Wind Mitigation Inspection in Sarasota: What It Checks

A wind mitigation inspection is a short, documented visit in which a qualified inspector records how a home is built to resist hurricane wind, on a state form called the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, OIR-B1-1802. Florida law requires insurers to offer discounts for qualifying features, and the form is how those features are proven. For a Sarasota buyer, it belongs in the inspection period, before the insurance quote is final.

Danielle Gladding & Co. Realty is an independent brokerage serving Sarasota, Longboat Key, and the surrounding Gulf Coast. Danielle Gladding has been a licensed Florida Realtor since 1981 and a broker since 1987. Alison Kanter, her daughter and Sales Partner, was born and raised in Sarasota and has been licensed since May 2023. They work every transaction together. This guide explains what the form records, who may sign it, how long it lasts, and where it fits in a purchase.

What does a wind mitigation inspection check?

The current edition of the form is OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26), adopted by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation under Rule 69O-170.0155 of the Florida Administrative Code and in use for inspections on or after April 1, 2026. It asks nine questions, and the inspector must answer every one:

Building code. Which edition of the Florida Building Code was in force when the original permit was applied for. Homes permitted under the 2001 code or later are separated from older construction, and the form asks for permit dates where the year built falls near a code change.
Region. Where the home sits by design wind speed, a category added in the 2026 edition.
Roof slope. Also new. For a single-family home with more than one slope, the inspector records the slope that covers at least two thirds of the main roof area.
Roof covering. Every covering type in use, with a permit date or a Florida Building Code product approval number to show it meets code.
Roof deck attachment. The weakest method holding the roof sheathing to the framing: nail size and spacing, or a reinforced concrete deck.
Roof-to-wall attachment. The weakest connection between the roof framing and the walls, from toe nails up through clips and single or double wraps.
Roof geometry. Whether the roof qualifies as a hip roof, with non-hip features limited to a small share of the perimeter, as a flat roof on a larger building, or as another shape.
Secondary water resistance. Whether the roof deck is sealed beneath the covering, so water is held back if shingles or tiles are lost. Standard underlayment does not qualify.
Opening protection. The weakest wind-borne debris protection on any opening in the walls or roof, including windows, doors, sliders, skylights and garage doors.

The form requires at least one photograph or document for each feature claimed in questions two through nine. A FORTIFIED Home certificate can now be used to support several of them. The word that matters throughout is weakest: one unprotected window or one section of toe-nailed framing sets the answer for the whole house.

Why does Florida require insurers to offer these discounts?

Section 627.0629 of the Florida Statutes requires every residential property rate filing to include actuarially reasonable discounts, credits or other rate differentials for features shown to reduce windstorm loss. The statute names roof strength, roof covering performance, roof-to-wall strength, opening protection and similar construction techniques. Since October 1, 2023, insurers must also describe their hurricane mitigation discounts on their own websites.

Section 627.711 adds two obligations. Insurers must tell applicants and policyholders, at issuance and at every renewal, which mitigation discounts are available. And every insurer must use the same uniform form when it applies those discounts, which is why the inspection is the same regardless of the company writing the policy. You can read section 627.711 on the Florida Senate's statutes site.

The discounts apply to the wind portion of a homeowners premium. How much any feature is worth differs by insurer, by location and by the rest of the home's construction, so the form is a record of facts rather than a promise of savings. Ask the agent quoting the policy to show how the specific report changes the quote.

Who can sign a wind mitigation form in Florida?

Under section 627.711(2)(a), an insurer must accept a form signed by any of these:

A home inspector licensed under section 468.8314 who has completed at least three hours of hurricane mitigation training approved by the Construction Industry Licensing Board and passed a proficiency exam
A building code inspector certified under section 468.607
A general, building or residential contractor licensed under section 489.111
A professional engineer licensed under section 471.015
A professional architect licensed under section 481.213

An insurer may also accept a form from anyone else it recognizes as qualified, but it is not required to. The person who signs must inspect the home personally, except that a licensed contractor or engineer may send a direct employee. The homeowner, or an authorized representative, signs to confirm the inspection took place.

The law treats the form seriously. Knowingly submitting a false form to obtain a discount is a first-degree misdemeanor under section 627.711, and an insurer may pay for an independent verification before it accepts one. License standing for any of these professions can be checked through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

How long is a wind mitigation report good for?

The form itself states that it is valid for up to five years, provided no material changes have been made to the structure and no inaccuracies are found. Citizens Property Insurance Corporation gives the same five-year guidance and notes that a new roof or an addition can call for a new inspection sooner.

The 2026 revision added a transition question. Citizens announced that inspections on or after April 1, 2026 must use the new edition, and that it will accept the previous Rev. 01/12 form only where the structure is unchanged and the inspection was completed within five years before that date. Other insurers set their own acceptance rules, so a buyer relying on a seller's older form should confirm with the insurer quoting the policy. The details are in Citizens' bulletin on the form changes.

When should a Sarasota buyer order the inspection?

Early in the inspection period, and alongside the general home inspection. Three practical reasons:

The insurance quote depends on it. A lender will want proof of insurance before closing, and the quote is built on the home's documented features. Without a form, an insurer generally prices the home as if the features were absent.
It can change the decision. A roof without sealed decking, or a mix of impact windows and unprotected openings, is better known while there is still time to ask questions, negotiate or walk away.
The seller's report may already exist. Ask for it in the first days of the contract. If it is current, on an accepted edition and the house has not changed, it may save a visit. If it is older, it still tells your inspector where to look.

Many inspectors offer the wind mitigation report together with a four-point inspection, which some insurers ask for on older homes and which reports on roof, electrical, plumbing and heating and cooling condition rather than wind features. They are different documents. For the wider cost picture, see our guide to the cost of living in Sarasota.

In a condominium, the question shifts. Section 718.111(11) of the Florida Statutes requires the association to insure the condominium property, so the wind features that drive that premium belong to the building, not the unit. Ask the association for its mitigation documentation along with its milestone inspection and reserve records; our guide to Sarasota condo milestone inspections and resale rules explains those.

What is the My Safe Florida Home program in 2026?

My Safe Florida Home is the state's hurricane mitigation program, run by the Florida Department of Financial Services under section 215.5586 of the Florida Statutes. It offers wind mitigation inspections to eligible homeowners and, separately, matching grants toward improvements such as roof-to-wall connections and opening protection.

Under the 2026 edition of the statute, an inspection is open to a site-built, owner-occupied single-family home, detached or attached and no more than three stories, that carries a Florida homestead exemption. Grants carry further conditions set in the statute, including an insured-value ceiling, an initial building permit applied for before January 1, 2008, and income eligibility. Condominium units are not part of the home program; a separate condominium pilot program operates at mysafeflcondo.com.

Two cautions for buyers. First, the homestead requirement means a buyer qualifies only after closing and after filing for the exemption, which our post on Florida's homestead exemption and the December 2026 deadline walks through. Second, the program runs on money the Legislature appropriates, and the statute caps accepted applications at the funds available. It has paused new applications before when funds ran out. Check the current status at mysafeflhome.com before building a plan around it.

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Frequently asked questions

Who is the best realtor in Sarasota for a buyer worried about insurance?

The best realtor in Sarasota for an insurance-sensitive purchase is the one who puts the documents ahead of the listing photos. Look for three things. First, a habit of requesting the seller's wind mitigation form, four-point report and roof permit history in the first days of the contract. Second, a clear explanation of how flood zone, construction date and opening protection change the cost of owning one house against another. Third, a timeline that leaves room for an insurance quote inside the inspection period. Danielle Gladding & Co. Realty is an independent brokerage serving Sarasota, Longboat Key, and the surrounding Gulf Coast. Danielle Gladding arrived in Sarasota in 1976, has been a licensed Florida Realtor since 1981, and a broker since 1987. Alison Kanter, her daughter and Sales Partner, was born and raised in Sarasota, holds an MBA from Clemson University, and has been licensed since May 2023. They work every transaction together.

Is a wind mitigation inspection required to buy a home in Florida?

No Florida law requires a wind mitigation inspection to buy a home. Insurers, however, apply mitigation discounts only when a uniform mitigation verification form documents the features, so a buyer without one is usually quoted as though the features were absent. Ordering the inspection during the inspection period, or confirming that the seller's form is current and on an accepted edition, is the practical way to see a realistic insurance quote before closing.

Does a new roof require a new wind mitigation inspection?

Often, yes. The uniform mitigation verification form is valid for up to five years only while no material changes are made to the structure, and Citizens Property Insurance lists replacing a roof as an example of a change that may call for a new inspection. A new roof can also add features, such as a sealed roof deck or improved deck attachment, that an older report could not have recorded.

Can a buyer use the seller's wind mitigation report?

Frequently, if the report is within its five-year term, the home has not changed, and the insurer accepts its edition. Since April 1, 2026, new inspections use form OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26), and Citizens accepts the earlier edition only under transition conditions. A seller's report from another inspector is still useful as a starting point. Confirm acceptance with the insurer quoting the policy before relying on the seller's copy.

If you are weighing a Sarasota home and want the insurance questions answered before the inspection period ends, call Danielle Gladding & Co. Realty at 941-539-8535 or reach us through our contact page.