Wind Mitigation Inspection for a Metal Roof in Florida: What to Expect and How to Prepare

Repair & InsurancePublished October 7, 2026

You have a new metal roof, or an older one you trust, and someone is coming to write a wind mitigation report. Maybe your agent asked for one. Maybe you heard it can trim the wind portion of your homeowners premium and you want to know what you are signing up for.

The inspection itself is simple. A licensed inspector walks the outside of the house, climbs into the attic, and fills out a state form that records the wind-resistant features of the home. That inspector is not your roofer. The report goes to you, and you send it to your insurance company.

This guide covers what the inspector looks at, where a metal roof helps, and how to get ready. For the discount itself, see our article on how a metal roof can lower your homeowners insurance in Florida. We won’t repeat it here.

What the Inspector Actually Checks

The state’s Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form (OIR-B1-1802) is the standard document. The Office of Insurance Regulation revised it for 2026, so your inspector works from the current version. The main categories are these:

• Roof covering. What the roof is made of, and whether it meets the Florida Building Code that applied when it was permitted.
• Roof deck attachment. How the plywood or plank deck is fastened to the rafters or trusses. This is hidden under the roof, so it is checked from the attic or through records.
• Roof-to-wall connection. The hardware tying the roof framing to the walls: toe nails, clips, or straps that wrap over the top of the framing. Also checked in the attic.
• Roof shape. Hip, gable, or something else. A hip roof slopes on all four sides and handles wind better than a gable end.
• Secondary water resistance. Whether the roof has a sealed layer that keeps water out if the outer covering is lost or damaged.
• Opening protection. Shutters, impact windows and doors, and the garage door rating.

Each one gets its own line on the form. That matters, because a roof can score well on some lines and poorly on others.

Where a Metal Roof Helps, and Where It Doesn’t

A new metal roof usually does well on the roof covering line. It is installed under a current permit, with panels and fasteners that have Florida product approval, so the paperwork is clean. If your house has a hip roofline, like the copper standing seam roof in the photo above, that line helps too, though the shape comes from the house and not from the metal.

Deck attachment and secondary water resistance depend on how the roof was built. A reroof that includes re-nailing the deck to current standards and a sealed underlayment can support both lines, but the inspector needs proof or something they can see. Pictures from the install and your permit records do that job.

Now the part people miss. Roof-to-wall connections and opening protection have little to do with your roof panels. If the original framing used toe nails, a new metal roof does not change that line. If your windows have no shutters or impact rating, the openings line stays where it is. Those are separate projects with separate costs, and an honest inspector will tell you so.

How to Prepare

A little prep makes the visit faster and the report more accurate.

1. Pull your paperwork. The building permit, the passed final inspection, and the product approval numbers for the panels. Ask your roofing contractor for copies if you can’t find them.
2. Clear attic access. The hatch should be reachable, with a path to the eaves and the top of the exterior walls. Move stored boxes away from the walls.
3. Find your photos. Pictures taken during the install, especially of the deck and the underlayment, are the only way to show what is under a finished roof.
4. Know your roof shape. Count the sections that are hips and the ones that end in a gable. It saves a few minutes of talking.
5. List your openings. Which windows and doors have shutters or impact glass, and the garage door model if you know it.

What Happens With the Report

You get the completed form, and you decide what to do with it. Most homeowners send it to their insurance agent and ask whether any wind credits change. The insurer reviews it and makes its own call on the premium.

We don’t advise on coverage, claims, or what your policy should say. That is between you, your agent, and your insurer. What we can do is make sure the roof is documented well, and give you a straight assessment of its condition. If you are also weighing an age-related renewal question, our piece on Florida’s 2026 roof-age insurance law explains what changed.

One practical note. If the inspector flags a problem with the roof itself, like a loose flashing or a fastener backing out, have it looked at by a roofer. Our guide to whether you can repair a small metal roof leak yourself is a good starting point before you climb anywhere.

Metal Roofing Near Merritt Island

Brevard County homes near the Indian and Banana Rivers take wind off open water, and a lot of the housing stock has hip roofs that suit metal well. We install standing seam and other metal systems across Merritt Island. If you’re in the area, our Merritt Island metal roofing page shows what we do locally, and our residential metal roofing services cover the systems we install.

Ready to talk about your roof? Request a free quote and we’ll come take a look.