Home Insurance in Florida: What Every Homeowner Should Know
Florida’s climate presents unique challenges for homeowners. With the constant risk of hurricanes, windstorms, and flooding, having the right home insurance isn’t just a precaution—it’s essential for protecting your property and long-term financial well-being.
Understanding your coverage is especially important in a high-risk state like Florida. Whether you’re insuring a primary residence, vacation home, or rental property, your policy should reflect the specific exposures in your area. Storm damage, rising construction costs, and regional coverage limitations can all impact how your insurance works—and what it covers.
Even if your home is fully paid off, homeowners insurance can help with the cost of rebuilding, replacing personal belongings, or addressing liability claims. And if you have a mortgage, coverage will be required by your lender—but the benefits of a well-structured policy go far beyond that.
What Florida Home Insurance Typically Covers
A standard homeowners policy offers several layers of protection, including:
- Dwelling Coverage: Protects the structure of your home from damage caused by disasters like fire, windstorms, or vandalism.
- Personal Property Coverage: Covers damage or loss to your personal belongings, such as furniture, electronics, and clothing.
- Liability Coverage: Protects you if someone is injured on your property and decides to sue for damages.
- Loss of Use Coverage: Pays for additional living expenses if your home becomes uninhabitable due to a covered event.
However, many Florida homeowners are surprised to learn that flood damage is not typically included in a standard home insurance policy. According to FEMA, 40% of all flood claims come from properties outside high-risk flood zones—making flood insurance a smart add-on for most Florida homes.
What Drives Florida’s Home Insurance Rates
Frequent hurricanes, other severe weather events, and rising construction costs have contributed to higher claim volumes and increased repair expenses. On top of that, litigation trends and fraudulent roofing claims have added further pressure on insurers, prompting some carriers to reduce their presence in the state or raise rates to manage risk.
These challenges have consistently made Florida the one of the most expensive states for homeowners insurance. However, rates still vary widely based on factors like your location, your home’s construction and age, roof condition, and claims history.
Shopping around is key. An independent agency like Bridges Insurance can compare policies from multiple carriers and explain how coverage limits, deductibles, and policy features impact both your protection and your premium.
Choosing the Right Coverage for Your Property
Your home insurance policy should be tailored to your unique situation. A newly built inland home will have different needs than a 30-year-old coastal property, and rental homes require different protections than primary residences.
If you own a rental property, standard homeowners insurance won’t cover tenant-related risks. You’ll need a landlord policy designed to handle tenant-caused damage, rental income loss, and additional liability exposure. At the same time, homeowners in older neighborhoods may need ordinance or law coverage to comply with modern building codes after a loss.
It’s also important to understand Florida’s hurricane deductible, which is separate from your “all other perils” (AOP) deductible. This is typically a percentage (2–5%) of your home’s insured value and only applies to hurricane-related claims. Understanding how that works can help you avoid unexpected out-of-pocket costs after a storm.
Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, making spring the ideal time to review your current policy, make updates, and fill any coverage gaps.
Get a Home Insurance Quote in Florida
At Bridges Insurance Agency, we help Florida homeowners protect what matters most. Our experienced, Tallahassee-based team will walk you through your options, explain what’s covered, and shop multiple top-rated carriers on your behalf to find the right fit for your needs and budget.
Give us a call at (850) 354-8900 or contact us online to get started today. We’re here to simplify the process and make sure you’re prepared—no matter what Florida weather brings.
Flood Insurance
Over the course of a 30-year loan, a home located in a high-risk flood zone is 4Xs more likely to be flooded than damaged by fire. 40% of all flood claims are paid on properties in low to moderate risk areas. Ask us about flood insurance to supplement your home insurance policy
Condo Owners Insurance
When owning or purchasing a condo, savvy insurance shoppers will obtain a copy of the condo association’s bylaws and review the master insurance policy. Understanding the HOA’s coverages will help you in structuring your individual policy. HOA policies are generally either “All-in” or “Bare Walls”.
Manufactured Home Coverage
Bridges Insurance Agency can offer you a Homeowners policy for your manufactured and modular homes. This would include modular, single-wide and multi-sectional homes.