A wind mitigation discount can be a real deal or a red flag. Here’s how to tell — and why the cheapest inspection in Lee County isn’t always the best value.
Wind Mitigation Discount — Inspections for $74.99?
A discount can mean two very different things. Sometimes it’s a genuinely good deal from a solid inspector running a promotion or working efficiently. Other times it’s the sound of corners being cut. When you see a wind mitigation inspection discounted to around $74.99 in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, or anywhere in Lee County, the trick is telling those two apart.
Start with the baseline. Around here, the typical wind mitigation inspection runs about $125. A couple of inspectors charge $100, some go $150 to $200, and only two or three in the entire area sit down at $75. And a few of those are add-on rates — quoted that low only when you’re also buying a full home inspection, not for a standalone wind mitigation. So a “discount” to around $74.99 isn’t a small markdown off the going rate — it’s pricing that only a tiny fraction of inspectors offer at all, and sometimes only as a bundle. Sometimes that’s a genuine deal from someone efficient. Sometimes it’s what it looks like: the bargain-basement floor, where the discount comes out of the parts of the job you can’t see.
The parts you can’t see are exactly the ones that matter. A wind mitigation inspection is documented from inside the attic, in the heat, feature by feature, with photos that have to satisfy an insurance underwriter. When a discount inspector is moving fast to make the numbers work, the photos are usually where it shows. Many tend to use cellphone apps to quickly generate low quality cookie-cutter reports in order to save time.
And photos are where reports get rejected. Carriers send reports back for images that are low-quality, for images that are simply missing, and for documentation that’s incomplete or mislabeled. A rejected report means delays, possibly a re-inspection, and your discount credits stuck waiting — which is a rotten position to be in if a renewal is bearing down on you. Having a report rejected only serves to open the door for deeper scrutiny of future reports. The “deal” stops being a deal in a hurry.
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| Prior to becoming a home inspector, years ago, I wanted to save some money, so I hired discount home inspector to perform my wind mitigation inspection. This is an image from my report of my roof-to-wall connection. It is supposed to document the number of nails securing the rafter/truss to my wall. Can you tell how many nail heads there are on this strap? He also did not photograph the opposing side, which is a requirement. |
So how do you tell a real discount from a red flag? Ask whether the inspector is licensed and specializes in wind mitigation, whether they shoot high-resolution photos. How many years have they been performing wind mitigation inspections? How many do they do per year? How many certifications do they have? Do they use a cell phone app for their reports or do they take their time and do them manually? How many reports per thousand have they had rejected? Also be sure to ask whether they’re using the current version of the form or not. A real deal holds up to those questions. There are more benefits riding on that accepted report, too — about a dozen of them.
The bottom line is the old one: you get what you pay for. A fair price from an experienced inspector beats the lowest price in town every time the report has to actually work.
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| This additional blurry photo was the only other attic image included in my wind mitigation report completed by the discount inspector. (Many required images were missing). This image is supposed to show that the nail his finger is pointing at is an 8D nail. This is normally accomplished by placing a ruler or measuring tape next to the nail, which was not done. I thought I was saving money, only to find out years later, it cost me thousands. |
If you’re looking for an experienced, licensed home inspector for your Cape Coral or Fort Myers home. A home inspector who provides professionally complete reports with high resolution images, please consider SWFL Home Inspector LLC.
You can get a free estimate in about 10 minutes.
Curious about what is involved with a wind mitigation inspection report?