How to save money on your Home Owners Insurance Policy

The state of Florida REQUIRES Insurance Companies to offer REDUCED RATES for certain Hurricane resistant features. The state legislation adopted provisions for a new statewide building code (the 2001 Florida Building Code), which became effective on March 1, 2002. The same legislation included a requirement for insurance companies to provide property insurance discounts for homes that have construction features that reduce the losses in windstorms. Each insurance company was required to submit new rates by February 28, 2003 and include discounts for wind damage reduction (mitigation) construction features. The discounts are justified because stronger, more wind-resistive houses have lower windstorm losses, and lower windstorm losses mean reduced costs to insurance companies. The insurance discounts provide some financial incentives for homeowners to strengthen their existing homes and for new construction to be built to the strongest options in the Florida Building Code. These new insurance rate discounts in Florida began to take place in 2003. They apply to both existing construction (houses built prior to 2002) and new construction built to the new statewide Florida Building Code(FBC). To qualify for these discounts, most insurance companies require a certification of the key construction features.

Windstorm construction features protect your home from catastrophic hurricane damage by strengthening your homes ability to withstand the uplift, shear and lateral forces of the wind associated with a hurricane to the exterior shell of your home. The features enhance the vulnerable components of your home's protective shell or envelope by fortifying your roof, exterior walls, windows and doors so they will not breach or fail in high winds. If this protective shell or envelope is breached, not only can wind-driven rain and debris enter your home causing considerable damage to its interior, but the high winds can enter your home and exert pressure on your walls and roof leading to catastrophic damage to your property.

What qualifies for an Insurance Discount?

Existing houses have one or more of these wind resistive construction features and may qualify for some insurance discounts. In addition, houses built after 1994 in Miami-Dade or Broward Counties and houses built after 2002 in the rest of the state generally have many wind resistive construction features and will likely qualify for significant credits. A windstorm mitigation inspection will certify your homes existing construction features. We will provide you with a wind mitigation certification inspection report.

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

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

  Please note that insurance companies may have more features that qualify for credits such as doors and gable end bracing.