Retrofitting for Resilience: How to Lower Your Insurance Premiums Through Home Improvements

If you are buying property in New Hanover, Brunswick, or Pender County in 2025, you have likely experienced "sticker shock" from your first insurance quote. With coastal base rates rising roughly 16% this year, the cost of protecting your home is now a major line item in your monthly budget.

But here is the secret most buyers miss: Insurance premiums are not fixed.

Unlike property taxes, which you have little control over, your insurance premium is largely determined by how well your home can fight a hurricane. By "retrofitting for resilience," you can unlock significant discounts—technically called Wind Mitigation Credits—that can save you thousands over the life of your ownership.

Here is your guide to the improvements that actually pay you back.

1. The "Quick Wins": Standalone Credits

You don’t always need a full renovation to see savings. In North Carolina, carriers offer specific line-item credits for individual features.

The Hip Roof Discount (~5% Savings): Does the roof look like a pyramid, sloping down on all all four sides? That is a Hip Roof. Because this shape is more aerodynamic and less likely to lift off in high winds than a gable (A-frame) roof, insurers in our coastal territories (Territories 120 & 140) typically offer a ~4–5% discount just for this shape.

Opening Protection (~5% Savings): This is the most misunderstood credit. To qualify for the ~5% Opening Protection discount, every single opening in the house must be protected. This includes the front door (if it has glass), skylights, and that tiny bathroom window you forgot about.

The Trap: If you have impact windows on the front of the house but standard glass on the back, you get 0% credit. It is all or nothing.

2. The Gold Standard: IBHS FORTIFIED™

If you are replacing a roof or building new, you should aim for an IBHS FORTIFIED designation. This is a third-party certification that proves your home goes beyond code.

FORTIFIED Roof™: This involves using ring-shank nails (which have ridges like a screw) and a sealed roof deck that keeps water out even if the shingles blow off.

The Reward: Expect a ~5–7% discount on your wind premium.

The Grant: The Strengthen Your Coastal Roof program is currently offering grants of up to $6,000 to eligible homeowners in our area who upgrade to this standard.

FORTIFIED Silver™: This includes the Roof standards plus strengthening gable ends, reinforcing porches, and protecting all openings (impact windows or shutters).

The Reward: This is where the savings jump. Silver designation can net you a ~12–16% discount.

FORTIFIED Gold™: The ultimate standard, requiring a continuous load path (straps connecting roof-to-wall-to-foundation).

The Reward: Discounts can reach ~15–20% on wind policies. On a $4,000 annual premium, that is $800 back in your pocket every single year.

3. The ROI Calculation

Let's look at the math for a typical beach cottage in Oak Island or Surf City.

Scenario: You buy a home with an aging roof and standard windows. Your wind insurance quote is $4,500/year.

The Retrofit: You replace the roof (using the $6,000 grant) to meet FORTIFIED Silver standards and install storm shutters.

The Result: Your premium drops by ~15% ($675/year savings). Over 10 years, that is $6,750 in pure savings—not including the increased resale value of selling a "Fortified" home.

The "Wind Mit" Inspection

To get these credits, you can't just tell your agent you have shutters. You must pay for a Wind Mitigation Inspection (usually $150–$200). A surveyor will verify your nail patterns, strap types, and window ratings and produce a certificate (form WB-1) that you submit to your carrier.

The Bottom Line

A home that is built better should cost less to own. Don't accept the first insurance quote you see as the final word.

At Aspyre Realty Group, we help you "underwrite" the house before you buy it. We can spot a non-compliant shutter system or a potential hip-roof discount from the curb, helping you build a true picture of your monthly costs.