With storm season upon us, homeowners in hurricane-prone areas are looking for ways to better protect their homes from high winds and other storm-related damages. And for good reason, as 2023 had more billion-dollar weather and climate disasters, like tornadoes and tropical storms, than ever before.
Protecting your openings, including doors and windows, is one way to shield your home from wind damage. Another popular option to reduce your chances of catastrophic damage, like your roof being ripped off, is installing hurricane clips.
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What Are Hurricane Roof Clips?
Hurricane roof clips are a type of roof-to-wall connection that helps secure your roof to the home’s walls and foundation.
People often categorize clips as the primary roofing solution for storm season. However, “There are three different main connectors for the roof, which are roof clips, straps and truss screws,” explains Leslie Chapman-Henderson, president and CEO of the nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes in Tallahassee, Florida. You may also hear hurricane clips called ties, anchors or brackets.
A hurricane roof clip is a single steel clip that is screwed into the trusses — triangular structures comprised of beams and other support materials — to attach your roof to the wall. A hurricane strapis a larger steel clip that wraps over the top of the truss. They are both essentially clips, but they’re used for different roofing structures.
“The clip is a metal strap with three nails. A single wrap is the same strap material, but wraps over the truss and gives it a better grip with two nails in the front and one in the back,” says Jackie Markovitch, who helps update roof-to-wall attachments with his company, Wind Mitigation Retrofit Solutions, primarily serving Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.
“Truss screws are the newest solution, and are really amazing,” says Chapman-Henderson. “They are screwed where the truss goes into the wall at an angle. The threads are so strong in and of themselves that they exceed many traditional roof clips.”
However, truss screws are typically only used in new construction projects or major renovations where walls and trusses will be open during remodeling.
Are Hurricane Roof Clips Effective?
“During Hurricane Andrew in 1992, all of these roofs were flying all over the place,” says Markovitch. The storm’s destruction helped guide new requirements for home construction, he explains. Now, all homes built after 1992 must have a specific number of trusses, spaced properly, along with certain-sized straps and a set number of nails.
“Wind has to go to the ground to dissipate,” says Chapman-Henderson. “When it hits your home, it will find a path to the ground, bringing the wind load to the foundation. The professional term for this is called a continuous load path.”
She adds, “If the wind pressure strikes your home and finds that it’s not well connected along the continuous load path, like the roof trusses, framing or foundation, then it can cause major damage.”
The distance between the trusses and straps is important. “The closer the spacing, the stronger your structure is. If you have an older home, you’ll have 18 or maybe 20 inches, but if you can get a more closely spaced connector you’ll have a strong roof during a storm,” says Chapman-Henderson.
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Cost of Hurricane Roof-to-Wall Attachments
The cost of installing hurricane roof-to-wall attachments such as clips or straps will vary, but typically it can range from a few thousand dollars to $5,000, says Markovitch. If you have a two-story home or an older home, that can impact pricing due to the difficulty of accessing the roof.
“Homes built in the mid-1960s and prior, the trusses are around 16 inches wide, which makes it hard to put a body in there and fix it. Homes in the 1970s and after often have trusses around 20 inches, which we can usually put someone in there,” Markovitch says. More space in the attic makes it cheaper for installers to add nails or straps to the exterior trusses, costing just a few thousand dollars to install.
“If it’s too tight in the attic, we go through the soffit. If it’s wood, we’re cutting wood and fixing the strap, then putting the wood back and re-adding the stucco or siding,” Markovitch says. This process is more expensive because of the additional labor and materials it requires, putting it on the higher end of the pricing spectrum.
The third choice is adding straps, nails or clips when installing a new roof. Most roofers can install this as a part of your new roofing package. This is certainly the easiest time to install them. Clips and straps are priced similarly — what product is used is depends on each individual roof and what will offer the best protection with the allowable space and truss spacing. Expect to pay around $1,000 to $2,000 to add straps or clips when your roof is being installed.
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Pros and Cons of Hurricane Roof Clips
“Florida is the hurricane capital of the United States, where insurance is some of the highest in the country. South Florida is a high wind velocity zone, making insurance much higher compared to other areas like Orlando, where the winds don’t go as high,” says Markovitch.
In high-wind areas of Florida, two insurances are required by mortgage lenders: windstorm and traditional homeowners insurance. Windstorm is purchased as an additional policy or endorsement to your existing policy bundled into one insurance plan with your chosen insurance company. While not required by state law, most mortgage companies require this coverage in hurricane areas. Windstorm insurance helps cover the costs associated with repairing or replacing your home or possessions if they get damaged by qualifying “wind perils,” such as hurricanes, tornadoes and tropical storms.
Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina are among the 19 states with some form of windstorm insurance requirement.
For those required to have additional windstorm coverage, insurance companies use a wind mitigation report to determine how much you pay for the policy.
“This inspection looks for potential credits for your home based on two categories, roof-to-wall attachments and opening protection, which would be impact protection for every window, door and garage door,” Markovitch says
Clips, straps and impact protection receive different credit ratings. If you don’t have any roof-to-wall attachments, it’s labeled a toenail, which is no credit. “The more credits you have, the lower your insurance will be,” says Markovitch. Adding clips or straps to your roof can notably lower your windstorm insurance cost.
The discount you will receive can vary depending on several factors: your insurance carrier, the age of your roof, whether there is roof-deck attachment where the sheathing is attached by 8d nails or screws, the geometry of your roof, if there is secondary water resistance under the roof attachment, and the level of roof-to-wall connections such as clips.
“Most of my clients get their initial money from installation back in two and a quarter years because of their lower insurance rate,” says Markovitch. However, ask your specific carrier what adding hurricane roof clips to your home could do for your policy.
| Pros of Hurricane Clips and Roof-to-Wall Attachments | Cons of Hurricane Clips and Roof-to-Wall Attachments |
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— They help keep your roof attached to your home in a high-wind event. — It is a fairly affordable upgrade, costing under $5,000 on average. — Clips can notably lower your annual windstorm insurance premium. |
— Depending on the age or style of your home, clips can be tricky to install if you aren’t getting a new roof. — They don’t guarantee your roof won’t fly off your home in a storm. — While you can DIY this, it’s best done by licensed professionals. |
Bottom Line: Are Hurricane Roof Clips Worth It?
Roof clips and other roof-to-wall connections are worth it for most homeowners if you are in a hurricane-prone area. States including Florida, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, along with others, require this solution for all new construction in wind-prone areas.
Aside from the added protection, hurricane ties can also offer major savings on your windstorm insurance. “In Florida, hurricane clips added to homes built before 2002 can save customers as much as 20%-50% on their insurance premium, with the savings applying every year,” wrote Angel Conlin, chief insurance officer with Kin Insurance, in an email.
Keep in mind that it’s only one solution for storm protection. It’s crucial you also protect all openings, “including your doors, windows and garage door,” says Chapman-Henderson. If you don’t, your roof can still be ripped off if pressurization gets inside the home from a broken window or open door, even with roof clips.
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Hurricane Roof Clips: Are They Worth It? originally appeared on usnews.com
