How much is a My Safe Florida Home grant?
The state pays $2 for every $1 you pay, up to a maximum state contribution of $10,000, so a $15,000 project draws the full grant and costs you $5,000. Low-income homeowners can receive up to $10,000 with no match. Fla. Stat. 215.5586 sets both figures.
| Match ratio | $1 from you, $2 from the state |
|---|---|
| Maximum state share | $10,000 |
| Low-income track | Up to $10,000, no match, no paid-in-full invoice |
| Funded upgrades | Opening protection, roof-to-wall, roof deck, secondary water resistance |
| Paid | As reimbursement after the work, by draw request |
- • Matching grant: the state pays $2 for every $1 you pay, capped at a $10,000 state contribution.
- • Low-income applicants: up to $10,000, no match required, no paid-in-full invoice required.
- • Four funded upgrades only: opening protection, roof-to-wall attachment, roof deck attachment, secondary water resistance.
- • Hard gates: insured value $700,000 or less, original building permit applied for before January 1, 2008, initial inspection already done through the program.
- • An inspection does not guarantee a grant. The program says so outright, and funding is subject to annual appropriation.
The match math, in three lines
Fla. Stat. 215.5586 writes it plainly: all grants must be matched on the basis of $1 provided by the applicant for $2 provided by the state, up to a maximum state contribution of $10,000. That means the sweet spot is a project that costs about $15,000. Below it, the ratio governs. Above it, the cap governs and the overage is entirely yours.
| PROJECT COST | STATE PAYS | YOU PAY | WHY |
|---|---|---|---|
| $9,000 | $6,000 | $3,000 | Under the cap. The 2-to-1 ratio governs, so the state covers two thirds. |
| $15,000 | $10,000 | $5,000 | Exactly at the cap. $10,000 is the most the state will contribute. |
| $20,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | Over the cap. Every dollar above $15,000 of project cost is yours alone. |
The low-income track works differently. Low-income homeowners as defined in Fla. Stat. 420.0004 are eligible for up to $10,000 with no matching contribution, and the program does not require them to produce a paid-in-full invoice at the draw request. Everything else, including the approval-before- construction rule, still applies.
The four improvements grant money touches
Four, and only four. And the gate is doubled: an improvement has to be recommended in your Initial Inspection Report and then observed in the Final Inspection Report to be funded. The program states that no other construction work will be considered, which is why a homeowner who reroofs first and applies second usually gets nothing.
Opening protection
Impact-resistant windows, doors, garage doors and skylights, to keep flying debris from breaching the building envelope. A single broken opening pressurizes the house and is how roofs come off from the inside.
Roof-to-wall attachment
Clips or wraps that tie the trusses and rafters to the wall top plate. The upgrade path runs from toe nails, which is the weakest connection the state form recognizes, up to straps that wrap the framing.
Roof deck attachment
Renailing the sheathing to the trusses and rafters to a stronger schedule. Larger nails at tighter spacing, which is one of the cheapest uplift improvements available when the roof is already open.
Secondary water resistance
A self-adhering polymer modified-bitumen underlayment applied directly to the sheathing, so the house keeps out water even after the roof covering is gone. Standard underlayment and hot-mopped felt do not qualify.
Under the statute, townhouses have historically been limited to opening protection. A 2026 program note says Senate Bill 1452, once signed, would let townhomes take roof improvement grants on the same footing as single-family homes, and that the program would stop distinguishing between the two for grant purposes. Confirm the current rule at mysafeflhome.com ↗ before you plan a townhouse project. What each of these features means on the inspection form is covered on the wind mitigation inspection page.
Five questions that decide the grant
The free inspection has a short eligibility test. The grant has a longer one, and the program is explicit that not all applicants who received an inspection will be eligible for a grant.
Has the home had an initial inspection through the program?
Required. You cannot buy your way past this with a private wind mitigation inspection, and you cannot use your own inspector: the program assigns one it contracts with.
Is the insured value $700,000 or less?
The dwelling must be insured for $700,000 or less. Fla. Stat. 215.5586 sets the figure.
Was the original building permit applied for before January 1, 2008?
As reflected on the county property appraiser website. Homes permitted from 2008 forward were built to a stronger code and are outside the grant, though they can still take the free inspection.
Does the household meet the income definition?
The statute frames grants around low-income and moderate-income persons as defined in Fla. Stat. 420.0004, and the program queues applicants by income and age. Low income is at or below 80% of the county median as HUD counts it; moderate is below 120%.
Can you name a licensed contractor and open the house for a final inspection?
Both are conditions of the grant application, along with agreeing to report back whatever premium discount your insurer gives you once the work is done.
You pick the contractor, and you own that choice
You may use any licensed Florida contractor. The license has to be certified or registered with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation as a general, building, residential, specialty or roofing contractor, and the program verifies it before approving the grant. Check the license yourself at myfloridalicense.com ↗ before you type it into the portal.
Two things follow from that, and the program says both out loud. It no longer maintains a list of authorized contractors, so anyone claiming to be "program approved" is selling you something. And it disclaims responsibility for the work: disputes over construction or payment are between you and your contractor, with no warranty or guarantee from the program or the Department of Financial Services.
Get bids from more than one contractor before you commit. The grant is capped, the project is not, and the difference lands on you.
The queue, described honestly
This is an appropriation-funded program, and that is the whole explanation for its rhythm. The Legislature funds it a year at a time, the program opens grant applications in phases by priority group starting with low-income homeowners aged 60 and older, and when a year's money is committed the remaining groups wait. As of August 22, 2026 the program says the phased schedule is to be determined and tells applicants to watch the site for opening dates.
So a completed inspection with no grant attached is a normal state, not an error. What you can control is the part that disqualifies people:
- Approval first. Beginning construction before the official grant approval notice disqualifies the reimbursement.
- 60 days to respond. Under Fla. Stat. 215.5586, an application is deemed withdrawn if the applicant fails to respond to a department request within 60 days.
- 18 months to build. Construction has to be complete and the final inspection requested within 18 months of grant approval, or the application is deemed abandoned and the funds revert.
- One final inspection request. You get exactly one, so do not request it until permits are approved and closed and the work is genuinely finished.
If more than 24 months have passed since your last inspection with no grant payment, the program allows a subsequent inspection application, which is the practical way back into the queue.
The draw request
The grant is a reimbursement. Nothing arrives until the work is done, the permits are closed, the final inspection is passed, and the paperwork is complete. The program asks for the draw request summary, the original contractor invoice, proof of payment in full, proof of the insurance premium discounts you received, and disbursement details. Low-income grantees are not required to produce the paid-in-full invoice. Approved draws are paid by check in the mail.
One step in that list is doing double duty for you: submit the Final Inspection Report to your insurer. That is the document that converts the construction into a premium credit, and the program requires you to report the resulting discount back to it. Keep a copy for your own file, because the same report is evidence of your home's condition if you ever have to argue a claim. That argument is laid out on the inspection page and in wear and tear vs. wind damage. Store it with the rest of the pre-storm file, covered in before the storm.
Grant questions, answered
How much is a My Safe Florida Home grant? +
The state contributes $2 for every $1 the homeowner contributes, up to a maximum state contribution of $10,000. So a $15,000 project draws the full $10,000 and costs you $5,000. Low-income homeowners are eligible for up to $10,000 with no matching contribution required. Fla. Stat. 215.5586 sets both figures.
Can I start the work before the grant is approved? +
No, and this is where most of the lost money goes. The program states that beginning mitigation construction before you receive your official grant approval notice will disqualify you from reimbursement. Wait for the written approval, then schedule the contractor.
Does the grant pay for a whole new roof? +
Grant funding covers four improvements: opening protection, roof-to-wall attachment, roof deck attachment, and secondary water resistance. Only improvements recommended in your Initial Inspection Report and observed in the Final Inspection Report are eligible for funding, and the program says no other construction work will be considered.
Does the program pick my contractor? +
No. You choose any licensed Florida contractor whose license is certified or registered with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation as a general, building, residential, specialty or roofing contractor. The program no longer maintains a list of authorized contractors and takes no responsibility for the selection, the construction or the payment. Verify the license at MyFloridaLicense.com first.
I had an inspection but never got a grant. Am I still in line? +
Applications are prioritized by income and age and open in phases, so a completed inspection with no grant usually means your group window has not opened or the appropriation ran out before your file came up. The program allows a subsequent inspection application when more than 24 months have passed since the last inspection without a grant payment.
- My Safe Florida Home, official program site (grant types, match examples, funded improvements, contractor rules, draw request, timelines) · retrieved August 22, 2026 · mysafeflhome.com ↗
- Fla. Stat. 215.5586 (grant match, $10,000 cap, $700,000 insured value, pre-2008 permit, 60-day withdrawal rule) · flsenate.gov ↗
- Fla. Stat. 420.0004 (low-income and moderate-income definitions) · flsenate.gov ↗
- Florida DBPR contractor license lookup · myfloridalicense.com ↗
Grant amounts, priority groups and application windows depend on the annual state appropriation and were read from the official program site on August 22, 2026; confirm current terms at mysafeflhome.com before acting. Statute summaries drafted August 2026 and simplified for education; verify against current statute. Not legal advice; consult an attorney about your specific claim.
Mitigated the house and still got denied?
Send the denial letter and your mitigation paperwork. You'll get a straight answer on what the carrier is arguing, what your inspection reports actually prove, and what the strongest next move is.
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