What Is Included in a Wind Mitigation Report?
It lists your roof shape, roof-to-wall connections, and storm shutters, the features insurers use to lower your premium for wind resistance.
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What the inspector actually checks
The report covers how your roof was built and attached, since that's what decides how it holds up in high wind. It notes the roof shape, because a hip roof (slopes on all four sides) sheds wind better than a gable roof. It records how the roof deck is fastened to the frame and how the roof is tied to the walls, since a continuous connection from roof to foundation keeps a house together in a storm. It also lists any opening protection, like shutters or impact-rated windows, and the roof's age and covering. Each item carries a credit on it. Before closing, ask whoever orders your policy whether this report was used, since skipping it usually means paying full price for wind coverage you may already qualify to get cheaper.
The report can lower what you pay for wind coverage
If the house already has features like a hip roof or hurricane straps, a wind mitigation report proves it. Comparing quotes shows whether an insurer is actually giving credit for them.
Who orders the report and when to get it done
The report comes from a licensed inspector, not from the insurer and not from the home inspector doing the general walkthrough, unless that person also holds the separate wind mitigation certification. It usually costs somewhere between seventy five and two hundred dollars, paid out of pocket, and takes under an hour since the inspector is only checking roof and structural features, not the whole house. Some sellers already have a current one, often from their own policy, and if it's recent enough, usually within the last five years, the insurer may accept it as is.
Timing matters because of closing. If buying in a state where wind coverage is priced separately, like Florida, get the inspection scheduled as soon as the house is under contract, not after. Insurers need the report before they can quote the wind portion of the policy accurately, and the binder the lender wants by closing is built on that quote. Waiting until the week before closing risks a rushed inspection or a policy priced without the credits applied.
The report expires. Most states that use them give it a shelf life of five years, though some features, like a roof replacement, reset the clock sooner since the inspector needs to confirm what's actually on the house now, not what used to be there. If buying a house with an older report already on file, check the date before assuming it still applies. A report from 2018 on a house that's had two reroofs since then won't reflect what's actually protecting it.
Not every state uses these reports, and not every insurer weighs the same features the same way. Wind mitigation credits are most common in coastal states where hurricane risk drives a separate line of pricing. If the state doesn't break out wind coverage separately, the report may not change the price at all, in which case paying for one before closing isn't worth it. Whoever is preparing the quote can confirm whether the state and the insurer use the report before money gets spent on an inspection that won't move the number.
What's actually written on the report
The report itself is a form, usually one or two pages, with boxes checked next to each feature rather than a narrative description. It names the roof covering type, like shingle or tile, and the date it was installed or last replaced, since older roofs often lose credits even if the shape and attachment are good. It lists the roof deck attachment, meaning how the plywood or sheathing is nailed to the frame, and rates it by nail size and spacing. A tighter nailing pattern earns a better rating than the minimum code allows.
It also covers the roof-to-wall connection in more detail than most buyers expect. There are several categories here, from simple toe nails up through clips and then wrap-around straps, and each one changes the credit. The form notes which type is present, and in some cases the inspector has to get into the attic to see it directly rather than guess from the outside. If the attic access is blocked or finished over, the inspector may not be able to confirm the connection type, and that usually means the house gets scored at the lowest category by default.
Opening protection gets its own section, covering windows, doors, skylights and garage doors separately, since a storm can get in through any of them. The form distinguishes between impact-rated glass, shutters that meet a specific testing standard, and nothing at all. A house with hurricane shutters on the windows but a standard garage door often scores lower overall than buyers expect, since the garage door is frequently the weak point insurers care about most.
The last section usually covers the roof shape and the secondary water resistance, meaning whether there's a sealed barrier under the roof covering that keeps water out even if shingles or tiles blow off. Not every house has this, and it's the kind of detail a seller may not know offhand. Once the inspector fills in all the sections, the form gets signed and dated, and that signature and date are what make it valid for an insurer to use. Without them, it's just notes, not a document an insurer can price against.
Before you close
Check whether the house has a current wind mitigation report on file, or ask whoever's writing your policy if one should be ordered. Either way, the roof's age and the report's date need to line up.
