If you have not had a Windstorm Mitigation Inspection of your home (less than 30 minutes) and sent the report to your homeowner's insurance - I strongly recommend that you do (even the condos and townhomes). Most people that I have spoken to have reduced their premiums by half by doing so. I just had mine done today.
There are different options for the inspection:
If you want to wait, possibly months, you can get the inspection done for free by going to the website www.mysafefloridahome.com and requesting an inspection. You will need your insurance policy handy.
If you want to schedule an inspection soon, my inspector said he would offer a group rate to residents of Palm Cove if he could group appointments on the same date. His normal rate is $75 per unit, but if you mention Palm Cove, he will do so for $50. He will inspect and document the condos and townhomes for $150 per building and $50 per unit. Wouldn't it be great if the townhome and condo windstorm insurance premiums were reduced? The inspector I used is a licensed general contractor, Larry Kosoy with Kosoy Enterprises, Inc. in Ft Pierce. His number is 772-464-5725 to schedule an appointment. If you have the email address of your insurer, provide it to him during the inspection and he will send the report directly to them, saving valuable time and $$.
Another option for inspections is John Staab in Palm City 772-291-7788. Their charge is $100 per inspection.
Although I had heard of this program, I thought it was for older houses. Since many of our homes were built after the new building codes were in place I assumed that our insurers would automatically give us the appropriate discounts. Not so! When I called my insurer (USAA) and asked if I would get a discount if I had this inspeciton done, I was told I would get about $400 off. Larry has told me that he believes I will save 50% of my current premiums-over $1200. The insurance companies won't tell you about this program. Here is the history:
The state legislation adopted provisions for a new statewide building code (the 2001 Florida Building Code), which became effective on March 1, 2002. The same legislation included a requirement for insurance companies to provide property insurance discounts for homes that have construction features that reduce the losses in windstorms. Each insurance company was required to submit new rates by February 28, 2003 and include discounts for wind damage reduction (mitigation) construction features. The discounts are justified because stronger, more wind-resistive houses have lower windstorm losses, and lower windstorm losses mean reduced costs to insurance companies. The insurance discounts provide some financial incentives for homeowners to strengthen their existing homes and for new construction to be built to the strongest options in the Florida Building Code. These new insurance rate discounts in
To qualify for a Wind Mitigation Discount and/or rebate on your existing homeowner insurance policy, insurance companies require a licensed building professional�s certification of the structure (wind mitigation inspection-windstorm certification).
If you decide to have this inspection done or have already done it, please share your experiences on the website Message Board. I will post a topic on Windstorm Mitigation Inspection. I'm curious to see what difference it really makes. Please post your comments for all to see on the Message Board, rather than emailing me directly.
Bev