Buying and owning a home, for many of us, is the most significant investment we will make in our lives. It will likely also be one of the costliest ones too.
Therefore, when we make that investment we want to make sure that the investment won’t turn sour. It is of paramount importance that the home we purchased is strong and sturdy enough to protect us from a significant hurricane.
South Florida’s building codes were significantly re-vamped following Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and tweaked again following the active hurricane seasons in 2004 and 2005. The local building codes were revised to ensure that our homes would remain standing in the event of a hurricane strike.
But these building code advancements did not come without added costs to our homes. In fact, some of the advancements added to the costs of building a home to withstand a hurricane.
As such, our Florida legislators devised a statutory scheme that would permit a home owner to secure discounts for their homeowners insurance coverage if they home met certain criteria.
Indeed, our legislators enacted Florida Statute § 627.711 which requires property insurers to clearly identify and explain discounts available on the policies they sell if a property meets hurricane mitigation requirements.
The State of Florida, however, has discontinued the popular program that aided property owners to secure discounts on their homeowners insurance policy. But many homeowners may still qualify for the discounts even without the state’s assistance.
Here are some tips to follow if you think your insurance company revoked legitimate discounts for strengthening your home against hurricanes.
1. Compare Forms. If your first inspection was done prior to 2009, and the second one was done after 2009, then that will likely explain the issue. The forms recently changed.
2. Keep Documentation. Keep copies of all documentation regarding any and all work performed.
3. Contact the Original Inspector. The inspector that performed the original inspection may be able to assist you in securing the discount today.
4. Use a licensed contractor to perform any work required to strengthen your home.
These tips will help you in making your home stronger. This will help you in the event of a significant hurricane striking Florida. If the work is done properly, it may even qualify you for additional insurance discounts on your insurance premium.
So be sure to check with your insurance company and ask them what discounts are applied and how you can go about securing those discounts.