Florida Wind Mitigation Reports: What to Verify Before You Buy

Imagine buying a Florida home advertised with impact windows and a recently replaced roof. The seller sends a wind mitigation report dated 2022. But the roof work happened in 2025, and the rear sliding door was changed later still. The house may have useful wind-resistant features. The question is whether that older report actually documents the home you are buying — and whether an insurance quote is counting credits that still need proof.

Start with the inspection date, form version, property address and inspector’s signature. Then compare what the inspector recorded with any later roof, window, door or structural work. A seller’s older report may still be valid; a newer-looking report may still have an error. The date is only the first check.

What a Florida wind mitigation report can — and cannot — tell you

A Florida wind mitigation inspection documents specific features that may reduce wind damage, including roof connections, roof geometry, protection at openings and a sealed roof deck. Insurers use those findings when determining eligible discounts on the windstorm portion of homeowners insurance. The report does not measure the roof’s remaining life, certify hurricane safety or establish that an insurer will issue a policy. A 4-point inspection is different: it evaluates the roof, plumbing, electrical and heating or air-conditioning systems, typically on older homes. An insurer may need both.

The Florida Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form shows what an authorized inspector records. The form introduced in April 2026 has nine numbered categories, some of which establish the building’s applicable code, wind-speed region and roof slope rather than documenting a visible upgrade. The findings and their supporting proof matter because not every marked feature earns a credit.

Can you use the seller’s report? Start with the five-year rule

In Florida, a completed wind mitigation form is valid for up to five years from the inspection date, provided the structure has not materially changed and the form contains no inaccuracies. A sale does not reset that clock. Neither does switching insurers. A report completed in 2023 may still be within its five-year period in 2026, but roof or opening changes made afterward must be checked against its findings.

The version matters too. Inspections performed on or after April 1, 2026 must use OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26). An inspection completed before then can still be valid on the older Rev. 01/12 form; the change did not automatically cancel earlier reports. The Florida Department of Financial Services guidance confirms the effective date and validity conditions. Check the inspection date rather than treating the year printed in the form revision as the inspection year.

Under Florida law, insurers must accept a valid uniform form signed by an authorized mitigation inspector for considering wind discounts. An insurer may independently verify the findings at its own expense. Citizens generally may not reinspect during the five-year period if an authorized inspector’s report was reviewed and verified through a Citizens-approved quality-assurance program before submission and the structure has not materially changed. Citizens’ April 2026 guide also says a report for a new purchase may carry the previous owner’s name and signature if the property address matches. Do not assume every carrier uses the same submission steps: send your insurance agent the actual signed form and attachments, then ask what remains to be verified for the quote.

What the current form checks on the property

The 2026 form records building code, wind-speed region, roof slope, roof covering, roof-deck attachment, roof-to-wall attachment, roof geometry, sealed roof deck or secondary water resistance, and opening protection. A construction year alone does not prove which code applied; the original permit application date can matter. Homes in Duval, St. Johns, Clay and Nassau counties are outside the form’s High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, which applies to Miami-Dade and Broward. The wind-speed region is a separate classification. For a condominium, ask which building-level form and association records apply; Citizens uses another form for condominium buildings of four or more stories. For most homebuyers, these six physical features deserve the closest explanation:

These are not six boxes that either all pass or all fail. One unverified glass door, for instance, can change the glazed-opening classification even if the other windows are impact-rated; it does not automatically cancel credits for roof features. Ask what the inspector actually verified, not which single upgrade sounds most impressive.

What proof should come with the report?

Ask for the complete signed form and the photographs and documents the inspector used. On Rev. 04/26, each attribute marked in questions 2–9 requires at least one photograph or a document establishing that attribute, and supporting documents used must accompany the form. The older Rev. 01/12 form required photographs for marked attributes in questions 3–7. The proof rules are not interchangeable simply because two reports describe the same house.

Missing photos do not automatically mean you must pay for a new inspection. First ask for the inspector’s complete original package or a correction. Depending on the feature, permit documents, product approvals, installation evidence or a qualifying FORTIFIED Home certificate may help. But the alternative must meet the relevant form and insurer rules. For example, Citizens requires particular photographs of some roof connections and roof shapes even when other documentation is available.

If all you have is a page of check marks, you cannot yet tell what supports them. Ask what was included with the original inspection, what work occurred afterward and whether your intended insurer needs any additional proof. A seller’s assertion or a paid invoice may be useful background without proving every marked feature.

Roof covering: match the date to the work done

The listing might say “roof replaced in 2024.” Was that the entire house, or only the flat section above an addition? The 2026 form asks the inspector to identify every covering type and record the permit application date or applicable product approval together with the installation or replacement year, or indicate that verification was unavailable. One advertised roof year may hide two roof areas with different histories.

Request the relevant permits, contractor records and available inspection results. In Jacksonville, the JaxEPICS public permit search can help locate available roof and window permits; elsewhere in Duval, Clay, Nassau or St. Johns counties, use the authority that actually issued the permit, including independent municipalities. A permit that was submitted or issued is not the same as a completed job with a final inspection. The same habit matters when buying new construction in Northeast Florida: save the records, not just the description.

Do not confuse mitigation evidence with a roof-condition inspection. Citizens specifically says its wind mitigation form is not proof of roof condition or replacement. A permit date does not establish the roof’s remaining life, and a newer roof covering does not prove what is hidden beneath it. Missing records do not establish a defective roof, either. They leave a question that the inspector or insurer may need answered separately.

Roof connections, geometry and sealed deck: know what was verified

Roof-deck attachment describes how sheathing is fastened to the roof framing. Roof-to-wall attachment describes how that framing connects to the walls. The form distinguishes qualifying connection types and also allows unknown or no-attic-access answers. If a narrow attic opening, stored belongings or insulation blocked the view, the inspector may not be able to document the feature needed for a particular credit.

Look at the photos or documents behind the answer and ask whether the inspector could actually verify the fasteners and connectors. Do not climb into a difficult attic or disturb roofing to verify them yourself. A qualified inspector should explain limited access, and any roof or structural work completed after the inspection deserves another look against the recorded answers.

Roof geometry is a different question. A house may look like it has a hip roof from the street, yet have gables or additions that change its classification. Sealed roof deck, also called secondary water resistance, is protection beneath the covering that can help reduce water intrusion if shingles or tiles are lost. Neither a newer roof nor a casual view from the driveway proves those features. Ask what the report relies on for each.

Impact windows and shutters: check the whole opening package

Suppose the front windows are impact-rated, but the sliding glass door at the back was installed years earlier and the garage door has an unreadable label. You cannot infer that all openings qualify from what faces the street. The 2026 form distinguishes glazed openings, such as windows, glass doors, skylights and garage doors with glass, from non-glazed openings, such as solid doors and garage doors without glass. It also distinguishes verified, unverified, unprotected and damaged conditions.

One unverified glazed door can affect the classification for glazed openings even when the rest of the windows have been upgraded. That does not erase every other mitigation credit. It does mean the windstorm discount may differ from what the words “impact windows” suggest in a listing. The inspector determines the documented classification; the insurer applies its credit rules.

This is worth checking on Northeast Florida homes upgraded in stages. Panel shutters might be stored in a garage; newer windows may cover only the front of the house; a replacement garage door may have separate approval paperwork. Confirm which shutters are included in the sale and whether the installation and product documentation actually cover the relevant openings. A pile of panels or a generic safety-glass marking is not enough by itself.

Ask for the labels, product approvals, permit evidence, installation records or acceptable photographs that connect the protection to the actual house. If some openings were changed after the report date, have the inspector clarify whether the form still accurately records them. The answer may call for better documentation, a corrected report or a fresh inspection — not a blanket assumption that the house is fully protected.

When to correct the report or order a new inspection

A mismatch is not automatically evidence of a bad house. Sometimes the inspector’s attachment pages were lost in an email. Sometimes a roof permit is listed but no final inspection is shown. Sometimes a replacement door was installed after the report was signed. Start by asking the original inspector for the missing evidence or an explanation. An actual error should be corrected by the inspector, not quietly reinterpreted by a buyer or agent.

If the house has materially changed, the report is beyond its valid period, or a key feature cannot be verified from the earlier inspection, arranging a new inspection with an authorized mitigation inspector may be the clearer path. Check that the inspector qualifies to sign a Florida wind mitigation form; a home inspector needs the required mitigation training, not just a home-inspection license. Buyers generally pay for an inspection they elect to obtain. When an insurer requires independent verification, the insurer pays for it. The separate Citizens restriction described above limits when Citizens may independently verify a qualifying report or reinspect the property; it does not change who pays. Neither type of inspection guarantees an insurance saving.

Keep the responsibilities separate: the inspector documents the house; your insurance agent and insurer resolve what evidence is required and which credits are included in the quote. A favorable wind report may still leave an older home subject to separate roof or 4-point requirements. The important question is what remains uncertain while you can still make a purchase decision under your contract.

Check the report and insurance quote before your contract deadlines

Use the report to turn the seller’s description into answers you can act on:

Ask your insurance agent a more useful question than “Does this look fine?” Ask which wind credits the premium assumes, whether the carrier has finished reviewing them, and what the price would be if a disputed feature is not credited. A preliminary quote is not the same as a policy being issued.

If the answer could materially change the cost or availability of insurance, discuss it with your real estate agent before the applicable decision dates in your contract. Requests for time, documents, repairs or a price adjustment depend on the agreement and the circumstances. Missing paperwork does not create an automatic right to cancel or demand a concession.

What wind credits can change about insurance costs

A verified mitigation feature can help reduce the windstorm component of a homeowners insurance premium. It does not produce a fixed percentage off the entire policy. Florida’s mitigation-credit requirements call for actuarially reasonable credits, but the value depends on the home, qualifying features and insurer. Rather than assuming a certain saving, compare the actual quote with any credits that are still conditional.

Credits are also different from the insurer’s decision to issue coverage. On an older home, an insurer may request a 4-point inspection to evaluate the roof, plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems, or a specialized roof report. Those inspections ordinarily cost the applicant, and if required evidence is missing, coverage may be refused. Your general home inspection serves another purpose again. A wind mitigation report does not replace any of them.

A missing document may be fixable without changing the purchase. Or it may change the insurance premium enough to affect the monthly budget. Either way, make the decision using confirmed requirements rather than a hoped-for credit. Also check whether the property lies in a flood zone and whether flood insurance may apply by address; wind mitigation and flood coverage answer separate questions.

A report that is less than five years old is not an automatic green light. An older form is not automatically invalid, either. Match the inspection date and version to the home as it stands now, then compare the marked features with their proof and the insurer’s credit decision. If an important gap remains, find out who can resolve it before you have to decide whether to proceed with the purchase.

The Florida DFS consumer guidance on homeowners insurance explains why a separate inspection may still be requested, and Citizens’ wind mitigation documentation guidance shows how wind-mitigation documentation is used for that insurer. The goal is not to make you an expert in roof fasteners. It is to know what your insurance quote and coverage decision are actually based on before the home is yours.