Wind Mitigation Inspections
It checks features like roof shape and shutters that resist wind, and can lower your premium if your insurer offers that discount.
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A wind mitigation inspection looks at how the house is built. It covers the roof shape, the roof-to-wall connections, and whether the windows have shutters or impact glass. An inspector documents these and gives you a report, usually good for a few years. If the house already has one from a recent sale, ask the seller for a copy before closing. Getting a new one costs money and takes time you may not have before your binder is due. Whether it lowers what you pay depends on your insurer, so check with them once you have the report.
Insurers that offer this discount don't all price it the same, so the same report can be worth more with one than another. Before you lock in a binder, it's worth seeing what different insurers would charge with the wind mitigation report factored in. That comparison costs nothing and could mean paying less for the same coverage from day one.
Do I need a wind mitigation inspection to close on the house
No lender requires this inspection to close. The binder your lender wants just needs to show dwelling coverage, liability, and whatever else they specify, in place by the closing date. A wind mitigation report is about what you pay, not whether you can close. If you're short on time before the date on your binder, get the policy bound first and add the report later if it's not ready.
If the seller doesn't have a recent report and you want one, timing matters. Inspectors book out, and in coastal states especially, this is a busy service. Ask early, even before you've picked an insurer, because the report is useful no matter who you end up with. Some inspectors can turn around a report in a few days, others take longer, so ask when you call.
The report itself doesn't expire at closing. Most are good for several years, so getting one now protects what you pay at this year's renewal and the ones after, as long as nothing about the roof or windows changes. If you're planning to replace the roof or add shutters within the next year or two, it may be worth waiting and getting the inspection after that work is done. The report reflects the house as it stands the day someone looks at it.
Some home inspections done during the purchase process already capture roof shape and a few of the other features an insurer wants to see. It's not the same report. It won't carry the same weight with an insurer either, but it can tell you whether a separate wind mitigation inspection is likely to turn up anything useful. If the roof is older or the windows are original to the house, the discount may be smaller than expected, and it's worth knowing that before paying for the report.
Who pays for the inspection and what does it cost
The buyer usually pays for it, the same way you'd pay for a home inspection or an appraisal. It isn't something the seller is expected to provide, though if they had work done recently to make the house more wind-resistant, they may already have a report worth asking for. If you're ordering your own, expect to pay out of pocket at the time of the inspection rather than having it rolled into closing costs or escrow.
Price depends on the house and the inspector, and it varies more by region than by anything else. A smaller single-story house is quicker to inspect than one with multiple roof lines or additions, and coastal states where this inspection is common tend to have more inspectors competing for the work, which can affect price too. Ask for a quote when you call, since it's a flat fee in most cases rather than something billed by the hour.
It isn't paid back through your insurer or added to your premium. The money you spend on the inspection is separate from what you pay for the policy itself. The way it pays off is indirect. If the report qualifies you for a discount, that discount reduces your premium going forward, and over a few years it can add up to more than the inspection cost. If it doesn't qualify you for much, because the roof is older or the windows aren't impact-rated, you've still paid for the inspection without getting much back.
Some homeowners split this cost with a spouse or co-buyer if they're both named on the mortgage, but there's no special arrangement through lenders or insurers for financing it. If cost is a concern before closing, when money is already tight, it's reasonable to wait. The report doesn't have to happen before you move in. It can be ordered anytime after closing, and the discount, if there is one, would apply at your next renewal once your insurer has the report on file.
Before you lock in a binder
Check your declarations page for the wind mitigation features it already lists, roof shape, roof-to-wall connections, shutters. Then see what insurers would charge with a report factored in, before you commit to one.
