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Port St. Lucie building codes could save some residents money on their next insurance bill

Savings revolve around city's good score on Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule

A new program in a Treasure Coast city hopes to save some residents money on their next insurance bill.

Port St. Lucie program could be key to savings for some homeowners

By: Matt Sczesny

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PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The city of Port St Lucie says some good grades for how their building department enforces codes might be a way to lower premiums for homeowners.

WPTV reporter Matt Sczesny spent Tuesday in Port St. Lucie asking questions about how it works.

Joel Dramis, the city's building director, said the savings revolve around the Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule (BCEGS). It's a program that grades how well cities are enforcing their codes, and Port St. Lucie is apparently doing really well, which they think can lower some insurance premiums.

The BCEGS rating is considered a valuable tool in the insurance industry.

Port St. Lucie building director Joel Dramis discusses how the savings works.

"The lower the score it means you're doing a better job enforcing building codes," Dramis explained. "With enforcing building codes better, there's less losses in the event of a storm."

Dramis said results so far show homeowners are saving about $300 to $400 a year. However, it's mostly with the new homes being built.

We asked Mark Friedlander with the Insurance Information Institute what it means for residents who live in older homes.

Mark Friedlander explains that the program won't benefit all residents.

"The BCEGS rating, while it is given to the community, each individual property has to qualify," Friedlander said. "If you have an older property that is not up to current codes, you're not going to qualify for this rating discount. It's not a blanket discount for all homeowners."

Even if it does turn into savings of a couple of hundred dollars for some people, it shows that some fast-growing cities like Port St. Lucie are looking for any way they can to give people a break on their insurance bills.

Matt Sczesny is determined every day to help you find solutions in Florida's coverage collapse. If you have a question or comment on homeowners insurance, you can reach out to him any time.