Citizens Opening Protection Requirements for Homes in the Wind-Borne Debris Region (WBDR)

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Marcus Gallagher
5 years ago
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1 1. What is all of this about? The Florida Legislature passed a law about the types of policies Citizens may insure. This law goes into effect in 2009, and affects policies that cover homes with a replacement cost of $750,000 or more and that also are located in an area called the wind-borne debris region (WBDR). 2. What exactly does the legislation say about this requirement being placed on Citizens? Effective January 1, 2009, a personal lines residential structure that is located in the wind-borne debris region, as defined in s , International Building Code (2006), and that has an insured value on the structure of $750,000 or more is not eligible for coverage by the corporation unless the structure has opening protections as required under the Florida Building Code for a newly constructed residential structure in that area. A residential structure shall be deemed to comply with the requirements of this subparagraph if it has shutters or opening protections on all openings and if such opening protections complied with the Florida Building Code at the time they were installed. 3. What are the opening protection requirements for those that have homes with a replacement cost of $750,000 or more located in the WBDR and who seek insurance coverage from Citizens? The information below lists the various opening protection classifications and relates them to your eligibility ** for coverage with Citizens. ** You are considered eligible for coverage only under this rule; you also must meet any other applicable eligibility requirements (for example, rules related to the age and condition of your roof). Your agent can help you determine your overall eligibility. If all of your exterior openings are certified by a qualified inspector with a rating of HURRICANE, this means all your exterior openings are fully protected against large missile impact. NOTE: Exterior openings include, but are not limited to: windows, doors, garage doors, skylights, etc. Glazed openings include windows and glass openings only. The accepted qualified inspector titles are listed below in question ten. This class is accepted in all counties for the purpose of your eligibility under this rule, and you are eligible for coverage with Citizens. If your property is in Dade or Broward county, you must meet this rating to be eligible for coverage; no other classifications are acceptable. If your openings are certified by a qualified inspector as RATED GLAZED, this means all your glazed openings are fully protected against large missile impact. You are eligible under this rule as long as your property is not in Dade or Broward county. If your openings are certified by a qualified inspector with a rating of BASIC, this means all your glazed openings are fully protected against small missile impact. You are eligible under this rule as long as your property is not in Dade or Broward county. Updated 1/21/09 Page 1 of 6

2 If your openings are certified by a qualified inspector as NOT RATED, this means your opening protections were manufactured before 1994 OR you are using wood structural panels that do not meet the requirements. You are not eligible for coverage with Citizens unless you bring your home into compliance with the current Florida Building Code for opening protection in your area. If your openings are certified by a qualified inspector with a rating of WOOD PANELS, this means you are using plywood/osb and that the installed shutters meet the requirements of Section 1609 and Table of the 2004 Florida Building Code. You are eligible under this rule as long as your property is not in Dade or Broward county. If you have not yet installed opening protections on your property, your rating will be NONE, and you are not eligible for coverage with Citizens unless you bring your home into compliance with the current Florida Building Code for opening protection in your area. For more details, see page two of the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form (WBDR-1802.) 4. How much time do I have to do this? You will receive a notice six months or more before your policy expires that will encourage you to contact your agent and review your status for future eligibility. To remain eligible for coverage with Citizens, you will then have at least six months to make sure that you have proper opening protections installed on your property and to obtain the proper signatures on the WBDR-1802 form to certify your status. 5. Where do I have to live for this to affect me? If your home has a replacement cost of $750,000 or more and is located in the WBDR, you will be affected. A map of these areas may be found below. 6. Does this apply to Citizens policies that cover wind-only as well as the usual homeowner policies that might cover fire, theft, and wind, etc.? This requirement applies to both policy types if the home has a replacement cost of $750,000 or more and is located in the WBDR; however, it does not apply to owners of manufactured homes or condominium units. 7. Am I affected by this legislation if my policy excludes coverage for wind damage? No. If you have a Citizens homeowner s policy that covers fire, theft, etc., but not wind damage, you are not specifically required to meet these requirements. Updated 1/21/09 Page 2 of 6

3 8. What if my dwelling coverage (coverage A) increases when I renew my policy, and this puts me at or above the $750,000 limit? If your home is located in the WBDR and your dwelling coverage amount increases for any reason to $750,000 or more at renewal, your policy will renew, but coverage will be discontinued at the end of your new term unless proof of opening protection compliance is received. We will notify you by letter 90 days after you renew about the opening protection requirements that you must meet to remain eligible. If records still show you ineligible 90 days after that, you will receive a non-renewal notice, which will give you six more months to meet this new requirement. 9. Is there a list of approved or recommended shutter companies? Citizens is not able to provide a list of approved or recommended companies; however, we do encourage you to make sure that the company you use is licensed and bonded. You may wish to review the following My Safe Florida Home Web page, which will help you find their approved contractors and view some helpful tips to follow when hiring a contractor. These tips include a link that allows you to verify the status of a license What form do I have to send to show compliance and who should I get to sign it? If your property is in the WBDR and has a replacement cost of $750,000 or more, Citizens requires that you send in form WBDR-1802 *, the Uniform Mitigation Inspection Form used to show that you have proper opening protection. This form should be signed by a qualified inspector, which can be any one of the following: A hurricane mitigation inspector employed by an approved My Safe Florida Home wind certification entity; A Florida licensed general, residential, or building contractor A Florida licensed building inspector A Florida licensed engineer A Florida licensed architect A building code official (who is duly authorized by the State of Florida or its county s municipalities to verify building code compliance) * If your home is located in the WBDR and its replacement cost value is less than $750,000 OR you are not located in the WBDR, you do not need this form. 11. What if I cannot afford shutters? For counties other than Dade and Broward, * the building code allows for the use of plywood shutters as a low-cost alternative. They will need to meet the following requirements, however: Wood Panel Requirements Wood structural panels with a minimum thickness of 7/16 inch (11.1 mm) and a maximum span of 8 feet (2438 mm) are permitted for opening protection in one- and two-story buildings. Updated 1/21/09 Page 3 of 6

4 Panels must be precut so that they can adequately cover the glazed opening. Panels must be predrilled as required for the anchorage method, and all required hardware must be provided. Attachment must be designed to resist the components and cladding loads determined in accordance with the provisions of Section , with the permanent, corrosionresistant attachment hardware provided and anchors permanently installed on the building. Attachment in accordance with table , with permanent, corrosion-resistant attachment hardware provided and anchors permanently installed on the building is permitted for buildings with a mean roof height of 45 feet ( m) or less, where wind speeds do not exceed 140 mph (63m/s). * These low-cost alternatives fail to meet minimum building codes in these counties. 12. Will I need to increase my dwelling coverage amount if I add shutters? If the cost to add shutters is substantial, you may need to adjust your dwelling coverage, but you should discuss this with your agent to be sure. 13. Where should I send the forms? You may send this form to your agent or to Citizens at P.O. Box 19310, Jacksonville, FL Will I be entitled to additional discounts once I prove that I have covered all openings? This is likely, but it depends. If your Citizens policy includes coverage for losses due to wind, proof that all of your openings are properly protected should entitle you to additional discounts. Keep in mind, however, that there is a limit to the total amount of credit you may receive, and if you already are receiving the maximum amount of mitigation credit, a lower premium is not possible. Also, an opening protection discount applies only to the wind portion of a policy, so if your policy does not cover losses due to hurricane or other wind activity, proof of protection will not entitle you to a discount. Updated 1/21/09 Page 4 of 6

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