Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26) Adopted by Rule 69O-170.0155, F.A.C. Page 1 Section 3 — Roof Slope (New on the Rev. 04/26 Form)
Section 3 — Roof Slope (New on the Rev. 04/26 Form)
Section 3 is another addition introduced with the 2026 revision of the form. It was not included on the previous version. This section simply asks the inspector to document whether the primary slope of your roof is steep or relatively flat — specifically whether it meets or exceeds a 6:12 pitch, or falls below it.
What Does 6:12 Mean?
Roof pitch is expressed as a ratio of rise to run — how many inches the roof rises vertically for every 12 inches it travels horizontally. A 6:12 pitch means the roof rises 6 inches for every 12 inches of horizontal distance. That works out to a slope angle of about 26.5 degrees — a moderately pitched roof that you would visually recognize as having a noticeable but not extreme slope.
A roof with a pitch steeper than 6:12 — say 8:12 or 10:12 — has a more pronounced angle, like what you might see on a traditional colonial or craftsman style home. A roof with a pitch below 6:12 is flatter and lower in profile, which describes the majority of homes in Southwest Florida. The low-slope, hip-style roof is by far the most common configuration in this market, particularly on homes built after the mid-1980s.
Which Answer Applies to Most SWFL Homes?
For the vast majority of homes in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and the surrounding area, the answer will be less than 6:12. Florida’s building culture heavily favors low-profile roofs — they are well suited to the climate, cost-effective to build, and perform well in high wind conditions when properly constructed. Steep-pitched roofs are relatively uncommon here compared to other parts of the country.
What If the Home Has Multiple Roof Slopes?
Many homes have more than one roof pitch — a main roof, a garage section, a bump-out or addition, each potentially at a slightly different angle. The form addresses this directly. When multiple slopes are present, the inspector uses the slope that covers at least two-thirds of the main roof area as the controlling answer. If no single slope accounts for two-thirds or more of the total roof area, the inspector uses professional judgment to determine the predominant slope.
Does This Affect My Insurance Discount?
At this time the roof slope designation on the new form is a documentation item. Your inspector will record whichever answer accurately reflects your roof, and that information becomes part of the submitted report. As with all sections introduced in the 2026 revision, the long-term impact on insurance rating factors is still being established as insurers work with the updated form.
A Note on Inspection Pitch Readings vs. Roofer Notation
It is worth noting that the pitch reading your inspector records may not always match what your roofer wrote on a permit, contract, or proposal. Roofers typically measure pitch using a level and tape and round to the nearest whole number — a roof that measures anywhere close to 6 inches of rise per 12 inches of run will generally be noted as a 6:12. A wind mitigation inspector using a pitch gauge in the attic is taking a direct physical measurement against a hard threshold. A reading of 5.9:12 and a reading of 6.1:12 will produce different results on this form even though a roofer would call both a 6:12. Neither measurement is wrong — they simply serve different purposes at different levels of precision.
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