First, check which version of the form you have
The wind mitigation report your insurer reads is the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, OIR-B1-1802. Look at the footer of any page. It prints the revision date.
- Rev. 01/12 is the older version. It has seven numbered questions, from Building Code through Opening Protection.
- Rev. 04/26 is the current version. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) lists it on its wind mitigation resources page as effective April 1, 2026, and Rule 69O-170.0155 adopts it. It has nine questions.
OIR says the form was updated as a result of a June 2024 wind-loss mitigation study by Applied Research Associates. Behind that is section 627.0629, Florida Statutes, which requires OIR to reevaluate mitigation features and discounts on or before January 1, 2025 and every five years after. This guide follows the current nine-question form. If your report was completed on the older form, ask your insurer or agent whether they still accept it for your renewal.
The top of the form and the photo rule
Page one opens with owner information: name, address, county, insurance company, policy number, year of home and number of stories. Check these first. A wrong policy number or address is an easy fix before you send the form, and a nuisance after.
Directly under that is a note that matters more than it looks. The form says documentation used to validate each feature "must accompany this form," and that "at least one photograph or document providing proof must accompany this form to validate each attribute marked in questions 2 through 9." A FORTIFIED Home Roof, Silver or Gold certificate may be attached to validate questions 4 through 6 and 8 through 9. The insurer "may ask additional questions" about anything the form verifies.
In plain terms: a checked box without a photo or document behind it is weak. Keep the photo pages with the form.
Question by question
1. Building Code
This asks which Florida Building Code was in force when the original permit was applied for. Answer A is the 2001 and 2004 code, B is the 2007 code or later, C is the South Florida Building Code (1994) for the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (Miami-Dade and Broward only), and D is unknown. Homes built in 2002 or 2003 need a permit application dated after 3/1/2002 for answer A, and homes built in 2007 or 2008 need one dated after 12/8/2006 for answer B. The supporting document is the building permit record.
2. Region
New on the current form. It places the home in a wind region based on design wind speed, using the ASCE 7-22 hazard maps the form cites: HVHZ, Region 1 (140 mph or higher), Region 2 (130 to 139 mph) or Region 3 (under 130 mph).
3. Roof Slope
Also new. The inspector marks whether the main roof slope is 6:12 or steeper, or less than 6:12. For a home with several slopes, the form says to use the slope that covers "at least two thirds of the main roof area."
4. Roof Covering
The inspector checks every covering type in use (asphalt shingle, clay or concrete tile, synthetic tile, metal, built-up, membrane or other) and records a permit application date or a Florida or Miami-Dade product approval number, plus the year of installation or replacement. The summary answer is A (every covering meets the Florida Building Code, for example through a roofing permit application dated on or after 3/1/02, or an original roof on a home built in 2004 or later), B (Miami-Dade approval or the HVHZ path), C (one or more coverings do not meet A or B) or D (none do). A roofing permit or the product approval number is what supports A.
5. Roof Deck Attachment
This records the weakest way the roof sheathing is fastened to the trusses or rafters. Answers A, B and C step up in strength, largely by nail size and spacing: A covers staples or 6d nails at 6 inches on the edges and 12 inches in the field, B covers 8d nails at a maximum 12 inches in the field, and C covers 8d nails at a maximum 6 inches in the field (or qualifying board decking). D is a reinforced concrete deck, E is qualifying spray foam, and the remaining answers are other, unknown and "No attic access." Attic photos are the usual evidence.
6. Roof to Wall Attachment
This asks for the weakest connection between the roof framing and the walls: toenails, clips, single wraps, double wraps, structural, other, unknown, no attic access, or connections "not installed as intended." Each category has its own nail and strap rules, which we cover in our guide to hurricane clips, straps and wraps.
7. Roof Geometry
Hip, flat or other. A hip roof qualifies only if non-hip features are no more than 10% of the total roof system perimeter, and the inspector writes both measurements on the form. The measuring rules, and why shape matters, are in our hip versus gable roof comparison.
8. Sealed Roof Deck / Secondary Water Resistance
This asks whether there is a layer that keeps water out if the shingles or tiles blow off. The current form lists four qualifying methods: fully adhered underlayment meeting ASTM D1970, taped deck seams, two layers of qualifying felt or synthetic, or spray foam installed along the rafter-to-deck intersections and panel joints. The form states that "standard underlayment or hot-mopped felts do not qualify." The 2024 ARA study notes that an SWR layer applied on top of the deck is hard to verify once the roof is covered, so reroofing paperwork and photos taken during the job are what usually prove it.
9. Opening Protection
The last question grades the weakest wind-borne debris protection on every opening: windows, doors, sliding glass doors, skylights and garage doors. Gable and roof vents are not counted. The answer letters are A, B, C, N, X and Z, and for A through N a number (.1, .2 or .3) records how the solid, unglazed entry and garage doors rate. The form also warns that buildings with openings needing replacement "do not qualify for wind mitigation rate differentials." One unprotected opening can set the answer for the whole house.
A quick reference
| Question | What it records | What usually supports it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Building Code | Code in force at original permit | Building permit application date |
| 2. Region | Design wind speed region | Wind speed map lookup |
| 3. Roof Slope | 6:12 or steeper, or less | Inspector measurement |
| 4. Roof Covering | Covering type and compliance | Roofing permit or product approval number |
| 5. Roof Deck Attachment | Weakest sheathing fastening | Attic photos |
| 6. Roof to Wall | Weakest roof-to-wall connection | Attic photos of connectors |
| 7. Roof Geometry | Hip, flat or other | Perimeter measurements and exterior photos |
| 8. SWR | Sealed roof deck present or not | Reroof permit, contractor paperwork, photos |
| 9. Opening Protection | Weakest protection on any opening | Product labels, approval numbers, permits |
The signature block
The last pages are about who is certifying the form. Under section 627.711, Florida Statutes, an insurer must accept a form signed by a licensed home inspector who has completed at least 3 hours of approved hurricane mitigation training and a proficiency exam, a certified building code inspector, a licensed general, building or residential contractor, a professional engineer, a professional architect, or anyone else the insurer recognizes as qualified. The inspector checks which license applies and lists the license number.
The statute also requires the signer to inspect the home personally. Only licensed contractors and engineers may send a direct employee. The homeowner then signs a line confirming the inspection happened and that the inspector showed identification. Near the end, the form warns that knowingly providing a false or fraudulent form to obtain a discount is a first-degree misdemeanor, and that its definitions "are for inspection purposes only and cannot be used to certify any product or construction feature as offering protection from hurricanes."
How long the form is good for
Every page carries the same footnote: "This verification form is valid for up to five (5) years provided no material changes have been made to the structure or inaccuracies found on the form. Some items listed may not qualify for a discount."
Two parts of that sentence deserve attention. "Up to" five years is a ceiling, not a promise. A new roof, new windows or other material changes can make the old form out of date sooner. Section 627.711 also lets an insurer, at its own expense, require independent verification of a form before accepting it. How your insurer applies all of this is its call, so confirm with your agent.
What to do with your report
The form itself says to "maintain a copy of this form and any documentation provided with the insurance policy." Keep the full report, photos included, where you keep your policy.
Before the inspection, gather what you have: the roofing permit, window and door invoices, product approval numbers, and any reroof paperwork showing a sealed roof deck. Documentation is what moves an answer from "unknown" to a verified category.
High Tide's wind mitigation inspection is reported on the OIR-B1-1802 form. It is $225 on its own or $175 when added to a home inspection, and takes about 45 minutes to an hour on site.
The short version
Check the revision date first. The current form has nine questions, and each checked answer should have a photo or document behind it. The weakest roof deck fastening, roof-to-wall connection and opening protection decide those answers, not the best. The form is valid for up to five years, as long as nothing material changes and nothing on it is inaccurate. Anything about how your insurer uses it is a question for your agent.
