WIND MITIGATION INSPECTION AUSTIN TX

WHAT IS A WIND MITIGATION INSPECTION

A wind mitigation inspection, called a “windstorm inspection”, is actually a visual examination of a home’s ability (or lack of it) to withstand damage during a windstorm. Home Pro Inspections Wind mitigation inspector examines your home’s various characteristics to resist strong winds. While wind mitigation inspections are not obliged by law, we highly recommend them for each & every homeowner in Austin.

A windstorm mitigation inspection at Home Pro Inspections generally looks at seven key areas of your home’s roof to determine its ability to withstand strong winds & water intrusion. During a windstorm (yes, even a typical summer thunderstorm), substantial winds can push heavy rain against your house, where water droplets can find their way into any crack or crevice.

Your roof is the very first line of defense against strong winds, which is why windstorm mitigation inspections focus on your roof.

The inspection report will examine 7 areas:

  1. Construction Year: the exact year your house was built, which indicates to the home inspector how strict the building codes were at that time.
  2. Roof Covering: the sort of roof covering (tile, shingle, etc.) & age of the roof.
  3. Roof Decking: the material your decking is actually made of, the kind of nails securing the shingles & how far apart the nails are.
  4. Roof To Wall Attachment: the technique utilized to attach the roof to your walls.
  5. Roof Shape: the slope & shape of your roof.
  6. Secondary Water Resistance: the kind of material between the shingles & roof decking.
  7. Opening Protections: whether you have extra protections on openings such as garage doors, sunroofs, windows, etc.

Obviously, the newer, better & healthier constructed your house roof is, the more stability it provides against wind damage.

HOW CAN YOU BENEFIT FROM OUR TEAM INSPECTION?

A Wind mitigation examination report describes the wind resistance features of a building, home, or structure. These inspections were developed to save homeowners money on home insurance by crediting them for features that mitigate the damage that could occur during a hurricane or strong windstorm.

Typically, the reports & wind premium discounts* are based on an inspection of these features:

  • Building Code (up to 86%)

  • Roof Covering (up to 11%)

  • Roof to Deck Attachment (up to 9%)

  • Roof to Wall Attachment (up to 35%)

  • Roof Shape (up to 47%)

  • Secondary Water Resistance (varies)

  • Opening Protection (up to 44%)

Benefits of Wind Mitigation

By far, the most popular reason for getting a wind mitigation inspection from Home Pro Inspections is to save money on your insurance premiums!

Lawfully, your carrier must provide you with insurance discounts for a “passing grade.” The more wind-resistant characteristics your roof has, the deeper your discount is.

Some wind-resistant characteristics::

  • Newer roofs;
  • Longer nails placed closer together;
  • Upgraded materials;
  • Hipped roofs;
  • Secondary water resistance; and
  • Higher-rated doors, windows, shutters, etc.

Will all earn you some extra “credits” that your insurance agency will turn into discounts.

ITEMS THE INSPECTOR WILL LOOK FOR:

  • Covering & Date of installation.
  • Deck attachment- nails, screws, or staples along with the size & spacing.
  • To wall attachment- nails, clips, or straps.
  • Shape & gable end bracing.
  • Construction types—usually frame or block.
  • Secondary water barriers- self-adhering polymer transformed bitumen or foam.

WHY SHOULD I SCHEDULE A WIND MITIGATION INSPECTION?

Austin & many other cities require insurance companies to lower rates for homes with specific wind mitigation features that make them better equipped to withstand storms. Home Pro Inspections would be happy to conduct a windstorm mitigation inspection on your property to help you protect your house from damage caused by severe weather. This, in turn, can help you save on your home insurance while ensuring you are covered in the event of a storm.

Allow our experienced team of specialists to perform a windstorm mitigation inspection so you can have more protection & savings. In many instances, we can give wind mitigation reports that are approved for 5 years!

WE CAN HELP!

Ask yourself—don’t you owe it to yourself to capture the cheapest possible insurance premiums? What if your home is ready to weather a hurricane? In that case, you might as well get it documented in order to receive the savings on your insurance premiums.

One of our recent reports resulted in a discount of over 600 dollars off the insurance premiums. Although we can’t promise these substantial savings, most do see a reduction of more than double the inspection cost.

And if your house is not ready to endure a storm, we really should talk before you are left homeless by the next hurricane in Austin. Don’t gamble on the security of your home. Contact us today!