The hurricane deductible is a percentage, not a dollar amount
Every Florida homeowners policy carries at least two deductibles: a flat all-other-perils deductible, and a separate hurricane deductible set as a percentage of your dwelling limit. Florida Statute 627.701 requires insurers to offer hurricane deductible options of $500, 2 percent, 5 percent and 10 percent of the dwelling limit, and requires the notice you sign to state clearly which deductible applies by default.
| Dwelling limit | 2% deductible | 5% deductible | 10% deductible |
|---|---|---|---|
| $300,000 | $6,000 | $15,000 | $30,000 |
| $450,000 | $9,000 | $22,500 | $45,000 |
| $600,000 | $12,000 | $30,000 | $60,000 |
| $900,000 | $18,000 | $45,000 | $90,000 |
The trigger is defined by statute, not by damage type. The Florida Department of Financial Services explains that under s. 627.4025 the hurricane deductible applies from the moment the National Hurricane Center issues a hurricane warning for any part of Florida, while the storm remains a hurricane anywhere in the state, and for 72 hours after the last warning is lifted.
The Florida hurricane deductible is annual, not per storm. Once you satisfy it in a calendar year, subsequent hurricane losses in that same year are typically subject only to the all-other-perils deductible. That is genuine protection in a busy season, but it also means a 5 percent deductible on a $600,000 home is a $30,000 decision you make once at binding and live with for years.
A third deductible now appears on many Florida policies: under the 2022 reforms, insurers may apply a separate roof deductible of up to 2 percent of Coverage A or 50 percent of the roof replacement cost, whichever is greater, and you may decline it on an OIR-approved form.
Wind mitigation credits and form OIR-B1-1802
Florida law requires insurers to give premium discounts for construction features that reduce hurricane damage, and the way you prove those features is a single standardized document: the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, form OIR-B1-1802. FLOIR publishes the form and the accompanying rules, notes it is valid for up to five years, and has issued an updated version effective April 1, 2026.
- Roof covering. Whether the covering meets the current Florida Building Code or the older 1994 South Florida Building Code, verified by permit date.
- Roof deck attachment. Nail size and spacing into the trusses. The difference between staples and 8d ring-shank nails at 6-inch spacing is a real credit.
- Roof-to-wall connection. Toe nails, clips, single wraps or double wraps. This is often the single largest credit on the form.
- Roof geometry. A hip roof earns a credit that a gable roof does not, because hip designs shed wind pressure better.
- Secondary water resistance. A sealed roof deck under the covering, which limits water intrusion once shingles are gone.
- Opening protection. Impact-rated windows, doors and garage doors, or code-approved shutters covering every glazed opening. Partial protection earns partial credit.
An inspection typically costs $75 to $150 and routinely returns several hundred to a few thousand dollars a year in credits on a coastal home. Get it before you shop, because credits apply at rating rather than retroactively, and re-inspect after any roof replacement.
If you are replacing a roof anyway. Ask the contractor to price a sealed roof deck for secondary water resistance and to document the nailing pattern and roof-to-wall connections. The extra cost is small relative to the recurring wind credit.
Roof age rules and what carriers will do about them
Roof age is the most common reason a Florida application is declined. The 2022 special-session reform, Senate Bill 2-D, wrote guardrails into law that every Florida homeowner should know:
- Under 15 years. An insurer may not refuse to write or renew a policy solely because of the age of the roof if the roof is less than 15 years old.
- At 15 years and older. The insurer may require an inspection of the roof before writing or renewing.
- The five-year rule. If that inspection indicates the roof has at least five years of remaining useful life, the insurer may not refuse to renew the policy solely because of roof age.
- Roof deductibles. The same legislation authorized the separate roof deductible described above, and gave policyholders the right to decline it in writing.
In practice, the inspection report is your leverage: if a nonrenewal notice cites roof age and your inspector certifies five or more years of remaining life, say so in writing before you start shopping. Watch the settlement basis too, because a depreciated actual cash value roof schedule can turn a $28,000 roof loss into a $12,000 check.
Documents to have on hand before you request quotes. The roof permit date and material, a current four-point inspection if the home is older than 30 years, your wind mitigation form OIR-B1-1802, and a claims history for the address. Underwriters price uncertainty; producing these upfront frequently moves a home from declined to bindable.
Related: what homeowners insurance covers and how much dwelling coverage you need.
Citizens, depopulation and flood as a separate policy
Citizens Property Insurance Corporation was created by the Legislature in 2002 as Florida's insurer of last resort, available only when private coverage is unavailable or priced above the statutory threshold. Its December 2025 rate announcement documents the turn: policy count down from a peak of 1.42 million in October 2023 to an expected 385,000 by the end of 2025, with more than 546,000 policies moved to private carriers through the 2025 depopulation program alone. For 2026 Citizens recommended a statewide average rate change of negative 2.6 percent, with three of every five personal-lines policyholders seeing an average reduction of 11.5 percent, about $359, its first personal-lines decreases since 2015 and effective June 1, 2026 subject to OIR review.
| Peril | Covered by a Florida HO-3? | Where it is covered |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane wind | Yes, subject to the percentage hurricane deductible | Homeowners policy |
| Storm surge and rising water | No | Separate NFIP or private flood policy |
| Wind-driven rain through a wind-created opening | Usually yes | Homeowners policy |
| Flooding from heavy rainfall or a swollen canal | No | Separate flood policy |
| Sinkhole and catastrophic ground cover collapse | Collapse yes, broader sinkhole often by endorsement | Homeowners policy plus endorsement |
The wind-versus-water split is the most expensive misunderstanding in Florida. Every homeowners policy here excludes flood, and storm surge is flood. Read do I need flood insurance and price a separate policy; NFIP coverage generally carries a 30-day waiting period, so buying in a forecast cone is not an option.
If you hold a Citizens policy and receive a takeout offer, compare coverage rather than premium alone: hurricane and roof deductibles, roof settlement basis, water-damage sublimits and financial strength rating. A cheaper policy with a 10 percent hurricane deductible and an actual cash value roof schedule is not the same product.
PolicySherpas is licensed in Florida and paid by the carrier when a policy is placed, not by you. All premiums shown here are illustrative published averages rather than offers of insurance; your Florida rate depends on the property, its roof, its mitigation features, its location, its claims history and the carrier's current filing with the Office of Insurance Regulation.
Sources & further reading
- Florida Statutes 627.701 — Liability of insureds; deductibles offered on hurricane losses
- Florida Department of Financial Services — Florida’s hurricane deductible
- Florida Office of Insurance Regulation — Wind mitigation resources and form OIR-B1-1802
- Florida OIR — Commissioner announces 20 new property and casualty insurers since reforms (May 2026)
- Citizens Property Insurance — Citizens recommends rate cuts for most policyholders (Dec 2025)
- Florida Senate — SB 2-D (2022) bill analysis: roof deductibles and roof age underwriting
- Insurify — Florida homeowners insurance costs and 2026 city averages