At a glance
| Deductible options | $500, 2%, 5% or 10% of dwelling limit |
|---|---|
| Deductible window | Hurricane warning issued until 72 hours after the last ends |
| Applies | Once per calendar year with the same insurer group |
| Flood | Not covered; separate policy |
| Grant | My Safe Florida Home, up to $10,000 |
What "hurricane insurance" means in Florida
Florida has no product sold as a stand-alone hurricane policy. Protection against a hurricane comes from up to three separate pieces of cover, and a gap in any one of them is where most storm losses go unpaid.
Wind cover inside a homeowners policy
A standard homeowners policy normally includes windstorm. Florida law defines hurricane coverage as cover for loss caused by windstorm during a hurricane, including rain that gets in after the wind first opens the building. It does not include flooding. The Office of Insurance Regulation (FLOIR) notes that insurers often exclude flood from HO-3 policies, which is why the next two items matter.
Wind-only policies
Some coastal homes are insured with a policy that covers everything except wind, plus a separate wind-only policy. Citizens Property Insurance writes wind-only homeowners policies (its HW2 form) in coastal counties. In Citizens' 2026 rate filing there were 53,228 of these policies statewide, with Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach holding the most.
Flood insurance
Storm surge and rising water are flood, not wind. Florida requires every homeowners policy that leaves out flood to print a warning on the declarations page saying flood damage is not covered even if hurricane winds and rain caused the flood. Flood cover comes from the National Flood Insurance Program or a private flood insurer. Our Florida flood zones guide explains when zone and mortgage rules make it mandatory.
Excluding wind on purpose
Under section 627.712, Florida Statutes, an admitted insurer must let you exclude windstorm cover, but only if every named insured hand-writes and signs a set statement, and any mortgage holder agrees in writing. Few buyers with a mortgage can use this, and it leaves you paying all wind damage yourself.
The hurricane deductible: the rules in Florida law
Most of the confusion about hurricane claims comes from the separate hurricane deductible. The Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) sets out how it works, based on sections 627.4025 and 627.701 of the Florida Statutes.
When the hurricane deductible applies
It applies only to a storm the National Hurricane Center has declared a hurricane. The window opens when a hurricane warning is issued for any part of Florida and closes 72 hours after the last hurricane watch or warning for any part of the state ends. Wind damage inside that window uses the hurricane deductible, and no other deductible applies to the same loss.
The options insurers must offer
Insurers must offer hurricane deductibles of $500, 2%, 5% or 10% of the dwelling (Coverage A) limit. The percentage has to be shown as a dollar amount on your declarations page. There are exceptions by dwelling limit:
- $100,000 to $249,999: instead of $500, the insurer may offer a policy with up to a 2% deductible plus a one-year guarantee not to non-renew to reduce hurricane exposure.
- $250,000 or more: the $500 option does not have to be offered; 2%, 5% and 10% must be.
- Under $500,000: a deductible above 10% needs a hand-written statement from every named insured and written approval from the mortgage holder.
- $1 million to $3 million: the insurer may offer 3%, 5% and 10% instead of 2%, 5% and 10%.
- Over $3 million: only 5% and 10% have to be offered.
One deductible per calendar year
If you stay with the same insurer or insurer group, the hurricane deductible applies once per calendar year across all hurricanes. For a second storm, you pay the greater of what is left of the hurricane deductible or your all-other-perils deductible. Switch to an unrelated insurer mid-year and the full hurricane deductible applies again.
Surplus lines and condo association policies differ
Surplus lines insurers do not file rates or forms with FLOIR and are not bound by these deductible options, and their policyholders are not protected by the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association. Commercial residential policies, such as a condo association's master policy, may carry a separate deductible for each hurricane.
Inflation guard can raise the deductible
Many replacement cost policies raise the dwelling limit automatically at set intervals. Because a percentage deductible is calculated on that limit, the dollar deductible at the time of a storm can be higher than the figure you saw at purchase. Insurers must disclose this on the declarations page.
Worked examples: what a hurricane deductible costs you
The deductible is set by your dwelling limit, not your home's market value or your premium. The table shows what you would pay before the insurer pays anything on a hurricane wind claim.
| Dwelling (Coverage A) limit | 2% deductible | 5% deductible | 10% deductible |
|---|---|---|---|
| $300,000 | $6,000 | $15,000 | $30,000 |
| $400,000 | $8,000 | $20,000 | $40,000 |
| $500,000 | $10,000 | $25,000 | $50,000 |
Example: a $500,000 dwelling limit at 2%
A 2% hurricane deductible on a $500,000 dwelling limit is $500,000 × 0.02 = $10,000. If a hurricane causes $26,000 of covered wind damage, the insurer pays $26,000 − $10,000 = $16,000. At 5%, the deductible would be $25,000 and the same claim would pay only $1,000. Because the limit is at least $250,000, this insurer does not have to offer a $500 hurricane deductible at all.
Example: two hurricanes in one year
This is the example DFS uses. A home is insured for $200,000 with a 2% ($4,000) hurricane deductible and a $1,000 all-other-perils deductible. The first hurricane causes $2,000 of wind damage, which the owner pays, leaving $2,000 of the hurricane deductible. The second hurricane causes $5,000 of damage. The remaining $2,000 is greater than $1,000, so it applies, and the insurer pays $3,000. Any further hurricane claims that year use the $1,000 deductible.
Why you should report small claims
DFS advises filing a claim even when the damage is below the deductible. The insurer then records the amount toward your calendar-year hurricane deductible, and hidden damage found later can be added as a supplement to a claim that was reported on time.
What hurricane cover costs in Florida
No state agency publishes a single average price for hurricane cover, because for most homes it is bundled into the homeowners premium. Two official data sets give real numbers.
Citizens wind-only premiums by county
Citizens' wind-only (HW2) policies are the closest thing to a published price for hurricane-wind cover on its own. These are average premiums per policy before and after the 2026 rates FLOIR approved, which apply to new policies from July 1, 2026 and to existing policies at renewal. They reflect the homes Citizens insures, not the whole market.
| County | Average before 2026 change ($) | Approved 2026 average ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Broward | 4,544 | 4,354 |
| Collier | 5,508 | 5,210 |
| Duval | 2,320 | 2,205 |
| Escambia | 3,589 | 3,451 |
| Lee | 4,550 | 4,279 |
| Miami-Dade | 4,726 | 4,493 |
| Monroe | 7,052 | 6,649 |
| Palm Beach | 4,908 | 4,742 |
| Pinellas | 4,405 | 4,169 |
| Sarasota | 2,246 | 2,132 |
| Volusia | 2,206 | 2,101 |
| All counties | 4,667 | 4,441 |
The hurricane share inside a homeowners premium
FLOIR's mitigation discount notice (form OIR-B1-1655) explains that every Florida homeowners policy is priced in two parts: a hurricane-wind premium and an all-other-perils premium. Your insurer must send you this notice with each new policy and renewal, and it shows the hurricane-wind portion in dollars. That number is the one wind mitigation credits and your deductible choice reduce.
How much on a $500,000 house
There is no fixed answer, because the price depends on the dwelling limit (the rebuild cost, not the sale price), distance to the coast, construction, roof and mitigation features. For a like-for-like comparison, use FLOIR's CHOICES tool, which lists sample premiums from each insurer by county. Our Florida homeowners insurance guide summarizes those samples for the largest counties.
Can you still get hurricane coverage in Florida?
Yes. Wind cover is still standard in Florida homeowners policies, and more insurers are writing it than a few years ago.
More private insurers
In May 2026 FLOIR reported that 20 new property insurers had entered the Florida market since the state's recent legislative reforms. It also reported that condo association wind writers in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach grew from one to five. In September 2026 FLOIR said 48 companies had filed for rate decreases since January 2024.
Citizens as the insurer of last resort
Citizens covers homeowners who cannot find private cover. Its policy count peaked at about 1.41 million in October 2023 and was 255,099 on September 18, 2026. For a primary residence, a new applicant is not eligible for Citizens if a private insurer offers comparable cover at a premium no more than 20% above Citizens' (section 627.351, Florida Statutes).
Citizens now requires flood cover
Citizens personal residential policyholders who have wind cover must also carry flood insurance. The requirement phased in by replacement cost: $600,000 or more from January 1, 2024, $500,000 from 2025, $400,000 from January 1, 2026, and all remaining policies from January 1, 2027. Homes in FEMA high-risk zones have needed it since 2023. Condo unit owner (HO-6) policies and policies without wind are exempt.
Ways to lower the hurricane part of your premium
Wind mitigation credits
Florida requires insurers to offer discounts for features that resist hurricane wind, such as roof-to-wall straps, stronger roof-deck nailing, a hip roof and impact-rated openings. The credits apply to the hurricane-wind premium only. Our Florida wind mitigation guide works through the official credit tables with examples.
The My Safe Florida Home grant of up to $10,000
The "$10,000 grant" people ask about is the My Safe Florida Home program run by DFS. It offers a free wind mitigation inspection to eligible homesteaded, site-built, single-family homeowners. If the inspection recommends upgrades, a matching grant pays $2 for every $1 you spend, up to $10,000, on opening protection, roof-to-wall attachment, roof-deck attachment or secondary water resistance. The home must be insured for $700,000 or less and built before January 1, 2008, and grants depend on the Legislature funding the program each year.
A higher deductible
A larger hurricane deductible lowers the hurricane-wind premium, as the OIR-B1-1655 notice explains. Only choose one you could pay in cash after a storm; on a $400,000 dwelling limit, moving from 2% to 5% raises what you pay per hurricane season from $8,000 to $20,000.
Filing a hurricane claim
Citizens tells its policyholders to report a claim as soon as they know or suspect damage, give temporary contact details if displaced, and photograph or video all damage before emergency repairs. Keep damaged items for the adjuster and save every receipt. Additional living expense cover, where your policy has it, pays the increase in costs if a covered loss makes the home unlivable. Check a contractor's license with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation before signing anything, and be wary of offers that sound too good to be true.
Common mistakes buyers make
- Assuming wind cover includes surge. Water pushed ashore by a hurricane is flood, and a homeowners policy excludes it.
- Reading the deductible as a percentage of the price paid. It is a percentage of the dwelling limit, which can rise with inflation guard.
- Waiting to buy flood cover. NFIP policies generally take 30 days to start, so a policy bought when a storm is forecast will not cover it. Buying at closing avoids the wait.
- Skipping the inspection reports. Older homes may need a 4-point inspection before an insurer will write the policy, and a wind mitigation report is what earns the discounts.
- Ignoring the insurance quote until closing week. Get quotes during your inspection period so the cost is part of your budget. Our Florida closing costs guide shows where the first year's premium fits.
Common questions
Is hurricane insurance required in Florida?+
No state law requires homeowners to buy it, but mortgage lenders usually require homeowners insurance that includes wind. If you have a federally backed mortgage on a home in a FEMA high-risk flood zone, flood insurance is also required. Citizens policyholders with wind cover must carry flood insurance under a schedule that reaches all remaining policies on January 1, 2027.
Does Florida homeowners insurance cover hurricane damage?+
It covers wind damage from a hurricane unless wind has been excluded, subject to the separate hurricane deductible. It also covers rain damage inside the home when the wind first created an opening. It does not cover flood, including storm surge, even when a hurricane caused the flooding. Flood needs its own policy.
What is the average cost of hurricane insurance in Florida?+
Hurricane wind cover is usually priced inside the homeowners premium, so there is no single state average. For Citizens' wind-only policies, the approved 2026 average premium is $4,441 statewide, ranging from about $2,100 in Volusia and Sarasota to $6,649 in Monroe. Your own policy's hurricane-wind portion appears on the OIR-B1-1655 notice your insurer sends.
How is a 2% hurricane deductible calculated?+
Multiply your dwelling (Coverage A) limit by 2%. A $400,000 dwelling limit gives an $8,000 hurricane deductible. The figure must be printed in dollars on your declarations page. If your policy has an inflation guard endorsement, the limit and therefore the deductible may be higher when a storm hits than when you bought the policy.
What is the Florida $10,000 grant for homeowners?+
It is the My Safe Florida Home program run by the Department of Financial Services. Eligible homesteaded single-family owners get a free wind mitigation inspection, and a matching grant pays $2 for every $1 you spend on recommended upgrades, up to $10,000. The home must be insured for $700,000 or less and built before 2008. Funding depends on annual state budgets.
Can you still get hurricane insurance in Florida?+
Yes. FLOIR reported in May 2026 that 20 new property insurers had entered the market since the state's recent reforms, and dozens of companies have filed rate decreases since 2024. If no private insurer will offer cover within 20% of Citizens' premium, Citizens Property Insurance remains available as the insurer of last resort.
Does the hurricane deductible apply to a tropical storm?+
Only if the National Hurricane Center has declared a hurricane and the loss falls inside the statutory window, which starts when a hurricane warning is issued for any part of Florida and ends 72 hours after the last one ends. Wind damage outside that window uses your all-other-perils deductible.
Sources
- Florida Department of Financial Services: Florida's Hurricane Deductible
- Florida Statutes s. 627.4025: Residential coverage and hurricane coverage defined
- Florida Statutes s. 627.701: Liability of insureds; deductibles
- Florida Statutes s. 627.7011: Homeowners' policies (flood warning, roof age)
- Florida Statutes s. 627.351: Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (eligibility, flood requirement)
- Florida Office of Insurance Regulation: Homeowners Insurance
- FLOIR: Notice of Premium Discounts for Hurricane Loss Mitigation (OIR-B1-1655)
- FLOIR: 20 companies entering the market since legislative reforms (May 20, 2026)
- FLOIR: Commissioner approves rate decreases for homeowners (September 22, 2026)
- Citizens Property Insurance: Revised 2026 Rate Kit (approved changes by county)
- Citizens Property Insurance: News (policies in force, September 18, 2026)
- Citizens Property Insurance: Hurricanes
- My Safe Florida Home: Frequently Asked Questions
- FloodSmart (NFIP): Buy a policy