Does it pay to have a wind mitigation done if there is no Hip roof credit.
I did a wind mit last week that got me thinking…i just exposed my client to the weakness of her home just because she thought she could save a few dollars on her windstorm policy.
If I pull up to a home and it’s a gabled roof, should I recommend to my client that it’s better to let the ins. co order the wind mit , then to voluntarily expose your home’s weaknesses.
in general it almost always pays to do a wind inspection UNLESS:
They are currently getting the hip roof discount and they lose it to a flat roof
Or, if they have no credits available to them.
If a client has never had an inspection done and they just receive one credit such as clips that can be worth some money.
Most clips that I have run into are 2 and 1, no gable bracing, no window protection, no garage door bracing, but concrete reinforcing which the ins co. know this already, Unless it’s a newer roof, the nailing patterns and size fluctuates.
Would I be exposing my client to unnecessary scrutiny by submitting such a form.
no. The form is not designed to hinder them. Unless you have one of the scenarios I mentioned above. … If you have clips on a home that has never had a wind inspection I would do it.
Unless the agent was lied to then there should be a credit available or he/she wouldn’t recommend the insp. (not trying to shock you but, incredibly, this does happen 
)
By the time you find out about the clips (or pretty much anything else) you will already be doing the inspection. Not your fight IF they receive any credits, that is the insurance agents job.
I am not saying NOT to care about your client, just nothing more you can do other than the old ‘observe and report’. Help the agent with a legible and accurate report.
If you want to know what the roof looks like prior to inspection then try the new google maps- they now use satellite photos rather than the old drawings- pretty cool- street view will sometimes show the actual address although most roof types are the same in a given neighborhood.
Tom, in your area most homes constructed after 1962 will have some type of mechanical roof-to-wall connection which provides for a discount.
Tom,
In you area the average savings per home is $169. If the home was built prior to March 1, 2002 then the homeowner will probably benefit.
Thank you everyone . So pre 2002 the benefit is clips…plus any retrofitting.
Post 2002, the benefit is clips vs wraps plus retrofitting.
Are there credits available for proper deck attachments i.e 8p vs staples, swb vs none etc.
Anybody have some sort of list that defines which credits results in ins. savings.
I am just trying to understand the mentality of the insurance co’s thinking in order to better communicate this with my clients.
http://www.fairwindinspections.com/index_files/Page477.htm
Scroll down a bit to see some old figures the MSFH program published.
I guess I have to snoop around my competitions sites more often…
Great site Kevin… Thanx
This answers my questions…
Hmmmm
I looked at the discounts mentioned on the link. The following potential discounts were sited:
SWR applied to hip roof 39%
Rated shutters 32%
I don’t think those credits are accurate. Maybe the credit of 32% includes the discount for hip roof and SWR, but not a 32% additional discount for having a SWR on a hip roof. And i don’t believe I have ever seen anyone get a 39% discount for having rated shutter.
Your comments???
I don’t have the url handy but there’s a site where you can put in your insurance company and check off the “hardening” that’s been done to see what the likely discounts will be. I think it might be included in the NACHI wind mit course.
What discounts you are getting on your home is listed in you insurance policy
Well I like to work in the best interests of my client. One of the things that inspectors are doing wrong is being concerned with what the discounts MIGHT be it has nothing to do with us. We should conduct the inspection and issue the report with no concern to the outcome.
We can’t control it and have no obligations aside from accuracy in reporting and documentation… that’s hard enough since we have to draw conclusions in a vacuum of indecision. Anybody get that email from OIR explaining exactly how the form should be filled out for every eventuality? I know I didn’t.
The question asked was does it pay to get a wind mit if you don’t have a hip roof. While Brian says we’re wrong for being concerned with what discounts might be, I still think WE need to know so that we can talk intelegently with the client. I mean what do YOU say when asked the same question? The web site I mentioned above is http://www.floridadisaster.org/mitdb/index.cfm Your client can get a feel for what he/she may save.
I tell them I only report the conditions I find and what they may save is up to their insurance agency.
I would hate to have them come back and say that I said they would save a certain amount.
Without a discount why would anyone spend the money for a mitigation inspection?
“Maybe the credit of 32% includes the discount for hip roof and SWR”
That sounds about right.
“And i don’t believe I have ever seen anyone get a 39% discount”
Like I said, these were some older figures that have been on my site for quite a while, which I originally found on the MSFH site somewhere.
I provide the figures in my chart if asked by the homeowner. I explicitly tell them they are 3-4 year old numbers produced by the state, and most likely no longer accurate. If they want a more accurate figure they need to consult with their insurance agent/company.
Here is the link to the original document, looks a lot like mine 
. http://www.mysafefloridahome.com/images/User%20Guide_final5.pdf
On the last page. Says right on it “Minimum discounts* for certain mitigation features:
(as filed by insurance companies with the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation)”
***These discounts apply to only the hurricane portion of your insurance
premium. Some insurance companies may offer a larger discount than those
indicated above. If your home has multiple features these minimums cannot be combined to reach an overall discount. Please check with your agent and/or insurance company
for the total discount that you may be eligible to receive.
Hey look a toll free helpline “Toll-free Helpline: 1-866-513-6734”. Someone should call it and see if they offer inspectors answers to their questions!