New Impact Windows Could Lower Your Florida Insurance Bill

Florida changed its wind mitigation inspection form in April. Homeowners who have replaced their windows should check that their insurance records reflect the work.

Once the new windows are in, calling the insurance agent can be easy to put off. The installation is finished, the house is back in order, and the next renewal may be months away.`

But if your insurer is still working from an inspection completed before the project, its records may describe windows you no longer own.

Qualifying impact windows can help Florida homeowners receive wind mitigation discounts. The next step is to find out whether your insurer has the information it needs to review the improvements, and whether your policy already includes the relevant credit.

What changed in April

Since April 1, 2026, new wind mitigation inspections in Florida must use the revised Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, OIR-B1-1802, marked Rev. 04/26. The Florida Department of Financial Services says the update adds categories and specifies the documentation needed to support the inspector's findings.

An older report does not automatically become unusable because the form changed. The state says a completed report can remain valid for up to five years, provided there have been no material changes to the structure and no inaccuracies are found. If you replaced your windows after the inspection, ask your agent what is needed to document that work.

The new form itself does not promise a larger discount. In its March 19 announcement, Citizens said the revisions would not change its available credits at that time. The practical reason to review your file is to make sure it describes the home you have now.

Doors and skylights count too

The revised form's opening protection section covers windows, exterior doors, sliding glass doors, skylights and garage doors. It asks inspectors to record the weakest protection level for openings containing glass and, separately, for openings without glass.

That matters when a window replacement project happens in stages. New impact windows at the front of the house may sit alongside an older sliding glass door at the back. Ask the inspector how the protection across the property affects the classification before assuming that one part of the renovation qualifies the whole house.

The state inspection form also distinguishes verified protection from products that appear to meet a standard but cannot be verified. This is where the manufacturer's information and the contractor's records become useful. A general description such as “impact windows” leaves the inspector with less to work from than the exact product details.

Keep a record of what went into each opening

Ask your contractor for a final invoice that identifies the installed products, along with the relevant product approval documents and clear photographs of labels or identifying marks. Keep any permit and final inspection records with that material. Your agent or inspector can tell you which documents are needed for the insurance review.

A simple plan that identifies each window can make the paperwork easier to follow. A label photographed in the kitchen should be recognizable as belonging to the kitchen window when someone opens the file six months later.

For a closer look at organizing those records, see this guide to keeping photos and documents connected to each opening.

For anyone still planning a project, ask what records the contractor will provide at completion. The Journal's guide to documenting a Florida window replacement explains what to keep from the first measurements through the final inspection.

Ask your agent to review the completed work

Before paying for another inspection, contact your agent. Explain when the windows were installed, which openings were replaced and whether you have an earlier wind mitigation report. Ask what the insurer requires to review your eligibility for a credit. If another inspection is needed, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation recommends checking that the inspector is authorized to perform it.

Citizens gives its policyholders a clear example of the process. Its guidance on updating mitigation features directs homeowners to notify the company and their agent after improvements. The agent submits supporting documents and photographs for review, and a new inspection may be required. If Citizens applies a new discount, it sends a revised declarations page, the document summarizing the policy's coverages and premium.

Ask your own insurer what it has accepted, whether that changes the premium, and when any adjustment takes effect. Request the change in dollars so you can see what it means for your bill.

There is a detail worth checking before comparing any promised percentage with your total premium: Citizens specifies that its wind mitigation discounts apply to the wind portion of the premium. A percentage quoted for that portion will not translate into the same percentage off the entire bill. Ask your agent which part of your policy the proposed credit affects.

If a credit was already in place, the new installation may leave it unchanged. Keep the completed inspection and supporting records with your policy, and ask your agent to confirm that the review is finished before putting the renovation folder away.