Roof Inspection Reports: What Florida Insurers Actually Want to See

If you’ve owned a Florida home for more than five minutes, you’ve probably heard the words “4-point inspection” and “wind mitigation report.” If your insurance carrier hasn’t asked for one yet, they will. And what’s on those reports — what your roofer wrote down — is what decides whether your premium goes up, stays flat, or whether the carrier renews your policy at all.

This is the post that explains exactly what those inspectors are looking at, what your roofer should be writing down, and what the report should look like when it’s done right. We’ve inspected thousands of roofs in Miami-Dade and Broward, and we’ve seen what makes Citizens, Universal, Heritage, and the rest of the carriers happy — and what makes them deny coverage.

What a 4-Point Inspection Actually Covers

The “4-point” name comes from the four systems being inspected: roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. For most Florida insurers, this is required on any home over 30 years old, and on any home where the carrier wants to confirm the major systems aren’t going to fail in the next renewal period.

The roof portion is what we focus on. The inspector — ideally a HAAG-certified roofer, not a generalist — is documenting:

• Roof age and material. Asphalt shingle, tile, metal, modified bitumen, TPO. Year installed (best estimate if unknown).
• Estimated remaining life. Florida insurers care about this number. Asphalt: typically 15-20 years total in our climate. Tile: 30-50. Metal: 30-50. If your roof is in the second half of its expected life, you’re in the renewal red zone.
• Visible damage. Missing or curling shingles, cracked tiles, broken seal lines, exposed nails, soft spots, sagging.
• Active leaks or water staining inside. Even minor staining on a soffit or interior ceiling counts.

The report goes to your insurance agent, who passes it to the underwriter. The underwriter makes the keep/raise/drop decision based on what’s there.

What a Wind Mitigation Report Documents

This is the report that can save you money — sometimes a lot of it. Wind mitigation inspections document features that make your roof more wind-resistant, and Florida law requires carriers to give you premium credits for each verified feature.

The inspector looks for and photographs:

• Roof-to-wall connections. Toe-nails, clips, single wraps, double wraps. Each tier earns a bigger discount. Most homes built before 2002 have toe-nail only — upgrading these during a re-roof is a permanent premium reduction.
• Roof deck attachment. Nail size and spacing. Larger nails closer together = better rating.
• Roof geometry. Hip roofs (sloped on all sides) are stronger in wind than gable roofs. Hip earns a credit.
• Secondary water resistance (SWR). A peel-and-stick membrane under the primary roofing material. If it’s there and documented, you get a discount.
• Opening protection. Hurricane shutters, impact glass on all openings.
• Roof covering. Whether it meets current Florida Building Code (FBC) — important for insurers in HVHZ counties (Miami-Dade and Broward).

A complete wind mitigation report can save Florida homeowners 30-50% on their wind insurance premium. We’ve seen $1,200/year reductions on single-family homes.

Where Most Reports Go Wrong

The most common reason insurers reject a roof inspection report is incomplete documentation. Photos that don’t show what they need to show. Vague descriptions. Missing fields. We see roofers fill in “good condition” and call it a report — and then the homeowner gets non-renewed three months later.

A thorough report has:

• Date of inspection, inspector name, license number, and HAAG certification number
• 10-15 photos of the roof from all angles (drone shots are now standard)
• Photos of every penetration: vents, chimneys, skylights, satellite mounts
• Photos of the attic interior showing the deck attachment
• Photos of the roof-to-wall connection (this requires removing soffit material in some homes — most inspectors won’t do this, but it’s required for the highest discount tier)
• A clear written narrative on roof condition and remaining life

If your inspector won’t do the soffit-pull to document the roof-to-wall connection, find another inspector. That single photo can be worth hundreds per year.

What to Do Before Inspection Day

Before the inspector shows up, do these three things to maximize your result:

1. Pull your last permit history. If you re-roofed in 2018, your inspector should know that and document the materials installed. Miami-Dade has a public permit search at miamidade.gov.
2. Have your roofer fix any obvious cosmetic issues. Missing shingles, lifted ridge caps, exposed underlayment — get those repaired the week before, not after the report is filed.
3. Clean the roof. Algae and debris make a roof look 10 years older than it is. A soft wash 30 days before inspection can change the “remaining life” line on your report.

If Your Roof Won’t Pass

If your roof is at the end of its life and an honest inspection report would trigger non-renewal, you have three real options:

1. Re-roof now. The new roof gets you a fresh 20-50 year clock and the best wind mitigation discounts available. Most expensive option but the only one that solves the problem.
2. Switch carriers before non-renewal. Some surplus-line carriers (Citizens, the state-of-last-resort, plus a handful of admitted carriers) will write a policy on an older roof at a higher rate. Buys you time but premiums hurt.
3. Self-insure. Risky in Miami-Dade. We don’t recommend this unless you have substantial cash reserves and understand what a $100K hurricane claim would do to you.

What This Costs

A combined 4-point + wind mitigation inspection runs $125-$300 in our market. The wind mitigation discounts pay for it many times over. Don’t shop on price for this — a cheap inspector who misses features is the worst possible outcome.

If you’re due for renewal in the next 6 months, get the inspection done now, get the report in writing, and review it before it goes to your carrier. We do these every week and we’d rather catch issues early than have a homeowner non-renewed because of a sloppy report.

Need a Trusted Roofing Team in Miami?

BGI Roofing is HAAG-certified, Florida-licensed (CCC1337074), and based in Miami-Dade. We do 4-point and wind mitigation inspections, and we write reports the way insurance underwriters want to read them. Call (305) 894-6575 to schedule a free roof inspection or to talk through your insurance options.