The New Reality: Insurance Reform and The Builder's Role

Recent legislative efforts in Florida, while largely focused on litigation and policy structure, have sent a clear message: risk mitigation is the new currency. Insurers are no longer solely focused on a property’s market value; they are hyper-focused on its resilience score.

The design choices we make today directly influence the risk model an underwriter uses tomorrow. This is where the builder becomes the client’s most valuable asset, ensuring that every design decision serves the dual purpose of function and financial protection.

1. Beyond the 180MPH Wind Code: Fortified Construction

While the Florida Building Code provides a strong foundation, especially in high-velocity hurricane zones like Miami-Dade, insurers reward clients who go a step further. We focus on “Code Plus” or "Fortified" principles:

• Continuous Load Path: Ensuring that the roof, walls, and foundation are strapped together as one single unit using specialized connectors, significantly reducing the chance of catastrophic failure under high winds.

• Enhanced Roof Deck Attachment: Utilizing thicker nails, closer spacing, and secondary water barriers (SWB) beneath the shingles or metal. This is one of the most immediate and significant factors for wind mitigation credits and premium reduction.

• Impact-Resistant Fenestration: Installing hurricane-rated windows and doors. While mandatory in many areas, providing documentation that proves their wind-pressure and debris-impact rating is key for insurance credits.

2. The Unseen Enemy: Water Intrusion Mitigation

In South Florida, the majority of property claims—even outside of major hurricane events—are related to water damage, mold, and leaks. Therefore, a major focus for premium relief is on preventing water intrusion:

• Elevated Structures and Freeboard: Where possible, building above the minimum base flood elevation (BFE) set by FEMA. Every extra foot of "freeboard" can exponentially decrease the cost of mandatory flood insurance.

• Smart Home Technology Integration: Installing automated water shut-off systems that detect leaks in the plumbing network and shut off the main water line. Insurers are increasingly offering discounts for these technologies due to their proven effectiveness in preventing major water damage claims.

• Resilient Materials: Utilizing building materials and interior finishes with a high Resilience Inference Performance Level (RIPL)—materials that are less susceptible to mold and water damage, leading to faster recovery and lower claim costs.

The Intus Solution: Your Insurer-Friendly Permit Set

At Intus, our goal is to streamline the construction process while securing the best financial outcome for our clients. We have integrated insurance-focused design into our initial planning process.

We don't just hand you a standard permit set; we deliver an Insurer-Friendly Permit Set that is specifically designed to maximize your mitigation credits.

This process includes:

1. Resilience Audit: A pre-construction review to identify where cost-effective, above-code upgrades can be implemented for maximum premium impact.

2. Mitigation-Ready Documentation: Ensuring all details (like hurricane clips, secondary water barriers, and impact ratings) are clearly called out on plans, making it easy for the local municipality to approve and the underwriter to credit.

3. Certification Management: Coordinating third-party inspections for wind mitigation, which is essential to claim discounts upon completion.

Build Smart, Insure Smarter

The days of viewing insurance as a necessary evil are over. In Miami, Florida, it is now a core consideration in the building process. Choosing a construction partner like Intus means designing a structure that is not only beautiful and compliant but is also a robust, financially resilient asset built to withstand the elements and the economic pressures of the Florida market

Ready to Build with Premium Relief in Mind?

Don't let the insurance crisis dictate your project's future. Contact Intus today for a Resilience Audit and learn how our process delivers an Insurer-Friendly Permit Set that protects your investment now and for decades to come.

Intus: Building the Future of Resilient Miami.