Are you receiving the maximum credit from your

homeowner's insurance carrier?

Due to the extraordinary interest from my article in February, I wanted to follow up with some additional information for those who may be in the market for home insurance due to non-renewal, as well as those who may not be receiving maximum credit from their existing homeowners insurance company.

Florida homeowners companies are now offering significant discounts for specific qualities of a home that reduce the potential damage from a wind related event. Following Hurricane Andrew, the focus was on hurricane shutters. After all, there were stories of damage from large construction debris, as well as photos of hay imbedded in telephone poles. As a result, those who could afford to rushed out and installed shutters on their homes, and certainly for good reason.

The 2004 hurricane season, however, has become known as the season of the roof. The attached photo of my Indian River County home shows the type of roof damage that occurred to homes in our area during Hurricane Jeanne in September, 2004. The insurance claims during that storm season have revealed that a home without a solid, newer roof was actually more susceptible to damage/loss than one without shutters.

So what does this mean for homeowners? It means that the most important aspect for receiving a discount on your homeowners insurance is having a FL Building Code (FBC) equivalent roof. The good news is that a majority of homes in Indian River County do have new roofs. Other discounted items include roof deck attachment, roof to wall attachment, roof geometry, secondary water resistance and opening protection. Typically, if your roof is new and "FBC Equivalent", you will receive a favorable credit on the roof deck attachment, since the decking was more than likely re-nailed when the roof was replaced. Most homes we are seeing, despite age, have roof to wall connections via "single wraps" or "clips". Without an inspection, your home will be defaulted to "toe nails", which offers the least protection from windstorm. "Secondary Water Resistance" refers to a peel and stick underlayment used in place of tar paper. Fewer homes have this since it does add to the cost of the roof. Finally, to receive a "hurricane" rated shutter credit, all exterior openings must be rated for large missile impact by Miami-Dade County PA 201, 202 and 203 or FL Building Code TAS 201, 202 and 203 or ASTM E 1886 and ASTM E 1996 (Missile Level C - 9lb). Companies vary on credits for "Basic" opening protection or "Wood Panels".

So how do I get an inspection/wind mitigation report? You have a few options. You can go to www.mysafefloridahome.com and receive a free inspection and it typically takes 3 weeks to receive the report. Or, you can use a local licensed contractor. I have been recommending clients to Tom Overholt of Island Construction and Inspections. Tom can be reached by calling 772-321-5350 and he typically has inspections done within a few days for a charge of $150. The report provided is standard and accepted by any insurance company. I will tell you, the value is in the accuracy and timeliness of the report. We have seen many "free" reports where several of the fields on the report were marked "UNKNOWN". The whole point of the inspection is to clarify "unknowns" and an inconclusive report is not likely to be accepted by an insurance company.

The point I want to leave you with is this. There is potential insurance savings for almost any home. Homeowners that take the time to get the report done are typically very happy with the reduction in their insurance premium. And most have seen premium reductions which are far greater than the cost of the inspection. If you have questions about whether a wind mitigation report will benefit you, or if you would like to discuss homeowners insurance options, please feel free to contact me.

Ryan Weaver Insurance, Inc. is located in downtown Vero Beach at 1705 19 th Place, Suite B1. Our office hours are Monday - Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The office telephone number is (772)567-4930. You can also contact me via email at ryan@rweaverinsurance.com .