Florida's wind mitigation form Rev. 04/26: what changed

The form got longer and stricter about proof. OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26) replaced Rev. 01/12, the version in use since February 1, 2012, and the Florida CFO's consumer page says it must be used for all inspections as of April 1, 2026. It is adopted by Rule 69O-170.0155, F.A.C., under s. 627.0629, F.S., and both versions are posted on the Office of Insurance Regulation's wind mitigation page.

We read the two forms side by side. The 01/12 form is 4 pages and 7 questions. The 04/26 form is 6 pages and 9.

The form also accepts a FORTIFIED Home Roof, Silver or Gold certificate (photocopy attached) to validate the answers to questions 4 through 6 and 8 through 9.

Citizens will, for a while, and with conditions. Its March 19, 2026 agent bulletin says inspections done on or after April 1, 2026 must use Rev. 04/26. It keeps accepting a Rev. 01/12 form completed within 5 years before April 1, 2026, as long as the structure hasn't changed. It also tells agents that performance violations may be issued for submitting an older form.

Two other lines in that bulletin matter to inspectors:

• The changes don't affect the credits available or applied. The form is about verification, and the discount schedule didn't move with it.
• The inspector must complete every field, and agents are told to check that all required photos are attached before submitting.

Both versions say the form is valid for up to 5 years if the structure has no material changes and the form has no inaccuracies. So the last legitimate Rev. 01/12 forms run out by March 2031, and every one that expires before then is a homeowner who needs a new inspection on the 04/26 form. For a wind mitigation business, that is a renewal list. If you kept your old forms and client contacts, you can see roughly when each one ages out.

Mostly more evidence and a few new measurements. Practical changes for anyone filling it out:

1. Look up the region before you drive. Question 2 points to the ASCE hazard tool (ascehazardtool.org) for the design wind speed at the address. It is a desk task, so do it at booking.
2. Measure the roof slope. On a cut-up roof, note which slope covers two thirds of the main roof area and how you determined it.
3. Photograph every attribute you mark. The old form needed photos for questions 3 to 7. The new one needs a photo or document for 2 through 9, which now includes building code and roof covering.
4. Get the paperwork early. Roof covering now asks for the permit date or product approval number together with the installation year. The building code question wants a permit application date for homes built in 2002, 2003, 2007 and 2008. Ask the client or agent for permits when the job is booked, not on site.
5. Read the connector labels. The new roof-to-wall answers credit purpose-made connectors by their published uplift capacity and require site-specific documentation. A clear photo of the connector and its stamp is the documentation.
6. Use the new answer for bad installs. Connectors that are present but not installed as intended now have their own answer (6.I) and also fall into the toenail category in 6.A.

Who can sign hasn't changed. The form lists home inspectors licensed under s. 468.8314 who have completed the hurricane mitigation training approved by the Construction Industry Licensing Board and a proficiency exam, building code inspectors, general, building or residential contractors, professional engineers, architects, and anyone else the insurer recognizes under s. 627.711(2). Everyone except licensed contractors and engineers must inspect personally. Knowingly submitting a false form to get a discount is a first-degree misdemeanor under s. 627.711(7).

The new form takes longer to complete and longer to photograph. If your wind mitigation price was set when the form was 4 pages, look at it again.

The insurer of last resort is a fraction of its former size, and that changes who sets the rules. Citizens' policies-in-force page shows:

That is 85% fewer policies than at the peak. Of the September 30, 2026 total, 196,317 were personal residential multiperil and 54,528 were personal residential wind-only.

Citizens' own inspections page still requires a 4-point inspection for property owner, dwelling and mobile home applications on homes more than 20 years old, and documentation of at least 5 years of remaining life for roofs over 25 years old (soft coverings) or 50 years old (hard coverings). Its 4-point form was last revised in March 2025 (Insp4pt 03 25), when Citizens added required photos of the water heater's temperature and pressure relief valve, required a licensed electrician to certify any single-strand aluminum wiring remediation, and asked for the age of the supply piping and water heater.

There is no OIR-adopted 4-point form the way there is a wind mitigation form. Each carrier's underwriting decides whether it wants one, at what home age, and on which form. As Citizens shrinks, more of the 4-points you write are ordered under a private carrier's rules, so ask the agent which carrier and which form before you go.

Treat the form change as a reason to check the whole service.

• Retire every Rev. 01/12 template and blank. There is no case for using it on an inspection dated after March 31, 2026.
• Add region and slope to your booking questions and your on-site checklist.
• Build a photo list that covers questions 2 through 9, and caption each photo with the question it supports.
• Ask for permits, product approvals and any FORTIFIED certificate when the client books.
• Keep your completed forms and photos for at least the 5-year validity period. Insurers can ask questions about a form you signed years ago.
• Confirm with the agent which carrier the policy is going to and which 4-point form it accepts.
• Re-price wind mitigation for the time the 6-page form takes.