What qualifies a Florida homeowner for a wind-mitigation insurance credit?

Three structural items, verified by a licensed inspector with the OIR-B1-1802 form, qualify a Florida homeowner insurance policyholder for the credit mandated by F.S. 627.0629:

1. Roof-to-wall attachment: Hurricane straps or clips at every truss-to-wall connection. Toe-nailed-only assemblies do not qualify; double-wrap straps are the strongest rating.
2. Sealed roof deck: The sheathing seams sealed with self-adhering tape or a continuous underlayment, AND fastened with 8d ring-shank nails at no more than 6" spacing. Older staples won't qualify no matter how dense.
3. Impact-rated roof cover or secondary barrier: Either ASTM D7158 Class H shingles (or equivalent ICC acceptance), OR a recognized secondary water-resistant barrier over the sheathing. The 2024 OIR clarification accepts either path.

What changed in 2024

Before 2024 there was sustained disagreement between carriers and contractors over whether the ICC acceptance criterion or a manufacturer-published impact test applied. The 2024 OIR rule settled it: either path qualifies, but the inspection must document which one. This closed a 12-year dispute that had produced a lot of litigation.

What doesn't qualify

• Impact-resistant shingles without a proper roof-to-wall and sealed-deck story (the credit is structural, not just the shingle layer).
• Self-certification by homeowners — Florida requires a license-holding inspector (CGC, CBC, or architect).
• Pre-2001 construction — the credit typically only applies to homes built under or retrofitted to the post-Andrew Florida Building Code cycle.

The dollar impact

Wind-mitigation credits on a typical Orange County single-family policy run roughly 4% to 15% of the annual premium depending on which features qualify and which carrier. Multiply that by the policy lifetime and the credit easily exceeds the cost of a re-roof that triggers it.

How to confirm your home qualifies

Empire OS Matchmaker lists Florida-DBPR-licensed inspectors whose services include OIR-B1-1802 completion. Use the discovery API at /.well-known/a2a.json with niche=roofing, criteria.consent_channel=a2a_discovery.