Getting Wind Insurance in Florida
Wind insurance in Florida protects your home and belongings from damage caused by extreme winds, and may not be included in your home insurance policy.
In areas with a history of extreme wind, your mortgage lender may require you to have wind insurance for the duration of your lending agreement.
Do I need wind insurance in Florida?
Florida state law does not require homeowners to have wind insurance, also called “windstorm insurance.” Home insurance companies in Florida are required to offer wind coverage, but you can opt out of it. However, if you have a mortgage, your lender will probably require it. This is especially true if your house is on the Florida coastline.
While you can opt out of windstorm insurance in Florida in some situations, doing so could cost you down the road. In October 2024, Hurricane Milton caused an estimated $34.3 billion in damage to Florida. If you live in Florida and you don’t carry windstorm or hurricane insurance, you may need to pay your portion of related repair or rebuild expenses out of your own pocket.
Windstorm insurance vs. hurricane insurance
Windstorm insurance is a part of hurricane insurance. While some consider the two to be the same, they do not cover the same things.
Hurricane insurance is not a single type of home insurance policy. It is a combination of standard home insurance, windstorm insurance and flood insurance in Florida. Windstorm insurance covers the damage to your home caused by wind during a hurricane, and flood insurance handles the flooding damage.
What you pay for windstorm or hurricane insurance depends on many factors, including:
- Your ZIP code
- Construction materials used to build the home
- Your coverage limits and deductible chosen
- Distance of the home from the coast
- Your claims history
You may need to pay two deductibles if you have hurricane insurance: a wind deductible and a hurricane deductible.
The wind deductible is what you pay out of pocket for home damage caused by wind as part of your windstorm insurance policy.
The hurricane deductible is the agreed-upon amount you pay after damage done by a named storm before your insurer pays the rest of the claim. A tropical storm can fall under this category, even if it does not hit hurricane status. The hurricane deductible is a separate amount from your homeowners insurance deductible after hurricane damage and is usually based on the value of your home.
What does wind insurance cover?
Wind insurance covers the following types of damage due to heavy wind:
- Broken windows and doors
- Exterior walls
- Roof
- Personal belongings
- Falling trees or debris
How much wind insurance do I need?
You should get enough wind insurance coverage to pay for a complete rebuild of your home after a windstorm. When calculating your dwelling coverage, focus on the rebuild cost of the house, not the market value of the home.
You should also get enough wind insurance to cover the complete loss of your belongings, like clothing and furniture, if they’re damaged due to heavy wind. To make sure you have the correct amount of personal property wind coverage, make an inventory list of your stuff. If you can, include serial numbers and replacement costs.
How to get windstorm insurance
Florida requires all home insurance companies operating in the state to offer windstorm insurance. If you can’t get wind insurance through a private insurer, you can contact Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (CPIC), which is run by the state. CPIC can help you get windstorm insurance in high-risk areas if you can’t find equivalent coverage in the private market.
How to save money on windstorm insurance
Windstorm insurance in Florida can be expensive, but you can make it cheaper by comparing quotes and adding wind mitigation features to your home.
Comparing quotes
Costs for wind insurance can vary from company to company. To make sure you get the best price for the coverage you need, compare home insurance quotes from several companies before you renew or buy a policy.
Installing wind mitigation
Insurance companies in Florida are required to offer discounts for the addition of wind mitigation features like storm shutters, hurricane straps and impact-resistant doors. Mobile and manufactured homes are not eligible for this credit.