SWFL-HI.com – Don't forget the dash!

This inspection is for insurance discount credits. Florida Insurance companies require a wind mitigation report to quote insurance. While this inspection is one of the ways your insurance company will recognize things such as a new roof, “third-nail” installation, new windows/doors shutters, etc, the inspection form requires the inspection of anything wind resistance related, not just one single item (i.e.: shutters, impact glass windows, doors, garage door, roof-to-wall connection aka hurricane straps, etc…).

Insurance companies require this inspection for homeowners insurance and to show which discount credits your home qualifies for. They offer these discount credits for specific things because it lowers their risk… they don’t want anything to happen… and neither do I.

In addition to the information found on this page, I’ve put together a website that explains a bit more in detail about wind mitigation inspections, it’s a work in progress at the moment, but it will have sample inspection images and more information added soon. Even though it’s not yet fully complete, you may find some of the information useful. The site is Wind-Mitigation.info

Again, the site is a work in progress. Much of it is pretty dry, but if you really want to know more about the inspection itself besides what is on this page, you will probably find the answers you seek there.

Yes, 4-Point Inspections are required by insurance companies in the state of Florida on homes that are over 20 years old if you are switching companies or shopping around. If you are staying with your current insurance company or your home is less than 20 years old, this is typically not needed unless your insurance company requests it (which is very rare).
While I specialize primarily in Wind Mitigation Inspections. I also provide 4-Point Inspections. If this situation applies to you, please check with your agent as soon as possible to see if you will need one and let me know right away so I can try to ensure I have enough time to perform that inspection at the same time as your wind mitigation inspection

A 4-Point Inspection checks 4 areas: Electrical, Plumbing, HVAC, and Roof. The roof portion is the condition/exterior of the roof. This is different than the wind mitigation inspection which checks from the attic to see what holds it in place for wind resistance, checks for secondary water protection, etc.

4-Point Inspections start at $125 for a single story 3 bed / 2 bath home. A wind mitigation inspection is a flat rate no matter the size of the home/duplex/mansion, as the amount of work is generally the same. However, 4-point inspections on larger homes may involve additional items to inspect so the cost may be slightly higher if it’s a multi-unit or a home with a combination of multiple electrical panels, A/C units, water heaters, laundry rooms, kitchens, 2-3 stories, more than 3 bathrooms, etc).


Opinion: I will say this, if your home is more than 20 years old and you are considering switching to an insurance company and they tell you that they do not require a 4-point inspection, I would seriously question why that is. A 4-point inspection lets the insurer know the condition of your home, if there is a rogue company out there not requiring it, it raises the question of why they would not want to know the condition of what they are insuring when all other insurance companies do. I have only run into this a few times where this has occurred, and if I was the homeowner, it would make me nervous.

Yes. When you made your appointment, you were sent an appointment confirmation email that had a link to an standard agreement form that needs to be digitally signed before I can inspect your property. This is a standard agreement form that all home inspectors in the state of Florida use. It simply defines the scope of what the inspection covers. Other than that, please skim over this FAQ page to see if anything here applies to you.
Having this form digitally signed in advance really speeds things up.

If everything goes smoothly and you’ve read through the topics on this page that apply to you, typically about 25-35 minutes. This also depends on the number of insurance discount credits you qualify for and how difficult it is to get to what I need to photograph within your attic. For example: A manufactured home with no attic access and no opening protection would be much faster to inspect than a 3-story 6,000 sq ft home with a tight/low pitch attic that is insulated, has a 3-car garage and a mix of impact glass and different types of shutters. On more than half of the homes that I inspect, I can perform most of the attic inspection at or near the attic access, but it’s not unusual for me to need to crawl on my hands and knees spread 2 feet apart on 2×4’s for as far as 30 feet with no head room and contort my body in abnormal positions through crazy openings and blown-in insulation in up to 150°F heat (and I’m not a tiny guy lol). I have had inspections take as little as 15 minutes and sometimes up to an hour, but an hour is usually very rare.

If you’re on a time crunch, let me know and I will perform the attic inspection first, saving the exterior for last, that way you can leave early prior to me completing the inspection if needed.

If your permit information is hidden from the public, please email me a copy of your latest roofing permit by replying to your appointment confirmation email. Or if you have a paper copy I will need to take a photo of the first page of your permit that shows the application date and permit number (for paper copies: please have it ready when I arrive). Also, if your home was built in 2002/2003 or 2007/2008, as I will need the initial building permit for the home itself in addition to the roofing permit.

This permit or permits are necessary to complete your report.

I will need access to your attic to check a variety of things related to the roof. Please ensure nothing is obstructing your attic access (parked cars, golf carts, shelving, stored personal items, appliances, etc.). If you have multiple attic accesses, the garage attic access is almost always preferred (if you have one) as it is typically not insulated (insulation can block important photos that need to be taken).

I can typically get around most attics without any issue, but if you have it packed tightly with personal items that make it impossible to move around, I will at least need a clear path within the attic to an exterior wall. It needs to be where the downward slope of the roof connects to the wall. If you have items stored in your attic, I do not want to be responsible if I need to move things and something happens to your personal belongings. Technically, as a licensed home inspector, our inspections are visual only (with the exception of removing the deadfront of an electrical panel during a 4-point inspection).

I actually prefer the attic light stays off. I use a headlamp which is preferred over an attic light as an attic light tends to throw shadows on the images I need to take, whereas the headlamp can be zoomed in on & focused on the subject being photographed. It’s also easier to get a photo of the reflection of the adhesive used for your secondary water barrier (if present) if it is dark in the attic.

If there is no way to access your attic, please email me a copy of your original contract from your roofer that breaks down everything in detail that was included in your package from your latest roof installation by replying to your appointment confirmation email. If you have a paper copy you can take a photo of it and email that. This is important as it will be the only documentation for things like your SWR discount credit (aka secondary water barrier), 8D nails, nail spacing, etc.

The one thing that the roofing contract will not show is your roof-to-wall connection (aka hurricane straps). If you have no attic access a blueprint might be helpful in determining the number of nails in your roof-to-wall connection, which is generally a large discount. Sometimes the only way to determine the number of nails in the roof-to-wall connection is to remove a small section of soffit, however my inspection is visual only. My license does not permit me to remove soffits, perform repairs, etc. It would be up to you as the homeowner to have a section removed and it may be worthwhile to do so, as the discount is typically very substantial. However, keep in mind that sometimes even removing a section of soffit may not make the roof-to-wall-connection visible (i.e.: there may be something obstructing the view such as a 2×4 beam).

I can “usually” get the images I need from the exterior of the home. I will be looking for labels that indicate they are Miami-Dade Approved, Large Missile Impact Rated, etc.. If no labels are visible, I can sometimes use the etching in the corner of the glass if it says MDCA (Miami-Dade County Approved) or a stamp/etching of a recognizable brand that is only impact rated (i.e: “KeepSafe Maximum”).

However, on occasion I am sometimes unable to get proper images of labels or etching from the exterior and need to inspect them from inside the living area of the home in order to take photos of certification labels that are typically found on the side of the doors and in the upper (or side) tracks of the windows.

If you have documentation/invoices for your impact glass, please have that on hand for me to photograph (as I do not take paper copies) in the event the labels on your windows/doors were removed, painted over, or are obstructed (if you have digital copies, you can email them to me).

If no etching or certification labels are visible and you do not have documentation, as a last resort: sometimes the labels on the upper track of windows are covered with decorative “press-in” vinyl or metal strips. My license and insurance do not permit me to move or remove items, it is a visual inspection only. If you have these decorative strips, you may remove them prior to my arrival (I only need a sampling, i.e.: 4-6 different size windows). Just a heads up: These strips can on occasion sometimes be a tight fit and difficult to put back in. Keep in mind that in order to receive credit, ALL glass openings must be protected, no matter how small. If just one glass opening is unprotected, the insurance company and the inspection form do not give credit, this includes not just windows and doors, but windows on garage doors, skylights, glass block, etc..


I can usually get the images needed from the exterior of your home, but about 1 in 10 inspections require taking photos from the living area of the home.

If your garage door is wind or impact rated, it will have a “Wind Load” certification label on it. If your garage door has aftermarket insulation covering this label, I cannot give credit without a photo of the label. My license and insurance allow for a visual inspection only, I am not permitted to remove the insulation.  You will want to ensure this label is visible prior to the inspection. The label is typically located around the center of the door or the bottom right corner (from the inside), however it is possible that it could be placed anywhere. Garage doors may have many labels, the one that is needed would specifically say something about wind load, design pressure, or impact/ANSI rating, etc. Aftermarket garage door vertical bracing without a wind load certification label or wind load documentation can only be rated as “Other protective coverings that cannot be identified as A, B, or C”. Also, Keep in mind that on some older garage doors, its is possible for them to be wind rated and not impact rated. This can create an issue if the door has windows. If a garage door has glass that is not impact rated and you have protection for all of your other glass openings, no credit can be given for that protection due to the unprotected glass on the garage door. In order to receive an opening protection credit, ALL glass openings must be protected, no matter how small. If just one glass opening is unprotected, the insurance company and the inspection form do not give credit, this includes not just windows and doors, but windows on garage doors, skylights, glass block, etc..

If your label is missing, all is not lost. I can often identify the make and model and go by that. If that is not possible, there are usually other options to prove the door is wind or impact rated. The important thing is to remove any aftermarket insulation that may be obstructing the label prior to the inspection.

Those will need to be on-site and accessible for photos and permanent hardware must be installed around all openings. Keep in mind that in order to receive credit, ALL glass openings must be protected, no matter how small. If just one glass opening is unprotected, the insurance company and the inspection form do not give credit, this includes not just windows and doors, but also windows on garage doors, skylights, glass block, etc.. Insurance companies do not give partial credit because if just one opening is breached, it allows air pressure into the home which creates lift to the roof.

The shutters must be on the premises and must be rated shutters. Some older shutters from the 80’s may look similar, but they are not the correct thickness to qualify. Also permanent hardware must be installed so that anyone can simply install the shutters without power tools. Using tapcons every time does not qualify, Think about putting the shutters up 2-3 times per year for 5 years, that’s up to 15 holes. Re-suing them does not offer the same strength, and moving them over a bit weakens the concrete (wood, etc.) over time.

I will need to take photos of the exterior of the home from the front, back, and side yards. If you have a fenced yard, please have the fence gates unlocked. Also, if you have dogs, please make me aware and keep them inside, not only because your dog may think I am an intruder, but as a dog owner myself with dogs who love to run, I do not want to be responsible for a runaway pet getting loose. If you have a screened lanai or pool cage, please have those unlocked as I will need to photograph the rear of the home & roof unobstructed by multiple layers of screen and may need to inspect windows, shutters, or shutter hardware located in that area of the home as well.

I love dogs of all breeds. My dream is to own a dog rescue shelter in my retirement. I tend to also take photos of all of the dogs I encounter during my inspections. Speaking of which, take a look at some of My Favorite Clients

No, but it may be very helpful to have it handy. There are many instances where an old report may be useful (i.e.: if you had spray foam insulation installed in your attic it may have covered much of what I need to inspect, or if certification labels on windows, doors, or garage doors are now painted/insulated over or missing, I may be able to use the images from the old report so you do not lose those credits). I am not permitted to go by my “best guess”, but if there is prior documentation with photographs by a State of Florida Licensed Home Inspector and it’s indisputable that it’s the same item in question, I can use that.

While it is unlikely that it will be needed, it is good to have on hand for those rare occasions that it may come in handy.

No. When it comes to the roof, a wind mitigation inspection focuses on what holds your roof in place, hence the need for attic access. The other aspect involving the roof’s wind resistance is it’s geometry, which can be photographed from the ground without needing to get on to the roof itself.

This may come as a surprise to some people but for the reasons mentioned above, there is no need to get on a roof for a wind mitigation inspection.

If you need to cancel or reschedule, please notify me as soon as possible. I only have so many openings per day and due to the current insurance situation in the state of Florida many customers are without insurance or are in danger of losing their insurance and desperately need their inspection done as soon as possible. If you cancel at the last minute, then I will be unable to fill that spot for one of those customers, not to mention that it will leave me with an hour of dead time out on the road.

Things happen, I just ask that you try to let me know as soon as possible. I do not charge for cancellations.

Inspections Performed on Monday through Thursday:
Pending any unforeseen issues, reports are typically delivered via email the next day by midnight. This could be anytime within an hour of the inspection up until midnight the following day depending on my travel time between appointments and how tightly I am booked. If you do not see your report the following day by midnight, please check your spam/junk folder. Due to the pdf attachment, my emails are sometimes filtered as spam/junk mail.

Inspections Performed on Friday through Sunday: Those reports may not be sent until before business hours on Monday due to lack of urgency as most insurance companies would be closed until that time.

This is already covered above, but I’m repeating it here so there are no surprises. The form and insurance companies require I go by the weakest “glazed” point; therefore, all glazed openings must be protected in order to receive credit. This is not something that is “up to me”. The reason is, if one opening is breached it allows air pressure into the home which creates lift to your roof. Think of your home being a balloon and the roof being the weak point.

I have had people say things like “Well my home made it through Ian (and a number of other storms) without an issue, or my glass door sits back inside an entryway on the west side so it’s safe.” But all that means is that the opening may have been wind resistant and the person was lucky something like a neighbors roof tile did not hit the glass at 140mph.

Please remember, my job is not to “give people credit”, that may be a by-product, but I’m required to report my visual findings.

The insurance companies and the form do not offer opening protection discount credits for being lucky.

Credit on the form is given only if the plywood meets Table 1609.1.2 of the FBC 2007, which includes that they have permanent hardware/anchors installed into the exterior walls. All glass openings would need to be protected. As far as a discount is concerned, that is up to your insurance company.

If you perform an upgrade that qualifies you for an additional insurance discount, just reply to the original email we sent that contained your report for a discounted rate on a wind mitigation inspection report update, that way you do not need to pay for a full inspection. Your newly updated report will then be good for 5 years from the date of the updated inspection. The discounted rates for report updates are located further below on this page where is says “What if I upgrade my home…”.

NOTE: IT MAY NOT BE WISE TO DELAY THIS CURRENT INSPECTION UNTIL THE UPGRADES ARE COMPLETED. For example, if your garage door is scheduled to be upgraded 3 months from now, waiting 3 months would mean missing out on any potential discounts you may have in the meantime (i.e. new roof). Delaying the inspection may result in the loss of hundreds of dollars. Unless it’s a matter of weeks, it’s often far better to have the inspection done now and then pay the discounted rate for a report update later. I’m mentioning this as I had one customer who was getting impact glass windows installed, but her installer kept rescheduling/delaying the completion due to supply chain issues for almost 18 months. She ended up paying thousands more in insurance premiums than she needed to during that time, just to save the discounted rate of $45 for her area at the time on a report update.

For discounted pricing, see the “What if I upgrade my home…” in the next section “After your Inspection“

Once this inspection is completed: Should you decide to add options to your home for additional discount credits you did not previously qualify for you will be entitled to a discounted rate on any wind mitigation inspection report updates for the next 5 years.

These are the current discounted rates for report updates for 2026:

• Cape Coral/Fort Myers/North Fort Myers: $45
• Lehigh, Estero, Pine Island Area, Fort Myers Beach, Bonita Springs: $50
• Sanibel/Captiva Area: $55
• Outside Lee County: $65
• New Roof Update (any location): $100
• Third Nail Check (any location): $100 (Third nail checks for homes that had less than 3 nails and have been retrofitted require a more extensive attic check than usual. If you hired a 3^rd nail company to perform your installation, most will include updated wind mitigation inspection and pay the inspector of your choice directly. I would be honored if you requested me to perform the check and report update). But if you don’t like me, you can go with someone else.
• Full New Wind Mitigation Inspection (After 5-year expiration, any location): $100 (Normally $125, includes all new images with 1 or 2 possible exceptions under specific circumstances).

*The above discounted rates may change in future years, but they will always be heavily discounted from the price of a new full inspection.

This happens from time to time. My license specifically prohibits me from going by my “best guess” and requires I provide images/documentation to support my findings on your report. The insurance companies will not accept the second-hand word of a third party that simply told you something as acceptable proof. I would need documentation of some sort showing that the door (or other opening) is impact rated. An invoice would be ideal. If that cannot be obtained, then a letter from the builder on their letterhead with their license number stating that the door (or other opening) at your property address is impact rated would be acceptable. However, I should mention my experience nearly every time this situation has occurred is that when the customer has requested the necessary information, they end up finding out that they were misinformed by the builder or realtor. This is extremely unfortunate and completely out of my control.

Mistakes and errors happen, for example, inspectors are not required to check every single roof-to-wall connection (aka hurricane strap) for 3+ nails. We do a random sampling; the original inspector may have done nothing wrong. I am used to being the hero and saving people money, so there is nothing I dislike more than when a client loses a credit. However, if I were to find a strap with only 2 nails in my sampling, I cannot risk breaking the law, committing insurance fraud, facing criminal prosecution, and losing my license & business by lying on the report. Please do not put me in an awkward position by asking me to lie/commit insurance fraud, as the answer will always be “no” (It’s sad that I needed to say that, but it happens far more often that I’d like and it’s very uncomfortable). Plus, the inspection is not just about insurance discounts, it’s also about your safety and the safety of your home. I hope you understand that this is not “me doing this to you”, this was a credit you were receiving that you were never qualified for to begin with due to an error made by someone else, I just happened to be the person in the unfortunate position to deliver the bad news.

Keep in mind that insurance companies sometimes send out their own inspector to double check discount credits, also if there were storm damage, it’s very easy to tell if the discount credit was fraudulently given. Also, when I attended a recent all-day training seminar in Melbourne this past spring it was disclosed that insurance companies are even using AI now to analyze wind mitigation reports for inspections with discrepancies, that illustrates how serious they are about accuracy and fraud.

This discount is unrelated to a new roof installation. Roofers are responsible for your roof deck, re-nailing the deck as needed, your secondary water barrier, shingles (or other roof material covering), etc.. basically, just the exterior of your home. Installing the third nail typically requires someone to go into your attic and add a nail to each strap on every rafter/truss.

Your report is good for 5 years. You can use this same report during that 5-year period to shop around for insurance provided no wind mitigation-related changes have been made. If you make a wind mitigation related change, the report is no longer valid and should be updated. As a customer of SWFL Home Inspector LLC, you will receive a heavily discounted rate for any wind mitigation inspection report update during that 5 year period. You can find our our current discounted rates for this year listed above under “What if I upgrade my home…”.

That rate may increase in the future, however it will always be substantially less than a first time inspection. **PLEASE NOTE: A new 1802 Form was released (Rev04/26) with new inspection category sections. Some insurance companies are not accepting the old form (Rev 01/12) even though it states it is valid for 5 years, while others are offering a 1 year grace period.

I’m a one-man show (aside from an employee who handles scheduling a few hours a day, 2-3 days per week). Answering the phone is difficult for me as I’m usually with a client, up in an attic or driving. I do not answer while driving — between trying to find addresses, Florida traffic, and not being able to answer most questions while driving as I cannot look up scheduling or report info on the road, it’s just not safe. My truck has been hit twice since I purchased it, and both times by someone on their phone.

If it’s a question I can answer without needed to look something up (such as my ETA on inspection day) I’ll sometimes reply to texts at a stoplight using speech-to-text, so apologies in advance for any wild misinterpretations “Android Auto” makes when I text back during business hours.

The fastest way to get a response from me is by texting or emailing. This is because I can reply if I have a spare moment in between appointments. If you have any other questions prior to receiving your report, please feel free to reply to your appointment confirmation email or you can text me 24/7 at 239-645-4970. I often don’t get to voicemails until the end of the day, but I’ll try to return calls within 24 hours. If you need to leave a voicemail, please leave your voicemail our main office line at 239-427-1518 as it will be received by both myself and my employee Krista, ensuring a faster response.

The scenario on the top right happens often. Even if I retracted the 10 foot selfie stick to answer the phone in 150 degree heat within the attic, by the time I did that, the call would have gone to voice mail. The scenario with the “no” symbol is a joke, I would not do that. lol. But I do use speech to text on occasion to reply to texts at stoplights if I am able to answer a question without needing to look something up.

Have a question not answered here or at Wind-Mitigation.info? Reply to your appointment confirmation email — that’s the best way for me to track and address it before your inspection. No question is too small.

I offer a customer Loyalty Discount. Once your property has been inspected by me, it’s then qualified for Lifetime Discounts. You can access the Inspection Report Update Discount Estimator HERE. Average Discounted Rates Fall between $45 to $65 for a 3bed/2 bath Single Story Home

I’m able to offer this lower rate to existing clients for a number of reasons.

• Most often, the reason for an update is that something on a 4-point inspection failed. A repair was performed within a few days and I simply need to photograph that repair and ensure nothing else on the property had changed.
• The second most common update is a client who performed a simple update within a few days to qualify for a wind mitigation related discount and I need to inspect that update.
• Even if the update is not right away, being familiar with the property ahead of time always makes things easier. Knowing if there are any obstacles, special tools needed (i.e. drone) , etc
• 95% of the research is already done. Your inspection actually begins the day before, when I look up permit information, prefill your inspection report as far as I can, etc. I only need to look for any updates. This saves me time.
• It costs me nothing in advertising. And hopefully if you’re happy with my service, when friends and family ask,, my name will be the one you remember.