What is a wind mitigation report for insurance?
Short answer. A wind mitigation report is an inspection that records the features of a home that resist wind, such as roof covering, roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections, roof shape, a secondary water barrier and opening protection, so an insurer can apply discounts. Florida uses a standard state form; Georgia has no equivalent statewide form, so ask your insurer what documentation it accepts for any credits.
What the inspection checks
- Roof covering: type and whether it meets current code, with the permit date.
- Roof deck attachment: nail size and spacing holding the sheathing to the rafters.
- Roof-to-wall connection: toe nails, clips, single wraps or double wraps.
- Roof geometry: hip roofs resist wind better than gables.
- Secondary water resistance: a sealed roof deck under the shingles.
- Opening protection: rated shutters, impact windows and garage doors.
Where it is used
Florida requires insurers to offer mitigation credits and uses a standard Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form. Other coastal states have their own programs, and the IBHS FORTIFIED Roof designation is recognized for discounts in several states. In Georgia, any credits depend on each insurer's filed rating plan.
What Georgia homeowners can do
- Ask your agent whether your insurer offers credits for wind-resistant features, a newer roof, impact-resistant shingles or a FORTIFIED designation.
- Keep records from your roof replacement: invoice, product names, any permit, and photos of the deck nailing, underlayment and starter strips.
- If you are replacing a roof anyway, ask your roofer about upgraded nailing, a sealed deck and high wind rated shingles.
Mitigation is not a claim document
A mitigation report helps pricing, not claims. After a storm, damage documentation is what matters; see wind damage roof claims and roof age and insurance.