Coverage basics
How the hurricane deductible works in Florida
What a percentage hurricane deductible is, how to calculate yours from the declarations page, and why it applies once per calendar year in Florida.
By Ricardo Arevalo, Florida Public Adjuster · Published
A percentage, not a fixed amount
Most Florida homeowners policies have two deductibles: one for hurricane losses and one for all other perils. The hurricane deductible is usually a percentage of the dwelling coverage limit, not a fixed dollar amount. Florida insurers must offer hurricane deductibles of $500, 2, 5 and 10 percent of the dwelling limit, although the $500 option does not have to be offered for dwellings insured for $250,000 or more.
How to calculate yours
Find the dwelling limit (often called Coverage A) and the hurricane deductible on your declarations page, then multiply. With a dwelling limit of $400,000:
- 2 percent hurricane deductible: $8,000
- 5 percent hurricane deductible: $20,000
- 10 percent hurricane deductible: $40,000
The deductible is subtracted from the covered loss. If the covered damage is lower than the deductible, the policy pays nothing on that loss.
Once per calendar year
In Florida the hurricane deductible applies on an annual basis to all covered hurricane losses in the same calendar year, under policies from the same insurer or insurer group. If a second hurricane damages the property that year, the deductible for the new loss is the greater of the remaining hurricane deductible or the all-other-perils deductible. Insurers may ask you to report losses below the deductible, or keep receipts for them, so they count toward a later hurricane claim.
When a loss counts as a hurricane loss
Florida law defines hurricane coverage by a time window: it begins when the National Hurricane Center issues a hurricane watch or warning for any part of Florida and ends 72 hours after the last watch or warning for Florida ends. Wind damage outside that window, such as from a tropical storm with no hurricane watch, generally falls under the all-other-perils deductible instead. Check how your policy words it.
Before and after a storm
A few steps make the deductible less of a surprise:
- Check the dwelling limit and the hurricane deductible on your declarations page before the season
- Plan for the amount you would pay out of pocket on a hurricane claim
- After a storm, document each affected area once it is safe and keep receipts for tarps, board-up and other temporary repairs
- Remember that flood is excluded from standard homeowners policies and needs separate flood insurance with its own deductible
Frequently asked questions
What is a 2 percent hurricane deductible?
It means you pay 2 percent of the dwelling coverage limit on a hurricane claim before the policy pays. With a $300,000 dwelling limit, that is $6,000.
Do I pay the hurricane deductible for every storm?
Not necessarily. In Florida it applies once per calendar year to hurricane losses under the same insurer or insurer group. A later hurricane in the same year uses the greater of the remaining hurricane deductible or the all-other-perils deductible.
Does the hurricane deductible apply to flood damage?
Flood is usually excluded from homeowners policies. Flood damage is handled under a separate flood policy, which has its own deductible.
General information only, based on Florida law at the date shown. It is not legal advice, and initial guidance does not replace an evaluation by a licensed public adjuster.
