  That's because the Florida Building Code test standards do not disqualify an opening protection product, a shutter for example, that allows for the possibility of glass breakage during a hurricane.  A product that allows for glass breakage during testing would not be approved for use by the Miami- Dade Code.   

You can learn whether a product you are considering has received a Miami-Dade NOA by visiting the Miami-Dade Building Code Compliance website at:  www.miamidade.gov/buildingcode/  --  look for the Search Approved Products tab under Product Control on the site's menu.