Florida Homeowners Insurance
A Florida homeowners policy is worth getting right the first time, because switching carriers often means new inspections and fresh paperwork. We compare 20+ Florida homeowners carriers side by side in every county in Florida, then work with you on a reliable carrier and a coverage package built around how you live in your home. After that we stay with you through the year and at every renewal.
Homeowners coverage at a glance
Why Florida homeowners insurance is its own market
Few insurance markets move like Florida homeowners insurance: carriers enter, grow, pause when a region fills, and reopen with fresh appetite, and Florida has approved a wave of new homeowners carriers since its market reforms. That movement is good news for you. The carrier with the sharpest quote on a home like yours changes as markets open and grow, and comparing all 20+ Florida homeowners carriers is how you find it.
Alongside a few national names, dozens of Florida-focused carriers specialize in this one state, and the lineup refreshes. Some carriers exited or paused, while a newer generation of well-capitalized insurers stepped in, several approved since the state’s market reforms. Every carrier we quote earns its place on financial strength, reinsurance, and client care in storm season, and the 20+ Florida homeowners carriers competing for your home all cleared that bar. Newer carriers need to grow, and growing carriers compete, which is exactly why comparing the whole field pays. Meet the lineup on our Florida home insurance carriers hub.
Three kinds of market sit behind those quotes. Admitted carriers are the standard Florida market, licensed and regulated here, backed by the state guaranty fund, and they write the large majority of the homes we place. Specialty and surplus-lines markets exist for homes the admitted market genuinely will not price, routed there by the home’s facts (an unusual construction type, a claims history still working itself out, a coverage gap no admitted form fills), never by price point or address. And Citizens, the state-backed insurer, remains the right answer for hard-to-place risks by design. A comparison across the private market first is what proves a home belongs there, and it is also how households move back out at takeout or renewal.
Cornerstone Insurance is a family-owned and operated Trusted Choice® independent personal lines agency. We represent many carriers rather than one: your quote is priced across A-rated Florida homeowners markets and explained by a licensed agent, so you carry what your home needs without paying for what it doesn’t.
HO-3, HO-5, and the endorsements that change a policy
Most Florida homes are written on one of two forms. An HO-3 covers the structure on an open-perils basis and your belongings on a named-perils basis, so contents are protected against the causes of loss the policy lists. An HO-5 extends open-perils treatment to contents as well and usually pairs it with replacement-cost settlement on those contents, which is why it is the form many admitted Florida carriers now offer to well-maintained homes. Which one fits is a conversation between you and your agent, because the premium gap between them is often smaller than people expect and the difference shows up in how a claim is settled, subject to the terms of the policy you choose.
The endorsements are where the real tailoring happens. Replacement cost on contents keeps depreciation from shrinking a payment for your belongings. Law and ordinance coverage helps with the cost of bringing a damaged home up to current building code during repairs, a live issue in Florida where code requirements change after major storms. Extended replacement cost on Coverage A adds a cushion above the dwelling limit for the building-cost jump that follows a widespread disaster. Each one is priced separately and each one is a choice, so a quote from us shows the policy with and without them rather than assuming.
Two coverages confuse more Florida buyers than any other. Catastrophic ground cover collapse is included with every admitted Florida homeowners policy by law, and it responds to the severe, sudden events the statute defines. Sinkhole loss coverage is a separate endorsement that carriers must offer but do not have to approve: it is gated by an inspection, it often comes with a deductible of 10 percent of the dwelling limit, and it carries a strict statutory definition of structural damage. We will tell you straight what is and isn’t realistic to place on a given home, and for a purchase, a pre-sale sinkhole inspection tells you more about your risk than any endorsement hunt. Our sinkhole insurance guide lays out the whole picture.
Custom and higher-value homes deserve the same clear thinking. A big house does not automatically need a high-value program, and a rebuild estimate padded past what the home would really cost to replace becomes years of premium for value the house doesn’t carry. Working with your agent, the starting point is an honest rebuild figure for your specific home, built from its construction, upgrades, style, and finishes. From there, many admitted Florida carriers offer HO-5 forms and extended replacement cost at a much better premium than dedicated high-value programs, and the comparison lets you choose knowingly.
What drives a Florida homeowners insurance quote
A handful of levers set the price, and every carrier weighs them differently. The age of the home comes first, priced in era cohorts rather than on a straight line: carriers rate each building era on its own construction habits and claims record, which is why a concrete-block home from the 1950s can outperform a wood-frame home from a fast-built 1980s boom. Construction materials come next, then the Coverage A rebuild amount (carriers embed replacement-cost estimators in every quote rather than guessing), the endorsements you choose, wind-mitigation credits, discounts such as a gated community, a monitored alarm, or leak-detection devices, and the carrier’s own loss data for your area. Because every carrier weights them differently, one house gets a range of prices, and we quote that whole range.
Prior claims work differently than most homeowners expect. A past claim usually doesn’t raise your rate by itself, but it can shrink the list of carriers willing to insure your home for a time, and losing access to the lowest-priced carriers, plus your claims-free discount (typically 2 to 10 percent), is where a claim really costs you. Hurricane and catastrophe claims are treated differently. Either way, the answer is the same one that runs through this whole page: quote the entire field, because the carrier that stays competitive after a claim is rarely the one you had before it.
Two of those levers are in your hands. The rebuild figure is a decision you make with your agent, and the two-sided risk is real: too low leaves a gap at a total loss, padded has you paying for value the house doesn’t carry. And the discounts are only worth what a carrier can see. A wind-mitigation report, a permit for the new roof, the alarm certificate, the receipt for the water shut-off device: each is evidence in your favor that earns credits with the carriers we quote, which is why we ask for that paperwork at the start of every quote.
Roof age, inspections, and the paperwork worth real money
Roof age moves both eligibility and price, in that order. A documented newer roof, with the permit or wind-mitigation report to show for it, opens more carriers for your home first and earns credits second. Florida law (s. 627.7011) backs you up: a carrier can’t decline to write or renew solely because of roof age while the roof is under 15 years old, and at 15 or older you have the right to an inspection showing five or more years of useful life left, after which age alone still can’t be the reason. The Florida roof rules guide walks through the statute, the 25 percent repair rule, and what each roofing material means to an underwriter.
A wind-mitigation inspection documents the features that resist storm wind, such as roof shape, deck attachment, and the straps or clips tying the roof to the walls, and its credits are among the largest discounts on a Florida policy. The report stays valid for five years, and Florida’s revised inspection form is now in use, so a report from a licensed inspector is the version of your roof the carriers price. Retrofits move the form too: adding a third nail to existing straps is a one-morning job in the attic for many homes, and the state’s My Safe Florida Home program has funded inspections and hardening grants for eligible owners.
Carriers often ask for a four-point inspection as well, covering the roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. A clean report is evidence in your favor, and most items on a report with findings can be fixed before the policy binds. Documentation issues remain among the top reasons a new policy gets cancelled in its first months, which is why we go through both inspections with you before the application goes in. Our four-point versus wind-mitigation explainer covers which one you need and when.
One more roof fact that surprises people: Florida has no statute imposing age-based roof payment schedules on homeowners policies, but some carriers file schedule endorsements of their own, mostly on dwelling-fire forms, and a few offer owner-occupied dwelling-fire policies as a way to keep older homes insurable. Read with your agent, those endorsements are a trade made knowingly, and the roof deductible and ACV rules page explains the statute-versus-contract distinction in plain English.
Hurricane deductibles and the storm math
Every Florida homeowners policy carries a separate hurricane deductible, and it works differently from the deductible on any other claim. It is usually a percentage of your Coverage A amount rather than a flat dollar figure, with carriers offering set choices such as $500, 2, 5, or 10 percent, and it applies once per calendar year with the same insurer group rather than once per storm. A higher percentage lowers the premium; the question is whether you could pay that amount out of pocket the week after a storm. Our hurricane deductible explainer puts the percentages into real dollars for typical Coverage A amounts.
A homeowners policy is written for hurricane wind, not for rising water. Wind-driven rain through a breach the storm made is handled under the policy’s terms, while rising water and storm surge are flood losses, which is why the next section matters on every Florida street, coastal or inland. The financial side has its own safety net: admitted carriers are backed by the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association, so if a carrier fails, covered claims continue to be paid within statutory limits, and the FIGA assessment page and our guide to what happens if your insurer fails explain both sides of that arrangement.
Water, flood, and the layers around your policy
Water damage is the claim we see most: plumbing and appliance leaks, not hurricanes. We encourage clients to carry as much water-damage coverage as they can qualify for, with one honest caveat. Recent water losses, the home’s age, and the type and age of its plumbing can limit or exclude water coverage with some carriers, which is why the plumbing question comes up early in every quote conversation. A water shut-off or leak-detection device often earns a discount and, more to the point, shortens the list of carriers with questions.
Flood is bought three ways: through the NFIP, through 10+ private flood carriers, or as a flood endorsement on a home policy where the carrier offers one. Standard homeowners policies exclude flood, including hurricane rain and storm surge, and every Florida home needs some amount of flood coverage, so the question is how much fits your home, never whether. Pricing today turns on property-specific facts such as distance to the water that could reach the home, construction and rebuild cost, and elevation, rather than the flood zone alone; the zone decides what a lender requires, not how water behaves. A lender may only require coverage up to the mortgage balance, while we recommend replacement rebuild value, or the highest limit offered, so the policy qualifies for replacement-cost claim payments. The NFIP includes no loss-of-use coverage at all, and certain private carriers do, so ask about it by name. We price flood alongside your home quote; start with our Florida flood insurance page, and if you are with Citizens, read the Citizens flood requirement before renewal.
Home, auto, and the umbrella above both belong in one conversation. Pairing home and auto usually earns a multi-policy credit, and we quote auto across 6+ Florida auto carriers so you can see bundled and separate side by side. Above the home and auto limits sits an umbrella policy, added in one-million-dollar layers and quoted across 5+ umbrella carriers. There is no formula for the right umbrella limit; working with your agent, the aim is as much as you qualify for and can afford, at a limit protecting the earnings you have now and the earnings still ahead of you, because a judgment can reach both. Carry uninsured motorist coverage on the auto policy too, and ask about the umbrella’s uninsured-motorist endorsement, since roughly 15 to 20 percent of Florida drivers carry no coverage at all. Our bundling guide shows when the package protects you better and when separate carriers do.
Switching, renewals, and staying covered
You can change homeowners carriers at any point in the policy term, and with an admitted carrier the unused premium comes back pro rata, so a mid-year move rarely costs anything on its own. Surplus-lines policies are the exception: many keep a minimum earned premium of 25 to 75 percent regardless of when you cancel, which changes the math on a mid-term switch and is one of the first things we check on a quote that would move you out of that market. Our guide to switching mid-policy covers the mechanics, including the lender paperwork when escrow pays the premium.
The pace of a switch is yours. Once we have everything we need, the whole move can happen the same day, and our team typically issues the binding and proof documents the same day too, with one exception: a switch tied to a loan closing, where we time the binding to coordinate with your lender. If you already have a policy, the fastest way to start is sharing it through Canopy Connect, our secure policy-sharing tool that pulls your current coverage and declarations into the quote in about a minute, or uploading your declarations page with the quote request.
Staying with the carrier you have is the plan in most years, and a full policy review is still worth doing, because carriers add discounts over time that a policy bought years ago may not carry: water shut-off and leak-detection devices, military and first-responder credits, and bundle credits added after the home policy was written. We re-shop a policy when a rate increase or a service problem goes outside the norm, rather than on a fixed schedule. And if a carrier decides not to renew, Florida requires at least 120 days’ written notice for a residential policy, which is enough runway to compare the whole market calmly.
Claims are filed with the carrier, online or by phone, and the agency’s value comes before a loss: knowing what the policy is written to do, where the deductibles sit, and which endorsements you carry. Our claims information hub lists every carrier’s claims contact, and if a claim is ever denied, the denied-claim guide walks through the free steps that resolve most disputes before anyone takes a share of the recovery.
How a homeowners quote works here
Tell us about your home once. Our one-entry quote request runs your details across the carriers we represent, and a licensed agent works with you as a team from the first question to the bound policy.
Step 1
Get a quote
A licensed Florida agent asks about the home: the year it was built, the roof and its paperwork, and the updates you have made. Those are the details that decide which carriers compete for it.
Step 2
Review your options
Your quote comes back priced across the field rather than one company’s rate page, with the options side by side in plain English and the endorsements shown with and without.
Step 3
Switch with ease
We handle the paperwork with you, help wrap up the old policy, and stay a call or text away as your needs change. Once we have everything we need, the whole move can happen the same day.
Frequently Asked Questions About Florida Homeowners Insurance
How much homeowners insurance coverage do I need?
Enough to rebuild, which is a different number from what you paid. Purchase price tracks the market; Coverage A tracks construction cost for your specific home, and construction costs have their own inflation. Working with your agent, start from an honest rebuild figure. Too low leaves a gap at a total loss, and padded has you paying for value the house doesn’t carry. Consider extended replacement cost for the building-cost jump that follows a widespread disaster.
Does homeowners insurance cover flood damage?
Standard homeowners policies exclude flood, including hurricane rain and storm surge. Flood coverage is bought three ways: the NFIP, private flood carriers, or a flood endorsement on a home policy where the carrier offers one. Every Florida home needs some amount of flood coverage, because flooding turns on a property’s immediate surroundings and elevation rather than its zone alone, so the question is how much fits your home. We price it alongside your homeowners quote.
Does a prior claim raise my homeowners rate?
Usually not by itself. A past claim can shrink the list of carriers willing to insure your home for a time, and losing access to the lowest-priced carriers, plus your claims-free discount (typically 2 to 10 percent), is where a claim really costs you. Hurricane and catastrophe claims are treated differently. Comparing the whole field after a claim is how you find the carriers still competing for the home.
What is the 15-year roof rule in Florida?
Under s. 627.7011, a carrier can’t refuse to write or renew a homeowners policy solely because of roof age while the roof is under 15 years old. Once the roof reaches 15, you have the right to an inspection, and if it shows five or more years of useful life remaining, age alone still can’t be the reason for a decline. A documented newer roof does two things: it opens more carriers for your home and it earns wind-mitigation credits on top.
Is sinkhole coverage included in a Florida homeowners policy?
Two different coverages get mixed up here. Catastrophic ground cover collapse is included with every admitted Florida homeowners policy by law and responds to the severe, sudden events the statute defines. Sinkhole loss coverage is a separate endorsement that carriers must offer but often decline to approve after an inspection, and where it is approved it usually carries a deductible of 10 percent of the dwelling limit. For a purchase, a pre-sale sinkhole inspection tells you the most about your risk.
Should I get a higher or lower hurricane deductible on my policy?
Percentage hurricane deductibles are calculated on your Coverage A amount, not the size of the loss, and Florida carriers offer set choices such as $500, 2, 5, or 10 percent. A higher percentage lowers premium; the test is whether you could absorb that number after a storm. It applies per calendar year with the same insurer group, not per storm. Our Florida hurricane deductible explainer has the details in real dollars.
How do I know if I have enough liability coverage?
There is no formula. Working with your agent, the aim is as much liability protection as you qualify for and can afford, at limits protecting what you have built and what you will earn, because a judgment can reach future income. An umbrella policy adds more in one-million-dollar layers on top of the home and auto limits.
Can I switch homeowners insurance in the middle of my policy?
Yes. With an admitted carrier the unused premium is refunded pro rata, so a mid-term switch rarely costs anything by itself. Surplus-lines policies often keep a minimum earned premium of 25 to 75 percent regardless of when you cancel, which changes the math, so we check that before recommending a move. Once we have everything we need, the switch can happen the same day, with binding timed around your lender if a loan closing is involved.
Which home insurance carriers do you work with?
Because we’re independent, carriers compete for your home. We quote 20+ Florida homeowners carriers, including:
- Tower Hill
- American Integrity
- Slide
- Florida Peninsula
- Ovation
- Manatee
- Security First
- + more Florida homeowners carriers
What other types of insurance do you offer?
Nearly every policy a household carries, across 25+ carriers in our personal lines:
Related Florida homeowners insurance guides
Carrier lineups, risk profiles, and the honest “best” answer for all 67 Florida counties.
Browse the county guides →Forms, deductibles, discounts, and the buying process from first quote to renewal.
Read the guide →Profiles of the carriers we place and the ones we compete against, with ratings and appetite.
See the carrier hub →What the inspection documents, what the revised form changed, and which retrofits move it.
Wind mitigation explained →The 15-year statute, the 25 percent repair rule, and how each roofing material prices.
Roof rules explained →Percentage deductibles on typical Coverage A amounts, and how the calendar-year rule works.
Run the numbers →Pro-rata refunds, surplus-lines minimums, escrow, and the same-day switch.
How switching works →What FIGA covers, how the assessment works, and what to do the week the news breaks.
Read the playbook →
