Wind Mitigation Inspections
Wind mitigation inspections, or wind inspections, can provide extra safety and security to your home or business. This preparation can ensure that your structure is ready to take on strong winds and hurricanes, minimizing the amount of damage.
A wind mitigation inspection in Florida can actually save residents between $500 to $1,000 annually. Not so bad for a service that generally costs less than $200. After Hurricane Andrew plowed the state in 1992, the government offered discounts and credits to those who were tying to reduce the amount of damage during hurricanes and wind storms. And in 2006, Florida officials mandated that insurance companies offer discounted insurance rates if a resident had a wind mitigation inspection by a certified inspector.
To put things into perspective, imagine the amount of money Texas residents would’ve saved if more than the certified 75,000 inspections had taken place before Hurricane Ike. On top of that, the litigation surrounding wind and flood damage wouldn’t have happened if insurance companies had encouraged residents to complete proper inspections so that they would know in advance that their homes or businesses could not withstand strong winds.
Texas state doesn’t mandate that any insurance companies give discounts for wind mitigation inspections, however it does require that some structures receive an inspection prior to building certification. Mostly the wind inspections are part of a larger program called the Windstorm Inspection Program. This program has been set up to provide residents with windstorm insurance from the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association within catastrophe areas.
What happens during a wind inspection?
If you are interested in getting a wind mitigation inspection, you probably want to know a little bit about what to expect before diving right in. Most certified inspectors will cover the following areas.
- Checking when the roof covering was installed
- How a roof deck is attached to your building
- The Shape of your roof
- See if you have any installations of protective items (shutters, storm/screen doors)
- Check if your roof has a secondary water barrier
- Investigate construction materials
Check to see if wind mitigation inspections can be done in your area, the small expenditure now could save you more money in the future.
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