FLORIDA INSURANCE GUIDES
Florida insurance, explained in plain English.
The five questions that move Florida premiums the most — answered by the independent agency that shops 25+ carriers every day.
How does roof age affect my Florida home insurance?
In Florida, your roof is the single biggest factor in your premium — and sometimes in whether a carrier will quote you at all. Most Florida carriers apply steep surcharges to shingle roofs past 10–15 years, and many decline homes with roofs over 20.
The flip side: a new roof is the biggest discount event in your policy's life. If you've replaced your roof since your last renewal, re-shopping almost always pays — carriers that declined you before may now compete for you, and credits can run into the hundreds per year.
What is a wind-mitigation inspection and is it worth it?
A wind-mitigation inspection is a short visit (usually $75–$150) where a licensed inspector documents the features that help your home resist hurricane winds: roof shape (hip roofs earn more credit than gable), how the roof deck is attached, roof-to-wall connections like clips or straps, secondary water resistance, and opening protection such as shutters or impact glass.
Florida law requires carriers to give credits for these features — but only if you can document them. The inspection routinely pays for itself several times over in the first year. If your home was built after 2002 (the modern Florida Building Code era), you likely qualify for significant credits you may not be receiving.
How do hurricane deductibles work in Florida?
Florida homeowners policies carry two deductibles: one for hurricanes and one for everything else (called All Other Perils, or AOP). The hurricane deductible is a percentage of your dwelling coverage — typically 2%, 5%, or 10% — not a flat dollar amount. On a $400,000 home, a 5% hurricane deductible means you'd pay the first $20,000 of hurricane damage.
Choosing the percentage is one of the few levers you control: a higher deductible lowers your premium but raises your out-of-pocket after a storm. Our quote flow lets you flip between 2%, 5%, and 10% and watch the premium move before you decide.
Does my homeowners policy cover flood damage?
No — and this surprises more Florida homeowners than anything else. Rising water from storm surge, heavy rain, or overflowing waterways is excluded from every standard homeowners policy. Flood coverage is always a separate policy, either through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or private carriers like Neptune.
Private flood has become highly competitive in Florida and often beats NFIP pricing with higher limits. That's why our quote flow checks a private flood rate automatically with every home quote — even outside high-risk zones, more than 20% of flood claims come from low-to-moderate-risk areas.
When should I re-shop my Florida home insurance?
Every renewal — and immediately after any of these: a roof replacement, a wind-mitigation inspection, major system updates (electrical, plumbing, water heater), or a premium increase you didn't expect. Florida's market moves fast: new carriers have entered the state and rates that were the best available two years ago are often beatable today.
As an independent agency we re-shop across 25+ carriers in one pass — it takes about 90 seconds online, and loyalty to a single carrier rarely pays in this market.