Our first reaction is to check out all the window protection options available and that's great but pretty obvious. There's other areas to address than just the windows don't ya know. I'd like to talk about the roof. Sounds sexy huh?! Can you say insurance incentives? I saw that entrepreneurial eyebrow rise just like the one you give your spouse on Friday night just before night night, uh huh, yep you know what I mean, well… This is a site ya gotta see. It enables a homeowner to search for ways to help protect their home/roof during hurricanes and reduce damage during said events. Building features like better shingles, beefed up roof sheathing (plywood) and structural metal strapping (to name a few) drastically improve a homes performance during the big dance.
Whether you're aware or not, your home may already have some features that qualify for discounts! Yeah baby! Also…building code requirements in affect after 1994 for homes built in Dade, Miami and Broward counties and after 2002 for all other Florida homes should also have features eligible. I can hear a few of you say “Cha Ching” now, wooo hooo! Florida Statute 626.0629 requires insurance companies to offer Florida homeowners "discounts, credits, or other rate differentials..." for construction techniques that reduce damage and loss in windstorms. This bad boy has been in affect since 03! The discounts are given as percentages for the wind portion of your home policy which range from 15 to 70% depending on where you lay your head in Florida. For the real $ and ¢, call your insurance agent. Our own Lori Williams of J. Meyers Insurance Group notes the closer to coast you are the more sense the discounts make.
The aforementioned web site interpreted the public filings for all this fun stuff from many insurance companies and has made it super easy for us mortals to navigate and get an idea just how much we can expect to save. The site does qualify that just because you research the highest %, does not mean that you will receive the lowest rate. The initial rate for company A may be lower than company B yet offer a smaller % discount than B, get it?
When I put one of my own rental houses through the matrix, it says that I qualify for a 27% discount on the wind portion of my policy from State Farm, cool! It then directs me to contact my insurance company to determine how to obtain discounts that I already qualify for, based on the existing construction features of my existing house. Then find out what verification procedures are required to obtain the discounts or matching funds and consider getting a wind mitigation inspection of my house to provide to my insurance company. One catch…after completing the training for wind mitigation inspections, I found out that rentals do not qualify under the matching funds program, bummer dude!
Matching funds program? Yep, hard to stutter with a keyboard. The Florida Legislature established the “My Safe Florida Home” program to help homeowners learn how to do a little Fort Knox on their homes and castles so they don't sustain catastrophic failure or at least limit damage. The program offers FREE inspections by qualified hurricane mitigation inspectors to homeowners and offers matching grants up to $5K for specific improvements. Check out My Safe Florida Home. Don't call the inspector though as they cannot do the inspection by themselves if you want to qualify for the matching $, you can apply on-line or phone on the My Safe Florida Home helpline at 1-866-513-6734. If you are not interested in the program and would like to pay the $150 yourself to have a qualified inspector look at your house, well you're welcome to do that. There are 11 approved companies who have undergone training, drug and criminal checks to serve you.
Eligible homes include site built as opposed to manufactured homes. The home must be your primary single family residence and you must have a valid homestead exemption and you must have wind insurance and your home must have an insured value of $500,000 (soon to be $300,000) or less. Properties NOT eligible for the free inspection include mobile/manufactured homes, second homes, rentals, apartments, condos greater than 4 units and businesses.
There are 7 specific categories the matching grants can be used for (someone learned a lesson from the Katrina abuse).
Re-nailing the roof sheathing (plywood/lumber). Yes, you'll have to remove the shingles first.
Installing a secondary water barrier to inhibit water intrusion if your shingles do blow off
Installing better shingles
Bracing gable ends
Connecting or reinforcing roof to wall connections with metal straps/clips
Installing hurricane impact rated windows, doors or shutters
Upgrading exterior doors, including the garage door
