Fla. Stiffens Standards for Home Mitigation Program Inspectors

Nearly six months after expanding statewide, the My Safe Florida Home (MSFH) program is increasing standards for participating wind inspection firms, in a continued effort to improve the quality of inspections provided for Florida homeowners.

After undergoing a quality assurance review of more than 3,000 randomly-selected inspections and performing an independently conducted compliance audit, the MSFH program has renewed contacts with six of the 11 wind inspection firms to provide free wind inspections.

Contracts for Alltech, ARA, Don Meyler Inspections, JVI, Skye Tec and WB Sanders Inspections will be renewed for three additional months, effective Oct. 31.

Inspectors performing free wind inspections through the MSFH program under the new contracts will be required to complete the uniform mitigation form required by insurance companies for homeowners to be eligible for discounts on their insurance premiums;
have a minimum of two years experience in residential construction and/or residential inspection experience or shall be licensed in good standing as a professional engineer, architect or building contractor; and provide actual measurement (not an estimate) of window and door openings.

Additionally, the MSFH program is required to perform a number of re-inspections for homeowners who have received matching grants for improvements to their homes. Inspectors will be required to have a minimum of 10 years experience and participate in additional training classes before performing these re-inspections.

Free wind inspections will continue on a timely basis, as the firms selected have the capacity to serve a large number of applicants. The program is still encouraging more homeowners to sign up for free wind inspections to learn how to harden their homes and potentially save money on their wind insurance premiums. The MSFH program will issue a new request for proposal in November that may include future increases in program standards.

Any Floridian who lives in a single-family, site-built home is eligible for a free wind inspection through the program. Homeowners who receive free wind inspections through the MSFH program will get detailed inspection reports, complete with additional eligibility information on matching grants and estimated insurance premium discounts, if the homeowner is eligible.

In order to be eligible for the program’s matching grant reimbursements of up to $5,000, the Legislature requires that homeowners meet the following requirements: have received a completed wind inspection after May 1, 2007; live in a single-family, site-built home built before March 1, 2002; have a valid homestead exemption; have an insured value of $300,000 or less; and be located in the wind-borne debris region.

Additionally, while the free wind inspections will still cover seven potential wind-resistance improvements, matching grants may only be applied to opening protections, including windows, exterior doors and garage doors, as well as the bracing of gable ends.

Source: Florida Department of Financial Services

Topics Florida Homeowners