Building Peace of Mind for Homeowners
Mason and Associates has teamed up with Freisenbruch-Meyer Group to offer homeowners a unique inspection service aimed at making their homes safer.
Under the My Safe Bermuda Home (MSBH) programme local homeowners engage Mason and Associates Ltd., to conduct a four-point insurance inspection focussing on windstorm, fire, flood and home security.
The engineering firm will produce a detailed written report for the homeowner with specific recommendations on how to make their homes safer and reduce the risks of loss or damage from hurricanes and other insured perils.
“The goal of the MSBH programme is to provide homeowners with a detailed plan of improvements they can make to reduce the chance of windstorm damage to their home while increasing personal safety for their families”, said Mason and Associate’s founding owner and director Philip Mason, pictured above with Freisenbruch-Meyer’s Heidi Grant.
The Freisenbruch-Meyer Group has embraced the programme as a way for homeowners to take a pro-active role in managing their risks and protecting their homes.
Mrs. Grant of Freisenbruch-Meyer Group said: “We are excited to have teamed up with Mason and Associates Ltd. and will be looking to use the MSBH reports as part of our underwriting considerations when writing new business or renewing existing policies.”
Every home inspected under the My Safe Bermuda Home programme will receive a score of between 1-100 on Bermuda’s first Hurricane Resistance Rating (HRR) scale.
Developed by structural engineers at Mason and Associates Ltd., specifically for Bermuda, the HRR is a relative scoring that gauges how well your home will perform when exposed to a Category 2 hurricane.
Mr. Mason explained, “We developed the HRR after months of modeling local home designs, construction practices and observations of structural damage following Hurricane Fabian.
“Our unique rating system for Bermuda homes is based on inputting critical information on a home’s location, shape, and construction, categorized into seven primary factors and four secondary factors.
“We collect this data during our home inspection and input it into our model to arrive at scores typically ranging from 15 – 80 for local homes. Homes built to Bermuda’s Residential Building Code or above will score higher on the HRR scale and we have left room in our model for future improvements to the building codes.”
Mason and Associates Ltd., has negotiated significant discounts from approved service providers and local contractors for all homeowners participating in the MSBH programme.
Wind rated door and window installations, roofing specialists and security systems are just a few of the items offered under this unique programme.
“Our home is our castle. It’s the one place we all want to feel safe and secure during uncertain times. The MSBH programme provides valuable information and real savings to homeowners looking to protect their families and their homes”, said Mr. Mason.
Mr. Mason is registered professional structural engineer in Bermuda. He graduated from the Technical University of Nova Scotia in 1983 and then worked for the Ministry of Works & Engineering as a design engineer, leaving in 1995 as the principal Structural Engineer.
He joined his brother in a local venture to design, build and commission the island’s first brewery and stayed on as a manager before moving to Louisville, Kentucky in 1999 with his wife and sons.
Returning to the island in 2008 as a consulting structural engineer and senior project manager for Woodbournes Associates Ltd., Mr. Mason now owns and manages his own consulting firm.
