Out of sight in the attic, where the roof framing sits on top of the walls, is the roof to wall attachment: the connection that keeps the roof on the house in high wind. Florida’s insurance forms grade it, the building code sets rules for improving it during a re-roof, and it is hidden from view. This guide explains roof to wall attachment in Florida: what hurricane clips and straps are, how the state’s wind mitigation form grades the connection, and when a re-roof is the time to improve it.
What are hurricane clips?
Hurricane clips are metal connectors that fasten the roof trusses or rafters to the top of the wall, so wind cannot easily lift the roof off. They replace or reinforce toe nails, which are nails driven at an angle through the rafter into the wall plate. Straps that wrap over the top of the rafter are a stronger form.
Florida’s Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, OIR-B1-1802, is the clearest plain-language description of the options. Its roof-to-wall question asks for the weakest connection in the house and sorts it into categories:
| Category | What the form describes |
|---|---|
| Toe nails | Rafter or truss nailed at an angle to the wall top plate, or metal connectors that do not meet the minimum conditions |
| Clips | Metal connectors that do not wrap over the top of the truss or rafter, or a single strap that wraps over but does not meet the nailing of the wrap categories, secured with at least 3 nails |
| Single wraps | One strap wrapping over the truss or rafter, with at least 2 nails on the front side and 1 on the opposing side |
| Double wraps | Two straps, one each side, each wrapping over and nailed the same way, or one strap secured to the wall on both sides with at least 3 nails each side |
| Structural | Anchor bolts structurally connected, or a reinforced concrete roof |
The form’s own wording is the reason homeowners use “clips” and “straps” loosely. On the form they are different grades.
How does Florida grade roof to wall attachment?
By the weakest connection in the house, on the OIR-B1-1802 wind mitigation form. A connector counts only if every visible one is fastened with at least three nails, sits tight to the framing within the form’s gap limits, and is free of visible severe corrosion. Otherwise the house is graded as toe nails.
The form sets those minimum conditions for the clip, single wrap and double wrap categories:
- Nails. Secured to the truss or rafter with at least three nails.
- Fit. Attached to the wall top plate, or embedded in the bond beam, with less than a 1/2-inch gap from the blocking or truss and blocked no more than 1.5 inches of the truss.
- Condition. Free of visible severe corrosion.
The form also says hip and valley jacks within 5 feet of the inside or outside corner of the roof are not counted when finding the weakest type. Everything else counts, which is why a single missing or poorly nailed connector can set the grade for the whole house.
Do hurricane clips work?
Florida law treats roof-to-wall strength as a feature that reduces windstorm loss. Section 627.0629 names roof-to-wall strength among the construction techniques that insurers’ rate filings must recognize with discounts or credits, and section 553.844 directs the Florida Building Commission to adopt techniques for improving roof-to-wall connections on older houses.
Section 627.0629 of the Florida Statutes requires rate filings for residential property insurance to include actuarially reasonable discounts, credits or other rate differentials for fixtures or construction techniques demonstrated to reduce the amount of loss in a windstorm. It lists roof-to-wall strength alongside roof strength, roof covering performance and opening protection.
Section 553.844, on windstorm loss mitigation, records the Legislature’s finding that recent hurricanes exposed a vulnerability of some construction undertaken before the Florida Building Code. It directs the Commission to adopt prescriptive techniques for improving roof-to-wall connections, for strengthening roof-decking attachment during reroofing, and for secondary water barriers.
Does a re-roof require roof-to-wall upgrades in Florida?
Sometimes. The Florida Building Code, Existing Building requires roof-to-wall connections to be improved during a re-roof only on certain older houses: those in the wind-borne debris region with an insured value, or tax valuation, at or above a threshold set in the code. Even then, the mandated work is capped at 15 percent of the re-roofing cost.
Section 706.8 of the Florida Building Code, Existing Building, 2023 sets the rule, with these limits:
| Rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| When it applies | Re-roofing a wood-decked house in the wind-borne debris region at or above the code’s insured or tax value threshold |
| Cost cap | Mandated retrofits not required beyond a 15 percent increase in the cost of reroofing |
| Practical cap | Not required unless gable ends or all corners can be evaluated and connected for 15 percent of the cost of roof replacement |
| Exception | Houses that already required roof-to-wall connections or a continuous load path when built |
| Exception | Structures permitted under the Florida Building Code |
| Methods | An engineered design, or the code’s prescriptive retrofit solutions |
Whether your house is in the wind-borne debris region, and whether it meets the value threshold, are questions for the permit and the contractor. Where the rule does not apply, adding connectors is a choice rather than a requirement.
What does a re-roof always change in Florida?
The roof deck attachment and the secondary water barrier. Section 706.7 of the Existing Building code says that when the roof covering on an older wood-decked house is replaced, the roof decking must be fastened as section 706.7.1 requires and a secondary water barrier must be provided, both of which the roofing contractor may carry out.
That matters for the wind mitigation form too. Deck attachment is its own question on OIR-B1-1802, graded by sheathing thickness and nail size and spacing, and a sealed roof deck is what the form counts as secondary water resistance. Section 553.844 calls out both: strengthening roof-decking attachments and fasteners during reroofing, and secondary water barriers for roofs.
The roof-to-wall connection is different, because it sits below the deck, at the top of the wall. It may be reachable from the attic or from the roof edge while the old roof is off, depending on the house and the framing.
Should hurricane clips be installed inside or outside?
They go where the roof framing meets the top of the wall, so the work is at that joint, wherever it can be reached. That can mean from the attic, where space allows, or from the roof edge during a re-roof, when the deck at the eaves is open. The code’s prescriptive solutions set how each retrofit is fastened.
Access is the practical question. A low-slope roof with a tight attic leaves little room to work at the eaves from inside, while a re-roof opens the edge from above. Concrete block walls with a bond beam and wood-frame walls take different connectors and fasteners.
The Existing Building code accepts either an engineered design or the prescriptive retrofit solutions in its sections 706.8.1.1 to 706.8.1.7. A contractor working to those sections, or an engineer, decides which method suits the house.
Can you install hurricane clips yourself?
It is structural work, done to code-set methods with specific connectors and fasteners. The wind mitigation form will only credit connectors that meet its nailing, fit and corrosion conditions. Before any work, check with your building department whether a permit is needed, and consider having a contractor or engineer specify the method.
Things that decide whether clips count on the form:
- The connector type. Clip, single wrap or double wrap.
- The nailing. At least three nails into the truss or rafter, and the wrap patterns for the higher grades.
- The fit. Tight to the framing, within the form’s gap limits.
- Every connection. The form grades the weakest one, so a partial job can leave the grade unchanged.
A poorly fastened connector can fail the form’s minimum conditions, which leaves the house graded as toe nails. Getting the method right the first time is the point.
How much do hurricane clips cost?
There is no reliable single figure to give, because the cost depends on how many connections there are, how they can be reached, the wall type, the connector chosen and whether the work is done during a re-roof. The Existing Building code caps mandated retrofits on qualifying houses at 15 percent of the re-roofing cost.
What moves the cost:
- Access. Work from an open roof edge during a re-roof is different from work in a tight attic.
- Wall type. Wood frame or concrete block with a bond beam.
- Roof shape. Gable ends and corners are the code’s priority; hips and long spans change the count.
- Connector grade. Clips, single wraps or double wraps.
- Engineering. An engineered design costs more than a prescriptive retrofit but may suit unusual framing.
Ask for a written scope that names the connectors, the fasteners and the code section followed, so the work can be shown to a wind mitigation inspector afterwards. If it is done during a re-roof, ask for it as a separate line on the quote, so you can see it against the re-roofing cost.
Are hurricane clips worth the investment?
It depends on the house and the insurer. They strengthen a connection Florida law treats as reducing wind loss, and an improved roof-to-wall grade on the wind mitigation form can affect insurance credits. Ask your agent which credits would change before deciding, and do the work during a re-roof if possible.
Questions to settle before you decide:
- What is the current grade? Your existing wind mitigation form shows the roof-to-wall answer.
- What would change? Ask your agent which credit a better grade would bring under your policy.
- Is a re-roof coming? Access is easier with the roof edge open.
- Is it required? Section 706.8 may apply if your house is in the wind-borne debris region and above the value threshold.
How do you prove clips are installed?
With a new wind mitigation inspection. The OIR-B1-1802 form requires at least one photograph for each attribute it marks in questions 3 to 7, including roof-to-wall attachment, and any documentation used to verify a feature must go with the form. Keep the contractor’s paperwork and photos of the connectors.
Residential Roofing Orlando can explain what a re-roof would change at the roof deck, the secondary water barrier and the roof edge, and how that fits with the roof-to-wall connection. See our roof installation service or call (407) 305-0865.
Frequently asked questions
These are short answers to questions homeowners search about hurricane clips. Each points back to a fuller section above. Working in an attic is hazardous, especially in summer heat, so stay on the framing, never step between the joists, and leave structural work at the top of the walls to a contractor.
Do hurricane clips work?
Florida law treats roof to wall attachment strength as reducing windstorm loss. Section 627.0629 requires insurers’ rate filings to recognize it with discounts or credits, and section 553.844 directs the state to adopt techniques for improving roof-to-wall connections on houses built before the Florida Building Code.
Can I install hurricane clips myself?
It is structural work done to code-set methods. The wind mitigation form only credits connectors that meet its nailing, fit and corrosion conditions, and grades the weakest connection. Check with your building department about permits, and have a contractor or engineer specify the method.
Should hurricane clips be installed inside or outside?
They go where the roof framing meets the wall, reached from the attic or from the roof edge during a re-roof. The Florida Building Code, Existing Building accepts an engineered design or its prescriptive retrofit solutions, and the right method depends on the walls and framing.
Are hurricane clips worth the investment?
It depends on your house and insurer. An improved roof-to-wall grade on the wind mitigation form can affect insurance credits, so ask your agent what would change. Doing the work during a re-roof makes access easier, and some older houses must be retrofitted then.
