My Safe Florida Condo Program: Wind Mitigation Grants and Premium Credits (2026)

The My Safe Florida Condo program is one of the few real levers a Florida board has against record windstorm premiums. It pays for a free wind-mitigation inspection and a 2:1 matching grant for hurricane upgrades, and those verified upgrades earn a premium credit (a discount on the insurance bill) on the association's master windstorm policy. The grant reimburses the work once; the credit repeats at every renewal after the final inspection.

This guide covers eligibility, what the My Safe Florida Condo wind mitigation grant pays for, and how the inspection becomes a Florida condo windstorm premium credit. For background, see Florida Statute 718.111(11) condo insurance requirements.

What is the My Safe Florida Condo program?

The My Safe Florida Condo program is a state-funded hurricane-hardening pilot for condominium associations, created in the 2024 legislative session under F.S. 215.55871 (ch. 2024-108) and run by the Florida Department of Financial Services. It bundles two benefits: a free wind-mitigation inspection and a matching grant that reimburses approved upgrades.

The inspection identifies eligible upgrades, and the grant reimburses approved work. The inspection scores the building's wind resistance and lists the upgrades worth doing. The grant reimburses those upgrades 2:1, so the state adds $2 for every $1 the association spends. Funding rides on annual appropriations, so the program is not an entitlement and can pause once a year's money runs out.

Who qualifies for the free inspection?

Your association qualifies for a free condo hurricane mitigation inspection when the building is a taller coastal structure, not a cluster of separate houses. The program weighs four things: building height, unit count, distance from the coast, and the parcel layout.

• The building stands three stories or taller.
• Each one holds at least two residential units.
• The property sits within 15 miles of the coast, a distance the program confirms for you.
• Units share one condominium, not detached houses on separate parcels.

Two votes gate participation. A board majority, or a majority of total voting interests, approves the inspection. The grant then needs that board majority plus a yes vote from at least 75% of the unit owners in the building being improved. That threshold is the program's current requirement; the statute as first enacted set it at unanimous consent.

What the grant pays for, and the caps

The My Safe Florida Condo wind mitigation grant reimburses opening protection and roof work: roof-to-wall connections, roof-deck attachment, secondary water resistance, and roof-covering replacement. The state matches spending 2:1, adding $2 for every $1 the association puts in, up to $175,000 per association.

How the inspection becomes a premium credit

The inspection produces an OIR-B1-1802 condo mitigation form, the state's standard wind-mitigation report, and that form is what converts into a Florida condo windstorm premium credit. Submit it to your carrier at renewal, and under F.S. 627.0629 every Florida property insurer has to credit verified wind features.

The form scores seven wind-resistance features, and each one nudges the windstorm premium up or down.

1. Building code era captures the year the structure was built to.
2. Roof covering is graded on material, age, and wind rating, so a worn roof earns less than a newer one.
3. Roof-deck attachment comes down to nail size and spacing.
4. Roof-to-wall connection runs from basic toe-nails through metal clips to the double wraps that anchor a roof in a storm.
5. Roof geometry rewards a hip roof, which sheds hurricane wind better than a gable.
6. Secondary water resistance is a sealed membrane under the roof covering.
7. Opening protection only counts once impact glazing or storm shutters cover every window and door the inspector flagged.

Opening protection is typically among the heaviest-weighted features, so inspectors flag it first on coastal buildings. The credit is all-or-nothing: the program recognizes it only once every recommended opening is covered, so a half-finished job earns nothing.

After the work passes a final inspection, the association gets an updated OIR-B1-1802 to hand the carrier at the next renewal, and the credit holds as long as the features stay in place.

How to apply, step by step

Applying to the My Safe Florida Condo program now runs by email, not the old online portal. Send inspection and grant applications to condopilot@myfloridacfo.com, or call (850) 413-2971. From there it moves through a grant application, construction, a final inspection, and reimbursement.

1. Inspection application. The board votes to participate, then emails the eligibility documents and disclosure form.
2. Free inspection. A licensed inspector under contract with the program evaluates the building and lists the worthwhile upgrades.
3. Grant application. After the report arrives, the association applies with a notarized list of its licensed contractors.
4. Construction. Licensed Florida contractors do the work, which cannot start before the grant is approved.
5. Final inspection. The program verifies the finished work and issues the updated form.
6. Reimbursement. The association sends paid invoices and collects the 2:1 match.

Do not skip the inspection even if the board never plans to build. The report often finds features that already qualify for a discount (a point most boards miss), and that credit sits unclaimed until the carrier gets a current form.

What your board should do now

Request the inspection first. Submit its form at renewal, then evaluate grant-funded work if the report recommends upgrades.

Coverwatch shops Florida condo association master policies across dozens of carriers. Before each renewal, the team runs the numbers with and without the updated form, to see who prices the credit best. The inspection is free to request, and the savings hold as long as the hardening stays in place.