The State of Florida passed legislation requiring insurance companies to offer their policy holders the
opportunity to receive a “Building Code Discount”. In order to receive this discount the homeowner must hire
a licensed contractor/engineer to conduct an inspection of the home. Your insurance company should be able to
provide you with a list of approved inspectors.

The inspector completes a “Windstorm Loss Reduction Rating Plan Survey”. Most of the survey involves
the exterior, but they will need access to your crawl/attic space. The entire process takes only an hour or two,
and the survey questions primarily relate to compliance with Florida Building Codes for the home’s roof and
windows. The survey is then submitted to your insurance carrier and the amount of discount is determined
based on the survey results. Discounts can be substantial, possibly ranging from 10-50% of the annual premium.
The inspection is done only once and the discount applies to the lifetime of the policy. The average cost of an
inspection is $150 for a home of 3,200 sq. ft. or less.

The insurance industry has also noted

• The program also applies to condominiums, so condo associations may want to consider getting such an
  inspection (inspection cost will be more than $150). It generally does not apply to commercial
  buildings since these are underwritten on an individual basis based on construction and other factors.
• There is no potential penalty or increase in premium, i.e., your premium should not increase as a result
  of the inspection. It is unknown whether a possible exception to this rule could be falsifications on the
  original policy application that are discovered during the inspection.
• Homeowners with older homes are more likely to see minor or no discounts, since their home was
  probably built to lower wind standards.

Please contact your insurance agent to discuss how you may benefit from this information.