I live in Jacksonville, FL and my insurance premium went up by about $500/yr. I was told that the biggest reason was because my house isn't up to current code for hurricane/wind mitigation. I'm a fairly handy guy and was considering adding hurricane clips on my own. I will also need a new roof in the next few years and was considering a DIY job with a friend. I have a few questions.
- Do I need a permit to install hurricane clips?
- Would I be better off waiting until I do the new roof? My only concern here is that I don't want to rip up all the sheathing.
- Do I need a licensed contractor on the new roof? I realize this probably varies by county.
- Any other advice?
Best Answer
You neeed a permit for the roofing, and the Florida Building Code also requires you to re-nail the decking to code. There are several other items you need to address. Sealed Roof Deck, Roof to Wall Connections, Porch Column tie-downs, Gable Overhangs, gable Sheathing, and if you have vinyl soffits and ceilings, these also need attention.
The Florida Building Code is a minimum life safety standard and does not fully address risks associatedd with windstorm damage. The code is designed to keep the structure together, mitigation is designed to reduce damage, out of pocket expense, the cost of insurance, and most importantly having a place to live after the event.
Go to Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety and download the FORTIFIED for Existing Homes Engineering Guide, this contains everything you will need to consider in a holistic approach. The Florida Wind Mitigation discounts are not a good measure of what you need to do to protect your property and family with a place to live.
"Don't goof when you Re-roof" retrofit it to Bronze and prepare the home for Silver.