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My Safe Florida Home: what it pays for, who qualifies, and where funding stands

Last verified October 23, 2026 against the official sources linked on this page. HardenScout is not a government agency, is not an installer, and is not affiliated with any program or company described here.

HardenScout is not affiliated with My Safe Florida Home, the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS), or any state agency. You can apply directly at the official site for free. Nobody needs to apply on your behalf.

What the program is

My Safe Florida Home is run by DFS under section 215.5586, Florida Statutes. It has two parts: a free wind mitigation inspection, and for eligible homeowners, a grant toward the upgrades that inspection recommends. The law says the program is "subject to annual legislative appropriations" and must not accept more applications than it has money for.

The free inspection

You qualify for a program inspection if all of these are true (s. 215.5586(1), F.S.; program FAQ):

• The home is a single-family unit on its own parcel. It can be detached, or attached (sharing a wall) if it's no more than three stories.
• It's site-built and owner-occupied.
• You have a Florida homestead exemption on it.

Condos, co-ops, apartments, duplexes, mobile and manufactured homes, rentals, and second homes aren't eligible, according to the program FAQ.

The program assigns the inspector. You can't use your own. The report covers your home's current wind features, recommended improvements, a range of cost estimates, and estimated insurance discounts. The program says you can share it with your insurer to make sure you're getting the discounts you already qualify for. You can get an inspection without applying for a grant.

For more on what inspectors look at and how the report connects to your premium, see our wind mitigation inspection guide.

Grant amounts and the match

Under the current statute (s. 215.5586(2)(c) and (h)):

• Matching grants: the state pays $2 for every $1 you pay, up to a state maximum of $10,000. It's a reimbursement after the work is finished, and you'll need a paid-in-full invoice.
• Low-income grants: up to $10,000 with no match required, and no paid-in-full invoice, per the program FAQ.

The program's own examples (FAQ):

Grants can pay for improvements your inspection recommends: opening protection (exterior doors, garage doors, windows, skylights) and roof work (roof-to-wall connections, roof deck attachment, secondary water resistance, and roof covering replacement). The law lets the program require that all openings be protected before it reimburses an opening protection project, but the program's current support article says you don't have to replace every opening and may choose openings listed in your Initial Inspection Report. It also says the grant can't be used to swap compliant shutters for impact windows (Improvement 1.0, Opening Protection). For product details, see our guides to impact doors and roll-down shutters. Only work recommended in the initial inspection and confirmed in the final inspection is funded.

Who qualifies for a grant

Grant eligibility is narrower than inspection eligibility. Under s. 215.5586(2)(a) you need all of these:

1. You're eligible for the inspection (above) and had a program inspection within the 24 months before applying.
2. The home's insured value is $700,000 or less.
3. The home was built before January 1, 2008, as shown on your county property appraiser's website.
4. Your household is low-income or moderate-income as defined in s. 420.0004, F.S. In short, low income means not more than 80% of the median household income, and moderate income means less than 120%. The comparison uses the higher of the state median or your area's median.
5. You agree to a final inspection when the work is done, and to share the insurance discounts you receive with the program.

Applications are prioritized in this order: low-income applicants 60 and older, then other low-income applicants, then moderate-income applicants 60 and older, then other moderate-income applicants, then everyone else (inspection only). You certify your income and age on the application under penalty of perjury.

How it works, start to finish

1. Create an account through the Participant Portal linked from mysafeflhome.com. The verification code comes from Neighborly Software, the portal provider.
2. Complete the prioritization questionnaire. Your status won't move forward until it's submitted.
3. Wait for your group assignment. The program sorts applicants into groups several times a week and emails you when you're placed.
4. Submit the inspection application and schedule your free inspection with the inspector the program assigns.
5. Review your report in the portal. Share it with your insurer and with any contractors you're getting quotes from.
6. Apply for the grant if you qualify. You'll name your intended contractor and their state license number, and include your current homeowners insurance declarations page.
7. Wait for written approval. Don't sign a contract that starts work before this, and don't buy materials early either.
8. Finish the work with permits closed, then request your final inspection in the portal. You get one chance to request it, and you have 18 months from grant approval to finish construction and request the final inspection. Miss that and the application is treated as abandoned.
9. Submit the draw request with the contractor invoice, proof of payment (not required for low-income grants), and proof of your insurance discount. The reimbursement comes by check.

Keep an eye on your spam folder. Program emails drive every step, and if the program asks you for more information and you don't reply within 60 days, your application can be deemed abandoned (s. 215.5586(3)).

Avoiding scams and costly mistakes

• The program doesn't endorse contractors. It says it no longer keeps a list of authorized contractors. Be skeptical of anyone who claims to be "approved by" or "working with" My Safe Florida Home.
• Verify the license yourself at MyFloridaLicense.com before you put a contractor's information into the portal. The program accepts general, building, residential, specialty, and roofing contractors registered or certified with DBPR.
• Apply only through the official site. The application and inspection are free. You don't need to give anyone your portal login.
• Don't start early. Work or material purchases before grant approval aren't reimbursed.
• Get more than one bid. The program itself recommends bids from at least three licensed contractors.
• Contractor disputes are between you and the contractor. The program says it isn't involved in construction or payment, so read your contract carefully.
• Report suspected fraud to DFS. Its contractor fraud page explains how.

Questions go straight to the program: (850) 427-2559, or info@mysafeflhome.com.

Related money back

If your project includes impact windows, doors, or a garage door bought on or after July 1, 2026, you may also be able to claim up to $500 of the sales tax back. See our sales tax refund guide. Neither program's rules say how the two interact, so ask the Department of Revenue if you plan to use both.

Spotted something out of date or wrong? Email hello@hardenscout.com and we'll check it against the source and fix it.