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After the storm: filing a Florida home insurance claim
The first 72 hours after a hurricane decide how smoothly a claim goes. Florida changed its claims laws in 2022 and 2023, so advice from older storms may be out of date.
Step by step
- Stay safe first. Don't enter a home with structural damage, standing water near outlets or the smell of gas.
- Document before you touch anything. Wide shots of each room and exterior wall, then close-ups. Date-stamped video narrated as you walk is ideal. Compare with your pre-storm photos.
- Mitigate further damage. Your policy requires reasonable steps: tarp the roof, board broken windows, remove standing water, start drying. Keep every receipt; reasonable mitigation costs are generally reimbursed.
- Report the claim promptly by phone, app or website. Write down the claim number and every name and date.
- Separate wind and flood. Wind and rain damage go to your homeowners insurer. Rising water goes to your flood insurer. File both if both apply.
- Keep damaged items until the adjuster has seen them or approved disposal, unless they're a health hazard. Photograph and list them with approximate age and price.
- Meet the adjuster with your photos, list and receipts. Ask for a copy of their estimate.
Deadlines and timelines
- Notice of claim: Florida law now requires notice of a new or reopened property claim within one year of the date of loss, and a supplemental claim within 18 months.
- Insurer response: insurers must acknowledge your claim within 7 days and, in most cases, pay or deny it within 60 days of notice.
- Hurricane deductible applies once per calendar hurricane season for most policies, not per storm.
If you disagree with the offer
- Ask for the estimate line by line and provide your own contractor estimate.
- Request free mediation through the Florida Department of Financial Services for eligible residential claims.
- Check your policy for appraisal provisions.
- Public adjusters can help but take a percentage of the payout, capped by Florida law after a declared emergency. Verify their licence first.
Avoid the post-storm scams
- Never pay large deposits in cash or to someone who knocked on your door.
- Verify every contractor's licence on the DBPR licence search before signing.
- Policies issued on or after January 1, 2023 no longer allow "assignment of benefits" to contractors. Be wary of anyone asking you to sign over your claim.
- Ignore offers to "waive your deductible". That is insurance fraud.
Help beyond insurance
FEMA individual assistance may be available after a federal disaster declaration, and Pinellas Recovers runs income-based repair, rebuild and reimbursement programs funded after Idalia, Helene and Milton. Its help centre number is 727-606-3307.