Wind mitigation inspections in Lee County
A wind mitigation inspection is the least expensive step in the whole opening-protection chain for Lee County homeowners: a short visit, a standard state form, and the paperwork your insurer needs to apply the premium credits Florida law requires it to offer. This page covers what the inspection documents, what it costs, and when to order one. We can connect you with an independent licensed professional who performs them across Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and the rest of the county.
What the form documents
The uniform mitigation verification inspection form, OIR-B1-1802 (revised edition effective April 1, 2026), records seven construction features: the building code era of the home, roof covering, roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall attachment, roof geometry, secondary water resistance, and opening protection. Each answer maps to a credit line in your insurer's filed rate schedule under FS 627.0629 . The inspector photographs the evidence, signs under a listed license, and the completed form is generally good for five years if the home does not change.
For window projects, the opening protection question is the one that moves. It is scored house-wide against every glazed opening plus doors and garage doors, and the classification follows the weakest one. That single detail explains most disappointing outcomes: a beautiful 12-window upgrade with one unrated garage door documents lower than the homeowner expected. Scope the whole opening list first; the impact windows page explains how installers do that.
Cost, and the free path
Standalone wind mitigation inspections in Southwest Florida typically run about $75 to $150, less when bundled with a four-point or full home inspection during a purchase. Set against the FLOIR's published worked example (at least 68 percent off the wind portion of a premium for full mitigation features; your policy will vary), the inspection pays for itself if it documents even one credit you were not receiving. Eligible homeowners can skip the fee entirely: the My Safe Florida Home program (reappropriated over $405 million for FY2026-27) provides free wind mitigation inspections; check eligibility at mysafeflhome.com .
When to order one
- Before a window project, to baseline what your home already documents and size the gap the project should close.
- After a window project, to record the new opening protection so the credits actually reach the bill. Re-inspection after the final permit inspection is the step homeowners most often skip.
- When buying a home in Lee County, alongside the four-point: the same visit can produce both forms, and the 1802 result is a negotiating fact about the true cost of ownership.
- At renewal shock, before shopping carriers: an up-to-date 1802 makes every competing quote price the same documented home.
The full credit mechanics, the code background, and the sensible project order live in the Lee County wind mitigation guide . If the inspection reveals an opening-protection gap, the hurricane window replacement page walks the project that closes it.