Homeowner guides · Insurance
Filing a Roof Insurance Claim After Hurricane Damage in Florida
What Florida law actually says about replacement cost, roof deductibles, flood exclusions, and emergency repairs after a hurricane — and what this site cannot tell you about your policy.
Last updated November 10, 2026 (America/New_York). All blog posts. Educational guide, not a bid, a specification, or insurance advice.
Direct answer
Start by making the property reasonably safe, documenting the damage, and calling your insurer or agent. The Florida Department of Financial Services advises homeowners, after a disaster, to report damage to the agent or company before signing contracts, to make emergency repairs and document them, and to keep receipts and photographs from before and after any repairs. FEMA similarly tells applicants not to wait for a federal inspection to file an insurance claim, and to photograph damage and keep receipts. This is not a substitute for your policy’s duties-after-loss language; read the policy and follow what your insurer asks for.
A homeowners policy is not a flood policy. Fla. Stat. § 627.7011(4) requires a bold notice that a homeowners policy that does not provide flood coverage does not cover flood damage even if hurricane winds and rain caused the flood. Wind and rain that enter through a wind-damaged roof are a different question from flood, and only your insurer can classify your loss. There may also be a separate hurricane deductible, and some personal lines policies have a separate roof deductible under § 627.701(10). This page is educational, not a coverage determination.
Document first, then make reasonable emergency repairs
If it is safe, photograph the roof from the ground, any interior stains or wet ceilings, and debris. Do not get on a wet or steep roof if you are not equipped to do it safely. Temporary measures — a tarp or other temporary covering done in a way that complies with the Florida Building Code, drying wet interiors, and moving belongings out of harm’s way — are the usual “prevent further damage” steps. Keep every receipt. Our after-storm and tarping guide goes into that sequence in more detail.
Tell your insurer what you did. DFS warns that some repair contracts contain assignment-of-benefits language and that, for residential and commercial property insurance policies issued on or after January 1, 2023, such assignment contracts are invalid and unenforceable under Fla. Stat. § 627.7152(13). You can still hire a licensed contractor to do the work; you generally cannot assign the post-loss benefits on a policy issued on or after that date.
Replacement cost, actual cash value, and roof deductibles
For a dwelling insured on a replacement-cost basis, Fla. Stat. § 627.7011(3)(a) generally requires the insurer to initially pay at least the actual cash value of the insured loss, less any applicable deductible, and to pay remaining amounts as work is performed and expenses are incurred. If a roof deductible under § 627.701(10) is applied, the insurer may limit the roof payment to the actual cash value of the loss to the roof until it receives reasonable proof that the policyholder has paid the roof deductible (a canceled check, money-order receipt, credit-card statement, or an executed installment plan that requires full payment over time). If the dwelling is a total loss, the insurer must pay replacement cost without holding back depreciation, pursuant to § 627.702.
A separate roof deductible, where one is lawfully included, may not exceed the lesser of 2 percent of the Coverage A limit or 50 percent of the cost to replace the roof, must come with an actuarially sound credit or discount, and does not apply to a total loss under the valued-policy law, a roof loss from a hurricane as defined in § 627.4025(2)(c), a roof loss from a tree fall or other hazard that punctures the roof deck, or a roof loss requiring repair of less than 50 percent of the roof. If a roof deductible is applied, no other deductible under the policy may be applied to that loss or to any other loss to the property caused by the same covered peril. Ask your agent whether your policy has one, and what dollar amount is shown on the declarations page.
Hurricane deductibles and law-and-ordinance coverage
Many Florida homeowners policies have a separate hurricane deductible, often stated as a percentage of dwelling limits. Section 627.701 requires certain offers and notices, including a bold face-page statement that a separate hurricane deductible may result in high out-of-pocket expenses, and a display of the actual dollar value of that deductible. A hurricane deductible on personal lines residential policies generally applies on an annual basis to covered hurricane losses in the calendar year. The details are in the statute and in your declarations; we will not invent a percentage for your house.
Law-and-ordinance coverage pays some of the extra cost of bringing repairs up to current code. Section 627.7011 requires insurers to offer replacement-cost and law-and-ordinance packages, and unless the insurer obtains a written refusal, a policy covering the dwelling is deemed to include law-and-ordinance coverage limited to 25 percent of the dwelling limit, with an offer of 50 percent also required in the circumstances the statute describes. That coverage can matter on a reroof that has to meet today’s Florida Building Code even if part of the roof was built to an older code. It is not automatic payment of a material upgrade you simply prefer.
Claims, contractors, and who may speak for you
A contractor may not interpret your policy, advise you on coverage, or adjust the claim unless the contractor also holds a public-adjuster license (Fla. Stat. § 489.147(2)(d); DFS’s contractor FAQ says the same). A public adjuster must be licensed by DFS; you can check licenses at the department’s license search. DFS notes that hiring a public adjuster does not guarantee a higher payout or faster handling, and that the fee is typically paid from the proceeds. Company adjusters should not ask you to sign a repair contract or charge a fee to adjust the claim.
Do not let anyone pressure you into a claim for damage that is not there, or into waiving a deductible; DFS and § 489.147 treat those as serious problems, and intentionally filing a false claim is described in the required advertising notices as insurance fraud. Verify licenses, get a written itemized estimate, and use our storm-chaser and how to hire guides. For repair quotes, use storm damage roof repair or roof repair.
A short sequence you can follow without giving up your rights
Write down the time you first saw the damage, the policy number, and everyone you spoke with. Save photos in more than one place. When the adjuster comes, walk the interior and the exterior and point out staining, wet insulation, and lifted edges, not only missing pieces in the yard. If the company asks for a sworn proof of loss or other forms, ask for the deadline in writing and meet it or ask for a documented extension.
If two contractors price very different scopes on the same roof, give both itemized estimates to the insurer rather than picking the highest number and assuming it will be paid. If the first payment is actual cash value, keep invoices so the recoverable depreciation can be released as the work is done, and, if a roof deductible applies, keep the proof of deductible payment the statute describes. None of that is a guarantee of payment; it is how you avoid losing money to missing paperwork.
Matching service pages
This article is educational. For quotes, use the service pages, which are the commercial pages for this site:
Related roof types
Related guides
- What to Do After Storm Damage to Your Roof, Including Tarping
- How to Avoid Storm-Chaser Roofing Scams in Florida
- Florida’s Roof-Age Insurance Rule: What Fla. Stat. § 627.7011 Actually Says
Questions
01.Does my homeowners policy cover flood from a hurricane?+–
Not if the policy does not include flood coverage. Section 627.7011(4) requires a bold notice that flood damage is not covered even if hurricane winds and rain caused the flood. Ask your agent whether you have a separate flood policy.
02.Will the insurer pay the full replacement cost up front?+–
Usually not on a partial dwelling loss. Section 627.7011(3)(a) generally requires at least actual cash value first, with the remainder paid as work is performed, subject to the roof-deductible proof rule if one applies. A total loss is treated differently under the valued-policy law.
03.Can I sign my claim over to the roofer?+–
For residential or commercial property policies issued on or after January 1, 2023, Fla. Stat. § 627.7152(13) says a policyholder may not assign post-loss benefits; an attempt is void, invalid, and unenforceable.
04.Where do I request repair quotes?+–
Use our [storm damage](/storm-damage-roof-repair) or [roof repair](/roof-repair) matching pages and the form on this page. Report the claim to your insurer first.
Sources
- Florida Department of Financial Services, Disaster Assistance Insurance Helpline consumer guide
- FEMA, Home Inspections (Individuals and Households Program): photograph damage and keep receipts; do not wait for a FEMA inspection to file an insurance claim or begin safe cleanup
- Fla. Stat. § 627.7011 (2025), Homeowners’ policies; offer of replacement cost coverage and law and ordinance coverage
- Fla. Stat. § 627.701(10), separate roof deductibles on personal lines residential policies
- Fla. Stat. § 627.7152 (2025), Assignment agreements
- Fla. Stat. § 489.147 (2025), Prohibited property insurance practices; contract requirements
- Florida Department of Financial Services, Contractor-Residential Property FAQs
- Florida Department of Financial Services, license search for insurance adjusters
- Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, license search
Back to the blog. Also see how to hire a roofer and the Florida roof types hub.