Home Insurance Discounts and Credits Worth Asking About

Chris Chase
Licensed Florida insurance broker · FL License #G193830 · NPN 21407586
Last reviewed October 2026

Florida home insurance is expensive enough that small credits add up. Some of them don’t even require an inspection.

I check these when I quote. It still helps to know what exists, because several depend on things only you know about your home.

Wind credits: the big ones

Florida Statute 627.0629 requires insurance rates to include discounts for features that reduce windstorm losses, covering roof strength, roof covering, roof-to-wall connections, opening protection, and the strength of windows, doors, and skylights. Every company has to offer them and describe them on its website. How much each gives varies.

• Roof shape. A hip roof, where all sides slope down, often earns a wind credit. Some companies accept clear color photos of the whole roof instead of an inspection form.
• Year built. Homes built in 2002 or later were built under the newer statewide building code. Proof of the year built can be enough for a basic wind credit.
• Window and door protection. Shutters or impact glass can earn a credit. Newer coastal homes sometimes qualify without a form.
• A current wind mitigation report. This is how you get the full set. Florida’s inspection form was revised effective April 1, 2026, so an inspection done on or after that date should use the new version.

More in Wind Mitigation and Homeowners Insurance.

Credits for protecting against water damage

• Leak detection systems. A small discount with some companies.
• Automatic water shut-off valves. A somewhat larger discount, and on an older home a shut-off valve can make the difference in getting water damage coverage at all. Some companies want proof of professional installation.
• A paid annual heating and air maintenance contract. Some companies give a credit on the water portion of the premium with proof.

See Water Damage, Plumbing, and Older Homes.

Credits about you

• Age 55 or older, or retired. Several companies give a senior or retiree discount, commonly starting at 55 or 60. It generally applies to a home you live in, not a rental.
• Military or first responder.
• Carrying a flood policy alongside your home policy.
• Going paperless. Small, but it’s there.
• Having other policies in the same agency.

Credits about where you live and what you bought

• A secured community. A community with a single entry or patrol earns one level of discount with some companies, and a manned or passkey gate earns more. It typically doesn’t apply to seasonal homes.
• A new home from an accredited builder.
• Fire protection. The Florida Department of Financial Services lists fire protection class, rated from 1 to 10, among the factors in your price. You can’t change it, but it explains why two similar homes in different areas cost different amounts to insure.

Other factors the state says go into your price

The Department of Financial Services lists what insurance companies consider:

• The property’s location
• The amount of dwelling coverage
• Construction material: wood frame, concrete block, or brick
• The home’s age
• Wind mitigation features, such as shutters
• Uninterrupted prior homeowners coverage

That last one is easy to overlook. Keeping coverage continuous is worth money. See Can I Switch Insurance Companies Before My Policy Expires?

Choices that lower the premium by lowering coverage

Some options reduce your price by reducing what the policy pays. They’re legitimate choices, not discounts:

• Limited water damage coverage. A cap on water claims in exchange for a credit.
• A roof payment schedule or stated value roof. The roof is paid at less than full replacement cost.
• A higher hurricane deductible. See Why Is My Hurricane Deductible So High?
• Declining law and ordinance coverage. Florida law includes it at 25% of your dwelling limit unless you reject it in writing.

They can make sense, but only if you understand what you’re giving up. I’ll show you the trade in dollars.

A deductible that shrinks

A few companies lower your regular deductible each year you go without a claim. It usually doesn’t apply to the hurricane deductible.

Help paying for improvements

The My Safe Florida Home program offers free wind mitigation inspections to eligible homeowners and grant funding of up to $10,000 toward approved improvements such as roof-to-wall connections, secondary water barriers, and window and door replacement. Eligibility and funding come from the program, so check its site for the current rules.

Why credits alone don’t tell you the price

Two companies can apply the same credits and still land far apart. In homeowners quotes in the area over the past 36 months, when the same home got quotes from three or more companies for the same coverage amount, the highest was typically about 1.5 times the lowest, a gap of about $2,000 a year.

Here are the averages by coverage amount for context:

These are averages of past quotes, not an offer. Credits bring your number down within a company. Comparing companies is how you find the right starting point.

Common questions

What’s in this article is general. Companies differ on the details and update them often, so I check the specifics when I quote you.

Official sources

• Florida Statute 627.0629: windstorm mitigation discounts
• Florida Department of Financial Services: homeowners insurance overview
• Florida Statute 627.7011: homeowners policies, roofs, and replacement cost
• Citizens Property Insurance: wind mitigation form changes
• My Safe Florida Home program

Keep reading

• Wind Mitigation and Homeowners Insurance
• Water Damage, Plumbing, and Older Homes
• Why Is My Hurricane Deductible So High?
• Florida homeowners insurance

Related coverage: homeowners insurance and flood insurance.