Best Home Insurance Companies in Florida
Florida has 20-plus home insurance companies writing new policies, and the right one for your house depends on its roof, its construction, and how each company handles claims. We compare them for you in one conversation and stay with you through renewals.
Florida home insurance at a glance
Carrier ratings verified directly with each rating agency.
How we define “best” for a Florida home insurer
This page is not a paid ranking and nothing on it is sponsored. We are an independent agency, so the order a company appears in below earns us nothing. “Best” here comes from five things weighed together: the financial-strength rating each carrier holds with Demotech, Kroll (KBRA), or AM Best, cited from the rating agency itself; its record of paying Florida claims; whether it is actually writing new policies for a home like yours; how its coverage forms and underwriting fit the house; and our own working relationships with the people at each company, from the claims adjusters and underwriters we deal with every week to the leadership that sets the tone. In Florida the people running a company are often the reason it holds up in a hard year, and that is something you only learn by placing policies with them. Ratings change, so we confirm current status with the agency before a policy is bound.
What drives home insurance in Florida
The claims Florida carriers see most often are water damage from plumbing and appliances, then the wind, hail and lightning of ordinary summer thunderstorms, then hurricanes, liability, and fire. A carrier prices your home on its age and building materials, the rebuild number you carry as Coverage A, the endorsements you add, the wind-mitigation credits the house qualifies for, the discounts you earn, and the loss history of its area. Those are the levers, and most of them are yours to move.
The roof is the biggest lever you control. Florida law says an insurer may not refuse to write or renew a home solely because of roof age while the roof is under 15 years old. At 15 or older you can order a roof inspection, and if it shows at least five years of useful life remaining, age alone cannot be the reason for a refusal (Florida Statute 627.7011). A wind-mitigation report on form OIR-B1-1802, good for five years, documents roof shape, deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections, secondary water resistance and opening protection, and the premium credits it earns are set out in law. A documented replacement roof does two things in this order: it opens more carriers for your home, and the credits behind it are money on top. Start with the roof-age rules and how a wind-mitigation inspection works.
Every Florida policy carries a separate hurricane deductible. It is usually a percentage of Coverage A, most often 2 percent, with 5 and 10 percent options and flat-dollar versions on some forms. It applies only to a storm the National Hurricane Center has declared a hurricane, from the first hurricane watch or warning for any part of Florida until 72 hours after the last one ends, and it works on a calendar-year basis with the same insurer group, so once it has been met, a second hurricane the same year falls under the smaller all-other-perils deductible (Florida Statutes 627.701 and 627.4025). Many policies ask you to report hurricane damage even when it looks smaller than the deductible, because that first loss counts toward it. See the hurricane deductible worked out in dollars.
Flood is written separately, and the question is how much to carry. Rising water, including storm surge, is not part of a homeowners policy anywhere in Florida. There are three ways to add it: an NFIP policy, one of the 10+ private flood carriers we place, or a flood endorsement that certain home and dwelling carriers attach to their own forms. What you pay follows the home’s distance to water, construction, elevation and rebuild cost far more than its mapped zone; the zone decides what a lender requires, not how water behaves. Our Florida flood insurance guide walks through the three routes and how to size the limit.
Sinkholes are handled by every admitted policy in a specific way. Catastrophic ground cover collapse is included with admitted Florida carriers. A separate sinkhole-loss endorsement is offered, inspection-gated, approved selectively, and usually carries its own 10 percent deductible. Sinkhole exposure is not what moves a Florida premium; the levers above are. Sinkhole coverage in Florida, explained.
What “financial strength” actually means in Florida
Most Florida-based home insurers are rated by Demotech, a rating agency focused on regional and specialty carriers. On its scale “A” means “Exceptional” and “A′” (A-prime) means “Unsurpassed.” Some carriers also hold a Kroll (KBRA) rating, and a smaller number hold an AM Best rating, where “A+” means “Superior.” These are three different agencies on three different scales, so a Demotech “A” is not the same thing as an AM Best “A,” which is why every rating on this page names the agency that issued it instead of flattening them into one score.
For context, a U.S. Senate inquiry opened on December 23, 2025 is examining the reliability of Demotech’s Florida ratings. We mention it because you should see the whole picture, not because it changes the ratings shown below. On the stabilizing side, no Florida-domiciled homeowners insurer was ordered into liquidation in 2024 or 2025, per the Florida Department of Financial Services receivership list; the last wave of insolvencies was 2022 and 2023. The Florida Insurance Guaranty Association is ending its 1 percent policy assessment for policies effective on or after October 1, 2026, which is explained on our FIGA page.
For the full breakdown of how each agency rates a carrier, read our Florida home insurance financial-strength ratings guide, then browse the carrier library, where every major Florida home insurer is profiled one by one.
Carriers we recommend most in Florida
These are the six carriers our agency recommends most across Florida, based on financial strength, our own experience with their claims service, and underwriting fit for the homes we insure. This is our professional recommendation as an independent agency, not a paid ranking, and the list is in the order we would suggest, not alphabetical. Which of the six fits your home depends on its roof, its age, its construction, and where it sits, and that is the comparison we run for you.
| Carrier | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Tower Hill Insurance | Demotech A (Exceptional) | Our #1 recommendation, broad fit |
| ASI / Progressive Home | AM Best A+ (Superior) | Best for bundling home and auto |
| American Integrity | Demotech A (Exceptional) | Best for newer inland homes |
| Heritage | Demotech A (Exceptional) | Established statewide coverage |
| Olympus | Demotech A (Exceptional) | Dependable Florida-based coverage |
| Security First | Demotech A (Exceptional) | Florida-focused, rate decreases filed |
Demotech A (Exceptional)
AM Best A+ (Superior)
Demotech A (Exceptional)
Demotech A (Exceptional)
Demotech A (Exceptional)
Demotech A (Exceptional)
Other financially strong carriers we place
Beyond our top six, we compare these additional financially strong Florida carriers for homeowners across the state. Listed alphabetically; order does not imply ranking.
Demotech A (Exceptional)KBRA BBB
Demotech A (Exceptional)
Demotech A (Exceptional)
Demotech A (Exceptional)
Demotech A (Exceptional)
Demotech A (Exceptional)
Demotech AKBRA BBB
Demotech A (Exceptional)
Demotech A (Exceptional)
Demotech A (Exceptional)
Demotech A (Exceptional)
Demotech A (Exceptional)
Demotech A (Exceptional)
Demotech A (Exceptional)
Ratings shown are independently published by each carrier’s rating agency and can change. We verify current status before binding any policy.
Beyond our standard carrier lineup: access to global specialty markets
A high rebuild value alone rarely puts a home in this territory. Many admitted Florida carriers write HO-5 policies and extended-replacement-cost endorsements on higher-value homes, usually at a much better premium than a dedicated high-value program. For the genuinely unique risks and coverage gaps the standard Florida-admitted market will not fill, we also reach excess and surplus (E&S) and specialty insurance markets through our broker relationships. These are not admitted Florida carriers like the ones above: they are accessed only through a licensed surplus lines broker, carry their own global ratings, keep a minimum earned premium if you cancel early, and are not backed by the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association. We turn to them when the standard market cannot fit a specific home.
AM Best A+ (Superior)S&P/Fitch AA-
AM Best A+ (Superior), Lloyd’s syndicate rating
AM Best A- (Excellent)
Plus other excess and surplus markets we access through our broker relationships, as the specific risk calls for them. Ratings shown are independently published by each market’s rating agency and can change.
Best fit by home type and situation
Newer homes and new construction
Carriers with strong appetite for newer roofs and current-code construction, such as American Integrity, Tower Hill and ASI/Progressive Home, compete hardest here. A new roof and a wind-mitigation report written at closing usually earn the full set of credits. New-construction home insurance in Florida.
Older homes (built before the 2002 code)
Fit turns on roof age and a 4-point inspection of the roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC. A documented replacement roof opens more carriers, and where an older home does not fit a homeowners form, an owner-occupied dwelling policy with a comprehensive liability endorsement is a legitimate route many people never hear about. The 4-point and wind-mitigation inspections, side by side.
Higher-value and custom homes
A custom home deserves a per-home rebuild number, not a category assumption. Some owners want the richer replacement estimate a dedicated high-value program carries; many do not want to pay for it, and an admitted HO-5 with an extended-replacement-cost endorsement from a carrier such as Tower Hill, Heritage or American Integrity often matches the coverage at a better premium. We price both routes so you choose knowingly.
Coastal, barrier-island and Keys homes
Wind appetite matters most: US Coastal and Manatee are built for this exposure, and in the highest-wind areas a Citizens wind-only policy paired with a private ex-wind policy is common. Flood, including storm surge, is written separately either way. See the Monroe County guide for the Keys market.
Condos and townhomes
A condominium unit is insured on an HO-6, sized to what the association’s master policy leaves to you. A townhome can be an HO-3 or an HO-6 depending on what your governing documents make you responsible for, and once you know which, we sort the form with you from there. HO-6 condo insurance in Florida.
Manufactured homes
A manufactured home is not written on a standard HO-3, and the carriers competing for it are a different group. We place them with Tower Hill, founded in 1972 as a mobile home insurance agency, American Traditions, and American Integrity; the year built on the data plate matters as much as the roof does on a site-built home. Mobile and manufactured home insurance in Florida.
Second homes and seasonal residents
How long a home sits empty each year is an underwriting input, and every carrier asks. Tell your agent the real pattern, including who checks on the house while you are away, so the policy is written for the way you actually use it.
Homes without a mortgage, weighing whether to keep insurance at all
If you own the house outright and the full premium has you thinking about going without insurance, there is a middle path some owners weigh. Florida law lets a policyholder exclude windstorm coverage with a handwritten, signed statement (Florida Statute 627.712), and for a hardened house, concrete block, a newer roof, and documented wind-mitigation features such as roof straps or clips, a policy written without wind is designed to keep liability, fire, theft and interior water coverage in force, subject to its terms, at far less than the full premium. It is not liability-only and it is not bare. Two limits: a mortgaged home almost always has to carry wind because the lender must consent, and the exclusion can only be added or removed at renewal, so it cannot be bought back when a storm is on the map. Flood is a separate decision either way. We price it both ways and the call is yours.
Replacing a Citizens policy
Citizens is down to about 274,000 policies, and it keeps sending takeout offers from private carriers. If one arrives, we compare the offering carrier against the companies above on strength and fit, and we explain the 20 percent rule that decides whether you can decline. What a Citizens takeout offer means and the Citizens flood requirement.
How to compare Florida home insurance quotes: an 8-step checklist
- Start Coverage A from a real rebuild estimate, not the purchase price, the tax value, or the loan balance. Working with your agent, build the number from the home’s construction, size and finishes, and consider extended replacement cost for the building-cost jump that follows a widespread storm.
- Turn the hurricane deductible into dollars. Two percent of $400,000 is $8,000 before the policy pays anything on a hurricane loss. Compare the all-other-perils deductible on the same line.
- Read how the roof is settled. Replacement cost, actual cash value, or a carrier-filed schedule that pays less as the roof ages: the form decides, so ask which one you are being quoted. Roof settlement rules in Florida.
- Check the water-damage limitation. Some Florida forms cap non-weather water losses at a stated amount unless you buy the limit back, and sewer or drain backup is usually its own endorsement.
- Compare ordinance-or-law coverage at 25 percent and 50 percent. An older home rebuilt after a loss has to meet today’s code, and that cost sits on top of the repair.
- Ask how screened enclosures, pool cages and detached structures are treated. Limits and exclusions vary by form and by carrier.
- Add the flood layer. NFIP, private, or an endorsement; the lender may only require the loan balance, while we recommend replacement rebuild value or the highest limit offered so the policy qualifies for replacement-cost claim payments. Ask about loss of use by name, since the NFIP does not include it.
- Confirm the financial-strength rating and who issued it. Demotech, Kroll (KBRA) or AM Best, on the agency’s own site.
Before a claim is where we do our work. Bring your coverage, deductible and what-does-my-policy-do questions to your agent before a loss; the claim itself is filed with the carrier, online or by phone, and Florida law sets the timelines an insurer has to respond and pay. One caution after a storm: be wary of unsolicited public adjusters or roofing contractors canvassing damaged neighborhoods and offering to handle your claim for a share of the payout. Signing one of those agreements can sign away your ability to deal directly with your insurer.
Florida’s 67 counties, one comparison
Every county below has its own guide in this same format: the carriers that actually compete there, the county’s storm and water story, and the questions its homeowners ask most. Start with your county; the comparison itself works the same way everywhere we write, which is all of Florida. The county-by-county index lists them on one page.
Western Panhandle and the Forgotten Coast
Escambia County · Santa Rosa County · Okaloosa County · Walton County · Bay County · Holmes County · Washington County · Jackson County · Calhoun County · Gulf County · Franklin County · Liberty County
Big Bend and North Florida
Gadsden County · Leon County · Wakulla County · Jefferson County · Madison County · Taylor County · Hamilton County · Suwannee County · Lafayette County · Dixie County · Columbia County · Gilchrist County · Levy County · Union County · Bradford County · Baker County · Alachua County
Northeast Florida
Nassau County · Duval County · Clay County · St. Johns County · Putnam County · Flagler County
Central Florida
Marion County · Sumter County · Lake County · Seminole County · Orange County · Osceola County · Volusia County · Polk County · Highlands County · Hardee County · Okeechobee County
Tampa Bay and the Suncoast
Citrus County · Hernando County · Pasco County · Pinellas County · Hillsborough County · Manatee County · Sarasota County
Southwest Florida
Charlotte County · DeSoto County · Glades County · Hendry County · Lee County · Collier County
Space Coast and Treasure Coast
Brevard County · Indian River County · St. Lucie County · Martin County
Southeast Florida
Palm Beach County · Broward County · Miami-Dade County
The Florida Keys
Why work with an independent Florida agency
Since 2009, Florida homeowners have used Cornerstone Insurance to put an independent agency, a team of licensed agents writing in every Florida county, on their side of the table: 4.9-star rated with 627 Google reviews, BBB A+ accredited, and a Trusted Choice member agency. Because we are independent, we compare 20+ Florida homeowners carriers, plus global specialty markets through our broker relationships, 25+ across our personal lines, instead of selling one company’s policy. The goal is a reliable carrier and a coverage package that fits your house, and then we stay with you through the year and at each renewal, which matters in Florida because switching carriers often means new inspections and fresh paperwork. Getting it right the first time is the point.
The best way to start is to complete our quote request form. Already insured? Upload your current declarations page with Canopy Connect and we will compare these carriers for you in minutes. Prefer to talk it through? Call or text 813.920.8181 and you reach a real licensed Florida agent. Binding and documents typically happen the same day, except when a policy is tied to a loan closing and timed with the lender.
Independently recognized: Expertise.com named Cornerstone among its top Tampa agencies for 2026, one more independent check you do not have to run yourself.
Florida home insurance companies: your questions, answered
What is the best home insurance company in Florida?
There is no single best company for every Florida home. The right carrier depends on the home’s age, roof, construction, and where it sits. Our top recommendation statewide is Tower Hill, followed by ASI/Progressive Home, American Integrity, Heritage, Olympus, and Security First, all financially strong Florida carriers with real claims-paying records. As an independent agency we compare those six against the rest of our 20+ Florida homeowners markets and match by fit.
How do I know if a Florida home insurance company is financially strong?
Check its independent financial-strength rating and note which agency issued it. Florida-based carriers are mostly rated by Demotech, where A means Exceptional and A-prime means Unsurpassed; some also carry Kroll (KBRA) or AM Best ratings, where A+ means Superior. The scales differ, so a Demotech A is not the same as an AM Best A. Our financial-strength ratings guide explains each one.
Which companies write home insurance in Florida right now?
Cornerstone places financially strong Florida carriers including Tower Hill, ASI/Progressive Home, American Integrity, Heritage, Olympus, Security First, Slide, Florida Peninsula, Edison, Ovation, Southern Oak, Monarch National, Manatee, Mangrove, American Traditions, Universal, US Coastal and more. Availability varies by your home’s age, roof and location, which is why an independent agency compares the options for you.
Is Citizens the least expensive or the best option in Florida?
Citizens Property Insurance is the state-created insurer of last resort, not a benchmark for quality or price. It is down to about 274,000 policies, roughly 2 percent of the market, and it cut its 2026 multiperil rates 8.8 percent on average. You qualify only when comparable private coverage is unavailable or priced more than 20 percent above Citizens, and Citizens keeps sending takeout offers from private carriers. We compare Citizens and its takeout offers against the private market so you choose on strength and fit.
What is Florida’s 15-year roof rule?
Under Florida Statute 627.7011, an insurer may not refuse to write or renew a home solely because of roof age while the roof is under 15 years old. At 15 years or older, you can obtain a roof inspection, and if it shows at least five years of useful life remaining, the insurer cannot refuse solely because of the roof’s age. Carriers still weigh roof age in pricing, which is why a documented replacement roof opens more carriers for a home.
How does the Florida hurricane deductible work?
It is a separate deductible, usually a percentage of Coverage A, most often 2 percent, that applies only to storms the National Hurricane Center declares hurricanes, from the first hurricane watch or warning for Florida until 72 hours after the last one ends. It applies once per calendar year with the same insurer group, so after it is met, a second hurricane that year falls under the smaller all-other-perils deductible. Florida Statutes 627.701 and 627.4025 set the rules.
Does Florida homeowners insurance cover flooding?
No. Rising water, including storm surge, is not part of a Florida homeowners policy, and the real question is how much flood coverage to carry. It can be added three ways: an NFIP policy, a private flood policy from one of the 10+ private carriers we place, or a flood endorsement that certain home and dwelling carriers attach to their own forms. Premiums follow distance to water, construction, elevation and rebuild cost more than the mapped zone.
Are sinkholes covered by Florida home insurance?
Every admitted Florida policy includes catastrophic ground cover collapse, the sudden collapse that makes a home uninhabitable. A separate sinkhole-loss endorsement is offered by carriers, requires an inspection, is approved selectively, and usually carries its own 10 percent deductible. Sinkhole exposure is not what drives a Florida premium; roof, construction, Coverage A and wind mitigation are.
Can I get homeowners insurance in Florida without hurricane coverage?
Yes, and for some owners of paid-off, hardened homes it is a middle path between full premium and going without insurance. Florida Statute 627.712 lets a policyholder exclude windstorm coverage with a handwritten, signed statement, and a policy written without wind is designed to keep liability, fire, theft and interior water coverage in force, subject to its terms. A mortgaged home almost always has to carry wind, the exclusion can only change at renewal, and flood is a separate decision. We price it both ways and the choice is yours.
How much does home insurance cost in Florida?
The premium is set by the home itself: its age and materials, the rebuild number carried as Coverage A, the endorsements chosen, wind-mitigation credits, discounts, and the loss history of its area. Two similar houses on one street can differ widely on roof age alone, so a statewide average tells you little about your own quote. Our Florida homeowners insurance rates page walks through the drivers, and a comparison across 20+ carriers shows where your home actually lands.
Can I switch home insurance companies mid-policy in Florida?
Yes. A standard admitted policy refunds the unused premium pro rata when you cancel, while surplus lines policies keep a minimum earned premium. The clean sequence is to bind the new policy first, then cancel the old one, and to route the refund correctly if your premium is paid through escrow. Because a Florida switch often means new inspections and paperwork, we treat it as a decision to get right, not a habit. Our mid-policy switching guide covers the steps.
Is this a paid ranking?
No. We are an independent agency and no carrier pays for placement on this page. The six carriers we recommend most reflect our professional judgment based on financial strength, claims experience, fit, and our working relationships with each company’s people. Every rating shown comes from the rating agency itself and can change, so we verify current status before binding.
Related Florida insurance guides
- The complete guide to Florida homeowners insurance
- Florida home insurance carriers, profiled one by one
- Florida home insurance financial-strength ratings (AM Best, Demotech and Kroll)
- Florida home insurance, county by county
- Florida homeowners insurance rates and what drives them
- Are Florida homeowners insurance rates going down in 2026?
- Roof age and Florida home insurance: the 15-year rule
- The Florida hurricane deductible, explained in dollars
- Wind-mitigation inspections in Florida
- Florida flood insurance: the three routes and how much to carry
- Citizens takeout offers, explained
- Switching home insurance mid-policy in Florida
- Why your Florida home insurance went up