How we calculate every grade in a ParcelScore report. Every formula, every threshold, every data source — documented for actuaries, underwriters, and anyone who needs to trust the numbers.
Last updated: March 2026 · Version 1.2
The overall grade is a weighted average of four core risk dimensions. Each dimension reflects a distinct insurance peril, with weights adjusted per state (e.g. flood-heavy in FL, earthquake-heavy in CA).
| Grade | Score Range | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| A | 90 - 100 | Excellent — minimal risk across all factors |
| B+ | 80 - 89 | Very good — low risk with minor exposure |
| B | 70 - 79 | Good — moderate risk, typical for most FL properties |
| B- | 60 - 69 | Fair — some elevated risk factors present |
| C+ | 50 - 59 | Below average — multiple risk factors |
| C | 40 - 49 | Poor — significant risk exposure |
| D | 30 - 39 | High risk — major risk factors present |
| F | 0 - 29 | Critical — extreme risk, likely requires specialized insurance |
Flood is weighted heaviest at 40% because flood is the number one insurance cost driver in Florida. According to FEMA, one inch of floodwater can cause $25,000 in damage. Florida accounts for over 35% of all NFIP claims nationally despite having only 7% of the U.S. population.
Measures how well a property is protected from fire based on proximity to hydrants, distance to fire stations, and ISO Protection Class. Components are scored only when data is available — missing data does not penalize the property.
Nearest fire hydrant by straight-line distance (Haversine formula)
| Distance | Points | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ≤ 200 ft | 40 | Excellent — within direct hose lay |
| ≤ 500 ft | 32 | Good — one connection |
| ≤ 1,000 ft | 24 | Adequate — standard reach |
| ≤ 2,000 ft | 16 | Distant — may require relay |
| > 2,000 ft | 0 | Beyond practical hydrant use |
Nearest station by straight-line distance
| Distance | Points | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ≤ 1.5 mi | 35 | Excellent — urban response |
| ≤ 2.5 mi | 28 | Good — suburban response |
| ≤ 4 mi | 18 | Adequate — typical rural |
| ≤ 6 mi | 8 | Distant — extended response time |
| > 6 mi | 0 | Remote — limited fire protection |
Insurance Services Office fire protection classification (1 = best, 10 = unprotected)
| ISO Class | Points | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | 25 | Top-tier fire protection (e.g., Fort Lauderdale) |
| Class 2-3 | 22 | Excellent protection |
| Class 4-5 | 16 | Good protection |
| Class 6-7 | 10 | Average protection |
| Class 8+ | 0 | Below average protection |
The fire score is normalized to available components. If hydrant data is unavailable for a region, the property is scored on station distance + ISO class only (max 60 points scaled to 100). This prevents properties in areas without public hydrant GIS data from being unfairly penalized.
Evaluates flood exposure using FEMA flood zone designation, property elevation, and storm surge vulnerability. Starts at 100 and applies deductions for each risk factor present.
Base score: 100. Deductions are cumulative.
| Risk Factor | Deduction | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| SFHA (Special Flood Hazard Area) | -40 | Mandatory flood insurance required; 1% annual flood probability |
| Coastal V Zone (VE / V) | -20 | Wave action + velocity flooding; highest-risk coastal areas |
| Base Flood Zone (AE / A) | -10 | Riverine or tidal flooding with established BFE |
| Shallow Flooding (AH / AO) | -15 | Ponding or sheet flow areas; often overlooked risk |
| Elevation < 5 ft ASL | -20 | Critically low; vulnerable to tidal + storm surge |
| Elevation < 8 ft ASL | -10 | Low-lying; at risk from Cat 1-2 storm surge |
| Elevation < 12 ft ASL | -5 | Moderate; some exposure to major storm surge |
| Storm Surge Cat 1-2 | -15 | Property in evacuation zone for weakest hurricanes |
| Storm Surge Cat 3 | -10 | Property in major hurricane surge zone |
| Storm Surge Cat 4 | -5 | Property in extreme hurricane surge zone |
Assesses hurricane wind exposure based on Florida Building Code design wind speeds and High Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) designation. Starts at 100 and applies deductions.
Base score: 100. HVHZ and wind speed deductions are cumulative.
| Risk Factor | Deduction | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| HVHZ (High Velocity Hurricane Zone) | -30 | Miami-Dade + Broward; strictest building code in U.S. |
| Design Wind ≥ 185 mph | -25 | Extreme — coastal Miami-Dade |
| Design Wind ≥ 180 mph | -20 | Very high — Miami-Dade / Broward coast |
| Design Wind ≥ 170 mph | -15 | High — SE Florida coast |
| Design Wind ≥ 150 mph | -10 | Elevated — FL Atlantic coast |
| Design Wind ≥ 130 mph | -5 | Moderate — most of peninsular FL |
Note: HVHZ designation means the property is subject to the strictest building code requirements in the United States. While this means higher construction costs, newer HVHZ-compliant structures are among the most hurricane-resistant buildings in the country. The grade reflects exposure, not building quality.
Evaluates geological hazards including sinkhole susceptibility and radon gas exposure. Starts at 100 and applies deductions for each hazard.
| Risk Factor | Deduction | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Sinkhole: Very High | -40 | Active karst geology; significant subsidence risk |
| Sinkhole: High | -30 | Known karst features in area |
| Sinkhole: Moderate | -15 | Some karst indicators present |
| Sinkhole: Low | -5 | Minimal karst risk |
| Radon Zone 1 (highest) | -20 | >4 pCi/L predicted average indoor level |
| Radon Zone 2 | -10 | 2-4 pCi/L predicted average indoor level |
Benchmarks the property's city crime rate against the Florida state average using FDLE Uniform Crime Report data. This grade does not factor into the overall property grade — it is reported separately.
State average crime rate: 34.9 per 1,000 residents (FDLE UCR 2023). Includes: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft.
| Grade | Rate Range | vs. State Average | Example Cities |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | < 21 per 1K | Below 60% | Weston, Coral Springs |
| B | 21 - 31 per 1K | 60 - 90% | Pembroke Pines, Miramar |
| C | 31 - 42 per 1K | 90 - 120% | Fort Lauderdale, Tampa |
| D | 42 - 56 per 1K | 120 - 160% | Miami, Orlando |
| F | > 56 per 1K | Over 160% | Miami Beach, Opa-Locka |
Coverage: 37 major Florida cities with published UCR data.
Every data point in a ParcelScore report comes from a government source. We do not estimate, model, or infer values. Below is a complete inventory of our data sources.
| Layer | Source | Records | Update Freq. | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Property Records | FL Dept of Revenue (FDOR) | 10.8M parcels | Annual | All 67 FL counties |
| Flood Zones | FEMA NFHL | 601K polygons | As amended | All 67 FL counties |
| Building Permits | County Building Depts | 342K permits | Monthly | Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach |
| Fire Hydrants | City/County ArcGIS | 142K hydrants | Quarterly | 8 FL regions |
| Fire Stations | USGS National Map | 1,747 stations | Annual | Statewide |
| NFIP Claims | FEMA OpenFEMA | 1,362 ZIP codes | Monthly | Statewide |
| School Grades | FL DOE (FLDOE) | 2,953 schools | Annual | Statewide |
| Crime Rates | FDLE UCR 2023 | 37 cities | Annual | 37 major FL cities |
| EPA Hazard Sites | EPA TRI / Superfund | 1,410 facilities | Annual | Statewide |
| Elevation | USGS 3DEP | Live API | Real-time | Statewide |
| Wind Speed | FL Building Code | By city | Code cycle (~3yr) | Statewide |
| HVHZ Boundary | FL Building Commission | 2 counties | Code cycle | Miami-Dade + Broward |
| Sinkhole Risk | FL Geological Survey | By county | Periodic | Statewide |
| Radon Zones | EPA | By county | Static (1993) | Statewide |
| Storm Surge | County Emergency Mgmt | 2,147 zones | Annual | Miami-Dade (expanding) |
| Roof Age | Derived from permits | 32K properties | With permits | Broward, MDC, PBC |
Transparency is core to our methodology. We want you to know exactly what a ParcelScore report can and cannot tell you.
We believe in honest positioning. Here's how ParcelScore compares to HazardHub, the industry-standard property risk platform acquired by Guidewire.
| Capability | ParcelScore | HazardHub |
|---|---|---|
| Core data sources | FEMA, USGS, EPA, ISO | FEMA, USGS, EPA, ISO |
| Flood zones (FEMA NFHL) | Yes | Yes |
| Fire protection (ISO, hydrants) | Yes | Yes |
| Wind / hurricane risk | City-level FBC | Parcel-level ASCE 7-22 |
| Wildfire risk | Not yet | Yes |
| Hail risk | Not yet | Yes |
| Lightning risk | Not yet | Yes |
| Soil liquefaction | Not yet | Yes |
| Building permits | Yes (342K) | No |
| School grades | Yes (2,953) | No |
| Crime statistics | Yes (37 cities) | No |
| NFIP claims by ZIP | Yes | Limited |
| WhatsApp delivery | Yes (core channel) | No |
| API access | Yes (REST) | Yes (REST) |
| Coverage | 28 states (expanding) | All U.S. |
| Pricing | From $99/mo | $50K-200K/yr enterprise |
Our position: HazardHub is the gold standard for enterprise property risk data with nationwide coverage and deeper peril layers (wildfire, hail, lightning). ParcelScore covers 28 states with 143M+ records and unique layers (building permits, school grades, crime stats, NFIP claims history) and dramatically lower price points. We serve insurance agents, real estate professionals, and property owners who need property-specific intelligence without enterprise contracts.
Send any US address to our WhatsApp or search on the web — graded exactly as described above.