Part 4 of our 7 part series on the wind mitigation form touches on the Roof to Wall Attachment section. The RTW is more widely known as “Hurricane straps”. This section is one of the larger discounts a house can receive from their insurance company.
What is a Roof to Wall Attachment?
For clarity, we will refer to RTW as hurricane straps. Hurricane straps secure the roof framing to the house walls. In block homes, these straps are typically embedded in the concrete during construction and attached to the framing once the trusses are installed.
What do you need to qualify for the Roof to Wall Attachment discount?
To qualify for the discount, a hurricane strap must be secured with at least three nails and installed no more than 1/2 inch from the truss. If these requirements are not met, the installation is classified as a “Toe Nail” on the form and does not receive a discount. If your home does not qualify, you may hire a contractor to retrofit the hurricane straps. In the Orlando area, we recommend All Florida Wind Mitigation retrofits and The third nail guy.
Do certain types qualify for larger discounts?
The wind mitigation form identifies four types of RTW connections: toe nails, clips, single wraps, and double wraps. Most insurance companies do not offer discounts for toe nails, but provide significant discounts for clips. Single and double wraps typically receive slightly higher discounts than clips, although rates vary by company.
How much of a discount can I get for having hurricane straps?
Each house and insurance company is unique, so the numbers can vary a lot. For instance, one of our clients in Orlando was quoted $11,000 per year without the discount and $4,000 per year with it. He needed to retrofit his straps to qualify for the discount, but it ended up saving him a lot. If we find straps that do not meet the requirements during a home inspection, we always let our clients know. While this is not technically a defect, it could make the insurance too expensive for some people.
If you would like to see if you can qualify for a reduced rate on your home insurance give us a call and schedule your next wind mitigation inspection.