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A
step-by-step guide to the My Safe Florida Home
Program
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If you want to get
a free inspection?
1. You are eligible to apply if you live in a
single-family detached, site-built home.
2. In order for us to provide information about
potential insurance discounts in your inspection
report please have your insurance policy on
hand.
We will ask you for the amount of your dwelling
coverage (Coverage A), hurricane premium and
hurricane deductible, as listed on your
Homeowners Insurance Declarations page.
Click here to see where
you can find this information in your insurance
policy.
3.
Click here to apply for a
free wind inspection or call us
at 1-866-513-6734.
4. Whether online or by phone, if you supply us
with an email address, you will receive an email
notification and an application number starting
with MSFH.
Applicants applying by phone will be provided
with their MSFH # after their application has
been submitted.
5. Please refer to your MSFH# when you contact
the My Safe Florida Home program by phone, email
or written correspondence so we can provide the
best possible service.
6. You will be contacted by an approved
inspection firm or inspector within two to three
weeks BY PHONE to schedule your free
inspection.
Click here for a list of
approved inspection firms.
Click here for a list of
approved inspectors.
If you have applied
for a free wind inspection?
1. Once you’ve applied, an approved
inspection firm or inspector will contact you
BY PHONE within two to three weeks to
schedule your inspection.
Click here for a list of
approved inspection firms.
Click here for a list of
approved inspectors.
2. Before the inspector arrives, gather any
documents you have on your opening protections
(such as shutters, impact resistant windows or
garage door). If you have put on a new roof in
the last five years, gather this information as
well.
Please have these documents available for review
by the inspector.
NOTE: The inspector will be looking for
the type of opening protection or new roof
installed and the date this work was done. If
your documentation does not include this
information the inspector will be looking at
your shutters or roof shingles to try and
determine a rating and/or building code approval
number.
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This information is important because it may
help you qualify for insurance discounts or
credits.
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If documentation is not provided, the
inspector may not be able to confirm that
you have hurricane-rated opening protection
or roof covering.
3.
When the inspector arrives, the inspection will
last approximately 30 to 45 minutes. For a
thorough inspection, the inspector will need
access to your attic. Please make sure this area
is accessible. The inspector may also take
photos of your home during the inspection.
4. Before the inspector leaves, you will be
asked to sign a form verifying an inspection was
conducted. The inspector will also leave general
information with you about the inspection.
5. You can expect to
receive your free inspection report in
approximately 45 days after the program receives
the inspection results from your inspector. To get the most out of
your inspection report, read the User’s Guide
that comes with it.
If you want to
apply for a grant?
Receiving an inspection does not guarantee that
you will be approved for a grant. Applying for a
grant is a separate process from applying for a
free wind inspection. There are different
eligibility requirements associated with the
grant application.
To be eligible:
1. You must first undergo a free inspection and
receive your inspection report in order to apply
for a grant.
2. Your inspection report must recommend that
your openings (windows, doors and garage door)
be protected or your roof’s gable ends should be
braced.
3. Your home must be located in the “wind-borne
debris region.”
Click here to view maps.
NOTE: When you apply for a grant, the
application system will let you know if you are
in the wind-borne debris region.
4. Your home must be insured for $300,000 or
less (Coverage A or Dwelling Coverage) and have
a valid homestead exemption. Proof of insured
value and homestead must be submitted with your
grant application.
5. If you want to apply as a low-income
homeowner, you must meet specific income
requirements.
Click here to
see if you’re eligible.
You must provide proof of income and proof of a
valid homestead exemption.
NOTE: This is a reimbursement grant. Funds are
only disbursed once the work on your home is
completed.
6. If your home was built in 2002, you will need
to provide proof that the application for
initial construction is dated prior to March 1,
2002.
7. Once you’ve determined if you are eligible
and have gathered the appropriate documents, you
are ready to start the grant application
process.
8.
You can apply for a grant
online or by phone at
866-513-6734.
9. If you can submit the required documentation
electronically with your online grant
application, you will be notified of your grant
status within 30 days.
10. If you must mail in the required
documentation, print out the grant summary page
provided at the end of the application and mail
all required documents to:
My Safe Florida Home
Grant Application
P.O. Box 7300
Tallahassee, Florida 32314-7300
Once we receive your documents, you can expect
to be notified of your grant status within 30
days.
11. If you applied over the phone, a summary of
your grant application will be automatically
mailed to you. Send the required documentation
to the address above and listed on the grant
summary page.
The My Safe Florida Home program is
a first-come, first-served program. At the rate
at which homeowners are applying for grants, it
is estimated that the My Safe Florida Home
program may stop taking grant applications by
May 1, 2008. Remaining funds will be used to
meet the program’s statutory goal of 400,000
inspections.
After you applied
for a grant, what can you expect?
1. Once the required documentation is received,
you will be notified within 30 days if your
grant application:
a. has been approved.
b. is deficient and what documents we need
to complete the review process.
c. has been denied and why it was denied.
NOTE: If you applied as a non-low income
homeowner and are approved for a matching grant,
you will be reimbursed for half of the actual
costs to make the improvement up to $5,000.
Grant funds can only be used for opening
protections and bracing gable ends.
If you applied as a low-income homeowner and are
approved no match is required. You will be
reimbursed 100% of actual costs up to $5,000
once the work on your home is completed.
Remember, grant funds can only be used for
opening protections and bracing gable ends.
2. You must use a participating contractor from
our participating contractor list in order to be
reimbursed under this program.
Click here for a list of
participating contractors.
3.
Make sure your contractor is registered in your
county to pull permtis to do mitigation
improvements.
4. You are encouraged to obtain an estimate from
one or more of our participating contractors.
NOTE: You do not need to submit copies of your
contractor bid sheets or estimates. The bid
sheets in your inspection report are for your
use only.
You are also encouraged to research the
product(s) you are interested in purchasing to
protect your home to make sure they are
hurricane or impact rated and approved by your
local building code.
To learn more about the product(s) you are
considering, visit the Florida Building
Commission’s website at
http://www.floridabuilding.org/c/default.aspx
5.
Please remember that grant funds are only
guaranteed once you have been approved for a
grant by the Department.
If you’ve completed the work and are seeking
reimbursement:
1. The reimbursement forms sent to you with your
grant approval letter must be completed, signed
and returned.
The HOMEOWNER REIMBURSEMENT FORM will
need to be filled out by you, the homeowner. You
must provide the following information on this
form:
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Amount charged by the contractor
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Amount you paid the contractor
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Your signature
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Your Social Security number
The
CONTRACTOR VERIFICATION FORM(S) will need
to be filled out by the participating
contractor(s). The Contractor(s) must complete
the form, including a breakdown of labor and
material costs, to ensure your reimbursement is
processed quickly.
2.
Again, if you are seeking reimbursement for
opening protections, please be sure to include a
diagram or cut sheet indicating which windows or
doors were protected along with your
reimbursement forms.
Click here to see sample
diagram sheets or obtain a blank one for the
contractor to fill out
3. Once the required forms are COMPLETELY filled
out, submit the forms and any receipts you have
to:
My Safe Florida Home
Reimbursement Request
PO Box 8200
Tallahassee, FL 32314-8200
Note: You should keep a copy of all
documentation submitted to the My Safe Florida
Home program.
4. If the forms you’ve submitted are complete,
you should expect to receive your reimbursement
check within 6 to 8 weeks.
You’ve submitted a
reimbursement request, what can you expect?
1. Once we receive your reimbursement request
and it is complete, we will send you an email
confirmation or mail a postcard confirming it
has been received and is being processed.
2. If the forms you’ve submitted are complete,
you should expect to receive your reimbursement
check within 90 days.
3. If the forms are incomplete, we will contact
you to let you know what information is missing.
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We may ask you to email, fax or mail us
additional documentation.
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We may ask you to provide photos of the work
completed on your home.
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If your contractor did not complete the
form, we will contact your contractor
directly to obtain the necessary
information.
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Incomplete reimbursement requests will
remain “pending” until all necessary
documentation is received.
4.
Florida law requires us to re-inspect at least 5
percent of all homes retrofitted with grant
funds. Please be aware that your home may be
selected for a re-inspection.
5. If you have any questions concerning any of
the information that has been provided, please
contact the My Safe Florida Home helpline by
calling 866-513-6734. We have specialists who
are happy to assist you with your questions
Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00
p.m.
