Hurricane coverage on a Florida home is usually part of the homeowners policy, not a separate policy you buy at the hardware store. The part that surprises people is the deductible. Flood, including the water a storm pushes ashore, is a different contract.
What it covers
Wind and hail that the homeowners form covers, including a hurricane, subject to the deductible on the declarations. Opening protection, a roof tied to the walls, and impact glass do not create coverage by themselves. They can change whether a company will write the house and what you pay. Loss of use can apply when a covered wind loss makes the house unfit to live in. The form decides.
What it doesn't cover
Flood and storm surge. A tree that falls in the yard with no damage to covered property. A deductible you hoped would be the same few hundred dollars as a non-hurricane loss. Wear, rot, and an old roof that fails without a storm. A generator, a fence, and a screen enclosure may be limited or left out. Read the form.
Florida specifics
Section 627.701 is the statute on hurricane deductibles. People commonly see 2, 5, or 10 percent of the dwelling limit. The trigger is a hurricane, described on the policy. Other wind can have its own deductible. Mitigation is documented on the state's uniform inspection form. Shutters that stay in the garage do not count until they are installed, and an inspection records what is actually there.
A short prep list: know the deductible in dollars of your dwelling limit, keep policy numbers off the refrigerator and in your phone, clear the yard of what can become a missile, and service the shutters before June. After the storm, photograph damage before you throw things away, and call us as well as the company.
How we help
We read the hurricane deductible and the mitigation report with you before you choose a company. If the house is near the beach or the river, we will also talk about flood, because the wind policy will not pay for surge. Start a home quote or call either office.