3 Common Florida Home Inspections for Insurance Purposes

Hurricane season is in full swing, and Miami residents are no strangers to tropical storms, hurricanes, storm preparation, and storm damage. Many insurance companies provide discounts for hurricane construction, newer roofs, and other factors. Still, even the most well-built homes and businesses can’t always withstand the full force of nature’s wrath. Evolve Property Inspections provides several home inspections for insurance and post-hurricane purposes. Here are three:

1. Wind Mitigation Inspection

Insurance companies often require wind mitigation inspections in Miami and other coastal areas. The inspection determines a structure's stability and ability to withstand heavy winds. Whether you get a residential or commercial building inspected, a certified inspector assesses things like the home's age, the roof's age, and the roof's attachment to walls, rafters, and trusses. Additionally, they factor in whether secondary water barriers exist, building codes at the time of construction, and roof installation. 

2. Four-Point Home Inspection

The older homes get, the more things go wrong. As homes age, windows and roofs must be replaced, new appliances purchased, and a host of other repairs and upgrades occur. It comes as no surprise that insurance companies don't rush to insure homes aged 25 years or older as much as newer homes. Statistically speaking, the odds are good that an insurance claim will occur. To mitigate risk, they require home inspections for insurance purposes.

Four-point inspections aren't comprehensive, so they usually supplement other inspections. Their name derives from the fact that they focus on four areas:

• Plumbing
• Electrical
• HVAC
• Roof

3. Roof Inspection

Insurance companies require roof inspections for insurance coverage, potential discounts, and replacement. When it comes to insurance coverage, you'll need a roof certification. To obtain that, you should locate a copy of the roof permit and provide it to the inspector. Additionally, any receipts, invoices, and so forth indicating previous roof work should be submitted. Don't worry about turning over originals because copies are fine. 

The inspector then performs his job, takes photos, prepares a report, and completes the certification process. Consequently, the process takes roughly an hour. Afterward, they submit the certification and home inspections for insurance to the insurance agent. Ideally, permits and receipts assist with the process. However, if you can't locate them, they'll determine the remaining useful life without the information.

Combined Home Inspections for Insurance

Most insurance companies require a mixture of home inspections to determine insurability, premiums, and coverage amounts. Typically, every inspection covered in this article occurs at their request. At the same time, current homeowners shopping around for lower premiums may want to consider these options to support their efforts.

Whether you're a homebuyer, a homeowner, or a commercial property owner or investor, Evolve Property Inspections can help. In addition to insurance inspections, we provide environmental inspections and much more for Miami-Dade County and the surrounding areas. Call (305) 506-8969 or request a quote online.