How does a new roof affect your insurance?

What counts

Which roof features does the insurance credit look at?

Six of the nine questions on the state form, 3 through 8, are about the roof. A new roof can change the covering, deck attachment and sealed deck answers.

• Question 4

  Roof covering

  The permit date or product approval shows the covering meets the Florida Building Code. A permit on or after March 1, 2002 qualifies.

• Question 5

  Roof deck attachment

  How the plywood is nailed down. 8d nails at 6 inches in the field rate higher than 6d nails or staples.

• Question 6

  Roof-to-wall

  How the trusses hold to the walls: toenails, clips, single wraps, double wraps or structural. The weakest one counts.

• Question 7

  Roof shape

  A hip roof, with other shapes under 10% of the perimeter, rates better than a gable roof.

• Question 8

  Sealed roof deck (SWR)

  A second barrier under the covering. Standard felt doesn't count; a self-adhered membrane or taped seams do.

Step by step

How do you get roof credits after a new roof?

1. 01

   Read your current form

   Ask your agent for the wind-mitigation form on file. Look at questions 4 to 8: they show what your roof earns now.

2. 02

   Check the roof's age

   Roof age is counted from the last time 100% of the roof was replaced to code. Know the permit date before your renewal.

3. 03

   Plan the new roof

   On a full tear-off, Florida requires a secondary water barrier and deck-attachment upgrades. Ask about roof-to-wall connections at the same time.

4. 04

   Permit and final

   Keep the roofing permit, the passed final inspection and the product approval numbers for the covering.

5. 05

   Get a new form

   A new roof is a material change. Have a qualified inspector complete a new OIR-B1-1802 with photos of the deck nailing, underlayment and connections.

6. 06

   Send it to your insurer

   Give the form and the permit to your agent. Your insurer applies its own credit and updates the roof age.

Realistic expectations

How much will you save?

We don't publish a savings percentage or a dollar figure. Each insurer files its own credits with the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.

Check it yourself

Where does this come from?

Only Florida law, state agencies and nonprofit or federal research. Each link says what it backs up.

1. Florida Statutes §627.7011(5): roof age and insurabilityAn insurer may not refuse to issue or renew solely because a roof is under 15 years old; for a roof 15 or older, the homeowner may get an inspection at their own cost, and if it shows 5 or more years of useful life the insurer may not refuse solely on roof age; how roof age is counted; applies to policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2022.
2. Florida Statutes §553.844: roof replacement mitigation and the 25% ruleA roof replacement on a site-built single-family home must include a secondary water barrier and roof-deck attachment improvements; roof-to-wall connections in the wind-borne debris region for homes insured or valued at $300,000 or more, limited to about 15% of the reroof cost; if a roof was built to the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, replacing 25% or more of it only requires the replaced portion to meet the current code (2022 change).
3. Florida Statutes §627.0629: insurers must file wind-mitigation discountsInsurers' rate filings must include actuarially reasonable discounts or credits for wind-loss features, including roof strength, roof covering, roof-to-wall strength, opening protection and window, door and skylight strength; insurers must describe their mitigation discounts on their website (since Oct 1, 2023); premium notices separate the hurricane premium from the rest; insurers may file plans based on nonprofit standards such as FORTIFIED.
4. Florida Statutes §627.711: notice of discounts and the uniform inspection formInsurers must notify you of discount ranges at issue and renewal; who may sign the form (licensed home inspectors with mitigation training, building code inspectors, general/building/residential contractors, engineers, architects); insurers must accept a form signed by them; the insurer may pay for an independent check of the form; false forms are a first-degree misdemeanor.
5. Form OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26), Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form (PDF)The nine questions (building code, region, roof slope, roof covering, roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall, roof geometry, sealed roof deck/SWR, opening protection); answer options and thresholds; every attribute in questions 2–9 needs a photo or document; a FORTIFIED certificate may validate questions 4–6 and 8–9; openings in need of replacement disqualify mitigation credits.
6. Florida OIR: Wind Mitigation ResourcesForm OIR-B1-1802 was updated effective April 1, 2026 after the 2024 wind-loss study; the form is valid up to five years if nothing material changes; OIR's list of state mitigation programs.
7. Form OIR-B1-1655, Notice of Premium Discounts for Hurricane Loss Mitigation (PDF)Discounts apply only to the hurricane-wind part of the premium; discounts are not added together and stop at the insurer's maximum; securing the roof and protecting windows are named the two most cost-effective steps.
8. Florida DFS consumer guide: Premium Discounts for Hurricane Loss Mitigation (PDF)Discounts apply only to windstorm coverage; the inspector documents features with photographs; take the form to your insurer; the new form is required for inspections on or after April 1, 2026; a form is valid five years; hurricane garage doors or bracing kits can count.
9. Citizens Property Insurance: InspectionsFour-point inspection for homes over 20 years old; roofs over 25 years (shingle) or 50 years (tile, metal, concrete, slate) need proof of at least five years of remaining useful life, or proof of full roof replacement; wind-mitigation forms are reviewed by underwriters.
10. Citizens: Roof requirements for new home purchasesA recent buyer whose roof has under five years of life may still apply if a signed contract with a licensed contractor shows a full roof replacement within 30 days of the requested coverage date.
11. IBHS FORTIFIED: FORTIFIED RoofWhat FORTIFIED Roof requires: sealed roof deck, ring-shank nails in an enhanced pattern, locked-down edges (wider drip edge, adhered starter strip), tested and rated roof covers (shingle, metal, tile, low-slope); Silver and Gold add openings and the load path.
12. IBHS FORTIFIED: FORTIFIED Roof endorsementsOptional policy endorsements that pay toward a FORTIFIED Roof upgrade when a covered loss needs a full roof replacement; details vary by insurer and state.
13. Florida Statutes §215.5586: My Safe Florida Home ProgramEligibility (homestead, site-built, owner-occupied single-family; grant: insured value $700,000 or less, built before Jan 1, 2008, program inspection within 24 months, low- or moderate-income); $2 state for every $1 up to $10,000; low-income applicants need no match; eligible items (exterior doors, garage doors, windows, skylights, roof-to-wall, roof-deck, secondary water resistance and roof covering); the program may require all openings be done; permits and licensed contractors required; 18 months to finish.
14. My Safe Florida Home (Florida DFS)Free wind-mitigation inspections and grants up to $10,000 for approved upgrades: windows, exterior and garage doors, roof-deck and roof-to-wall improvements, secondary water barrier; apply through the program portal.
15. FEMA P-804 (2023) overview: Wind Retrofit Guide for Residential Buildings (PDF)FEMA's Basic, Intermediate and Advanced retrofit packages: sealing the roof deck and improving deck attachment and roof edges come first; protecting windows, doors and garage doors from windborne debris comes next; then a continuous load path.
16. NOAA National Hurricane Center: Hurricane hazardsHurricane-force winds (74 mph or more) can destroy buildings; debris such as roofing material and signs becomes flying missiles.
17. Florida Building Commission: Product Approval searchLook up a Florida Product Approval number for a window, door or roof product.
18. UF/IFAS EDIS: How Safe Is Your House? (Wind Damage Mitigation series)Background: what homeowners can do to protect a house from windstorms (archived 2005 fact sheet).
19. Insurance Information Institute: 12 ways to lower your homeowners insurance costsInsurers may reward shutters, impact-resistant roofing and FORTIFIED, but savings vary by state, insurer and whether the work is verified.