Florida Roof Insurance Claims

Wind and hail deductible

Many coastal and storm-prone states require a separate wind or hail deductible, often expressed as a percentage of dwelling coverage rather than a flat dollar amount. This is separate from your all-perils deductible and typically larger.

Florida homeowners may face up to three different deductibles depending on cause of loss. (1) All-other-perils (AOP): the standard flat-dollar deductible, applies when no special deductible governs. (2) Hurricane deductible (§627.701(3)(a) and (5)): applies to losses caused by a hurricane as defined in §627.4025(2)(c). It applies ONCE per calendar year across all covered hurricane losses - not per storm. If a second hurricane hits in the same year, the insurer applies the greater of the remaining hurricane deductible or the AOP deductible. (3) Separate roof deductible (§627.701(10)): an optional endorsement a carrier may include. It applies only to claims adjusted on a replacement cost basis where the roof repair equals or exceeds 50% of the total roof. It does NOT apply to: total loss under the valued policy law (s. 627.702), roof loss caused by a hurricane (s. 627.4025(2)(c)), roof loss from a tree fall or other hazard that punctures the roof deck, or any repair covering less than 50% of the roof. If the roof deductible applies, no other deductible applies to that loss. The policyholder can reject the roof deductible endorsement by signing an insurer-filed form at issuance or renewal. Disclosure: hurricane deductible requires an 18-point boldface statement on the policy face and the actual dollar value on the declarations page. Roof deductible requires an 18-point boldface warning on the page immediately behind the declarations page, with no other policy language on that page. Verified by site owner against Fla. Stat. §627.701 at leg.state.fl.us.

Roof age and insurability

Florida law restricts an insurer's ability to refuse or non-renew coverage based on roof age alone, and gives homeowners with roofs 15 years or older the right to commission an inspection before the insurer can require replacement.

Source: Fla. Stat. §627.7011(5). Verified by site owner against leg.state.fl.us.

Claim filing deadlines

These are the homeowner's deadlines - how long you have to file, reopen, or supplement a claim. All run from the date of loss, not the date you discover the damage.

Source: Fla. Stat. §627.70132. Verified by site owner against leg.state.fl.us.

Prompt payment law

State prompt payment statutes set deadlines for how quickly an insurer must acknowledge, accept or deny, and pay a claim. Missing these deadlines can entitle you to penalty interest.

Source: Fla. Stat. §627.70131 (2026). Verified by site owner against leg.state.fl.us.

Recoverable depreciation

Most states allow carriers to withhold depreciation until repairs are complete (the standard RCV structure). Some states restrict this or give policyholders additional recourse.

On a replacement cost dwelling policy, the insurer must initially pay at least ACV minus the applicable deductible, then pay remaining amounts as work is completed (Fla. Stat. §627.7011(3)(a)). Exception: where a separate roof deductible under §627.701(10) applies, the insurer may limit the initial roof payment to ACV until it receives reasonable proof that the policyholder has paid the roof deductible. Reasonable proof includes a cancelled check, money order receipt, credit card statement, or an executed installment plan or financing arrangement. On a total loss of the dwelling, the insurer must pay the full replacement cost with no depreciation holdback (Fla. Stat. §627.702). Verified by site owner against leg.state.fl.us.

Matching and uniformity

Some states require insurers to pay for repairs to undamaged areas when damaged replacements cannot be matched. Florida has such a provision - but it is qualified, and policy language can displace it.

Source: Fla. Stat. §626.9744(2). Verified by site owner against leg.state.fl.us.

Anti-concurrent causation clause

ACC clauses exclude coverage when an excluded peril (e.g. flooding) contributes to a loss alongside a covered peril (e.g. wind). Some states restrict ACC clauses or require carriers to apportion covered vs excluded damage.

Governed by case law, not statute - policy wording controls

The answer depends on the wording of your own policy's exclusions, not on a Florida-wide rule. Florida's default is the concurrent cause doctrine: where independent perils converge and no single cause is the sole or proximate cause, coverage may exist even if one peril is excluded - Sebo v. American Home Assurance Co., 208 So. 3d 694 (Fla. 2016). Critical qualifier: Sebo turned on the absence of ACC language in the exclusion at issue; the court noted the insurer had used it elsewhere in the same policy. Where ACC language is present in the relevant exclusion, Sebo does not help the policyholder. Look for wording like 'directly or indirectly… regardless of any other cause or event contributing concurrently or in any sequence' in your exclusions. This is what decides wind-versus-flood disputes after a hurricane and damage-versus-wear disputes.

Source: Sebo v. American Home Assurance Co., 208 So. 3d 694 (Fla. 2016). Verified by site owner.

Where to get help

If you believe your claim was handled improperly, file a complaint with the state consumer regulator. Complaints are free, create a paper trail, and sometimes prompt carriers to reconsider a decision.