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Florida homeowners insurance, explained

Two things drive a Florida premium that barely matter elsewhere: your roof and how well the building resists wind. Documenting the second can cut 20–30% of the total premium^† off the bill. The first decides whether you are insurable at all.

Only the first two are things you can change without moving.

Everything below is Florida-specific. National insurance guides are not wrong so much as irrelevant here — they under-weight wind and flood, and they have nothing to say about Citizens, the 4-point inspection, or the roof-age rules that decide most Florida non-renewals.

Start here

What a wind mitigation inspection costsAnd the arithmetic behind the saving — which is smaller than most sites claim.What a wind mitigation inspection isThe seven things checked on form OIR-B1-1802, and what each one earns.What a 4-point inspection costsRoof, electrical, plumbing, HVAC — and what a failure actually means.What a 4-point inspection isWhy Florida requires one, and at what age.Hurricane deductiblesA percentage of the dwelling limit — work out your number today.Which policy form you haveHO-3, HO-6, DP-3 — and the mismatches that cost real money.Roof age and non-renewalWhen an insurer may drop you for roof age — and when the law says they may not.Citizens Property InsuranceEligibility, the 20% rule, and what depopulation means for you.Flood insuranceWhy your policy excludes flood, and what an elevation certificate changes.Elevation certificatesThe measurement that replaces the map’s assumption about your house.Storm claims and public adjustersWhen an adjuster helps, and what they may charge.Assignment of benefitsProhibited on modern policies — so the door-knocker holding one tells you something.

Charming suburban home featuring a two-car garage, manicured lawn, and inviting entrance.Photograph: Curtis Adams / Pexels

Defects that make a home uninsurable

These are the findings that end an application. If a 4-point turned one up, or you are buying a house that has one, start here.

The three rules worth knowing before you call anyone

An insurer cannot refuse or non-renew solely because a roof is under 15 years^† old. Past that, an authorised inspector certifying five years of remaining useful life^† blocks a roof-age-only non-renewal.
Citizens is not simply the cheap option — you are only eligible if private quotes exceed it by more than 20%^†.
A 4-point decides whether you can get insured. Wind mitigation decides what you pay. They are different inspections, on different forms, for different purposes — and are constantly confused.

Sources on every page, cited inline. Primary references: Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Florida Statutes §627.7011, Citizens Property Insurance, My Safe Florida Home.