Picture the adjuster's number coming back thousands of dollars below your roof estimate after a hurricane. Often that gap is the hurricane deductible. It is usually a percentage of your dwelling limit, so on a $300,000 home a 2 percent deductible is $6,000 before the insurer pays anything.
This page walks through the math. We fix roofs and do not read policies for customers. Your declarations page lists the deductible in dollars, and your agent can confirm how it applies.
What is a hurricane deductible?
It is a separate deductible that applies to loss caused by a hurricane. Florida Statutes section 627.701 requires insurers to offer hurricane deductible options of $500, 2 percent, 5 percent and 10 percent of the policy's dwelling limit before issuing a personal residential policy. Homes with dwelling limits of $250,000 or more do not have to be offered the $500 option, and other exceptions apply to higher-value homes.
The insurer must show the dollar value of your hurricane deductible on the declarations page at issuance and at each renewal. If your deductible is 2 percent, that page also shows what 2 percent equals in dollars.
When does the hurricane deductible apply?
Florida Statutes section 627.4025 sets the window. The clock starts the moment a hurricane warning goes up for any stretch of Florida. It stops 72 hours after the final hurricane watch or warning anywhere in the state is lifted.
Hurricane coverage in that statute means damage from windstorm during a hurricane. Windstorm includes wind, gusts, hail, rain, tornadoes or cyclones caused by or resulting from the hurricane. Interior water damage counts when the wind first opens the building, for example by tearing off shingles, and rain then gets in.
The warning does not have to be for Orlando. A warning anywhere in Florida starts the clock.
How is the hurricane deductible calculated?
| Dwelling limit (Coverage A) | 2% deductible | 5% deductible | 10% deductible |
|---|---|---|---|
| $200,000 | $4,000 | $10,000 | $20,000 |
| $300,000 | $6,000 | $15,000 | $30,000 |
| $400,000 | $8,000 | $20,000 | $40,000 |
The percentage is figured on your dwelling limit, not on the claim. A bigger home and a higher dwelling limit mean a bigger hurricane deductible, even on the same roof damage.
What does a hurricane roof claim look like with the deductible?
Here is a worked example. These are round illustrative numbers, not a real claim, and your policy terms control how your claim is paid.
| Example only | Amount |
|---|---|
| Dwelling limit | $300,000 |
| Hurricane deductible, 2 percent | $6,000 |
| Covered roof damage from the hurricane | $22,000 |
| Covered interior water damage from the same storm | $3,000 |
| Total covered damage | $25,000 |
| Minus the hurricane deductible | $6,000 |
| Amount the insurer owes before any other policy terms | $19,000 |
With replacement cost coverage, the first check has to be at least the depreciated value of the damage, less the deductible. Under section 627.7011, the balance follows as the repairs are done. So the $19,000 may arrive in more than one payment. If you have a mortgage, the check may also name your lender, which our guide to why your mortgage company holds the roof check explains.
Now change one number. If the covered damage were $5,000 instead of $25,000, the 2 percent deductible of $6,000 would be larger than the loss, and the insurer would pay nothing. That is how a hurricane roof claim can end with no check.
What happens if two hurricanes hit in one year?
Florida uses a calendar-year rule. You meet the hurricane deductible one time per calendar year, across every covered hurricane loss with the same insurer or insurer group.
The Department of Financial Services hurricane deductible page gives an example along these lines. On a $200,000 home with a 2 percent deductible of $4,000 and a $1,000 regular deductible:
- The first hurricane causes $2,000 in damage. It all goes toward the deductible, leaving $2,000 of the hurricane deductible.
- The second hurricane causes $5,000 in damage. The remaining $2,000 applies, so the insurer pays $3,000.
- A third hurricane that year would use the $1,000 regular deductible, since the hurricane deductible has been used up.
For a later hurricane, the deductible is the greater of what is left of the hurricane deductible or the regular deductible. Your insurer may require you to report hurricane losses below the deductible or keep records of them, so save repair receipts even when you do not file.
Does the separate roof deductible apply to a hurricane?
No. Some Florida policies have a separate roof deductible. Section 627.701(10) keeps it off hurricane losses, and off losses where a falling tree or similar hazard breaks through the roof deck. When a hurricane deductible is applied, no other deductible under the policy may be applied to that loss.
How can I keep the deductible from swallowing my claim?
- Know your number. Find the dollar value of your hurricane deductible on your declarations page before hurricane season.
- Document everything. Photograph every roof slope, the attic and ceilings right after the storm. Missed damage can keep a claim under the deductible.
- Prevent more damage. A tarp over an opening protects the inside of your home. Our emergency tarping service covers that step.
- Report on time. Under Florida Statutes section 627.70132, notice of a new hurricane claim is due within one year after landfall.
- Call the state if the numbers look wrong. Florida's Department of Financial Services answers insurance questions at 1-877-693-5236.
For what roof claims cover, read does homeowners insurance cover roof replacement in Florida, and for why claims fall short, see why Florida roof claims get denied. Our hurricane roof preparation checklist covers what to do before a storm, and our Orlando roof replacement cost guide shows typical prices.
After a hurricane, book a free roof inspection for a photo report of the damage.
Sources
- Florida Statutes s. 627.701, hurricane deductible options and calendar-year rule
- Florida Statutes s. 627.4025, hurricane coverage and hurricane period defined
- Florida Department of Financial Services, Florida's Hurricane Deductible
- Florida Statutes s. 627.7011(3), replacement cost payments on dwelling losses
- Florida Statutes s. 627.70132, notice deadlines for property insurance claims
