How a hurricane deductible works in Florida (2026)
Your Florida hurricane deductible is the first part of a covered hurricane loss, and you pay it yourself. If it is a percentage, it is figured on the dwelling coverage amount in your policy, and the size of the repair bill does not change it. The same rules apply to Hurricane Isaias and any other 2026 storm.
For example, 2% of $300,000 is $6,000.
Key takeaways
Insurers must offer hurricane deductibles of $500, 2%, 5% or 10% of the dwelling limit, with changes for high value homes (s. 627.701).
A 2% deductible means 2% of your dwelling coverage, whatever the repair bill turns out to be.
It runs by calendar year, so a second hurricane in 2026 usually will not cost you a second full deductible.
A separate roof deductible does not apply to a roof loss caused by a hurricane (s. 627.701).
What are the hurricane deductible options in Florida?
Under s. 627.701, insurers must offer these options on personal lines residential policies: $500, 2%, 5% or 10% of the dwelling limit. A percentage is taken from your dwelling coverage amount.
Higher value homes get a different menu. For dwelling limits of $250,000 or more, the insurer need not offer the $500 option. For dwelling limits of $1 million to under $3 million, the insurer may offer 3% in place of 2%, and at $3 million or more it need not offer 2%.
How much is each option on a $300,000 home?
Deductible | Dollar amount on $300,000 dwelling coverage |
$500 | $500 |
2% | $6,000 |
5% | $15,000 |
10% | $30,000 |
Use your own dwelling limit to get your numbers.
How do I find my deductible?
Your own number sits on one page of the policy, and it takes a few minutes to find.
Open your declarations page. It is the summary page at the front of your policy.
Look for the line marked hurricane, windstorm or named storm.
Read the dollar value. Florida law says the insurer must show the actual dollar value of a hurricane deductible on the declarations page or the renewal notice (s. 627.701).
Check for a separate roof deductible. Some policies have one, and under s. 627.701 it does not apply to a roof loss caused by a hurricane.
Ask your insurer or agent in writing if the page is unclear.
If the dollar figure on your declarations page does not match the one in the insurer's letter, call us and we will check both against your policy. Call 954-466-5730
When does the hurricane deductible apply?
The hurricane deductible applies to loss caused by a hurricane. Florida law defines a hurricane as a storm system declared a hurricane by the National Hurricane Center (s. 627.4025).
The covered period starts when a hurricane warning is issued for any part of Florida. It ends 72 hours after the last hurricane watch or warning ends. A claim for another peril, like a fire, has its own deductible.
Does a second hurricane in the same year mean a second deductible?
The hurricane deductible runs by calendar year, so a second storm in the same year usually does not bring a second full deductible (s. 627.701).
If an earlier hurricane loss already used part of it, the insurer applies the greater of the remaining amount or your regular deductible to the next storm. Your insurer may ask you to report losses below the deductible and keep the receipts, so hold on to them.
How does the deductible change what I am paid?
Say your dwelling coverage is $300,000, your deductible is 2%, and covered wind damage is estimated at $20,000.
The deductible is $6,000, so the payment could be about $14,000 before other policy terms such as depreciation or limits. If covered damage came to $5,000, the claim would fall below the deductible and the insurer would pay nothing on it.
If repair costs grow after the first payment, a supplemental claim may be possible.
What if the insurer applies the wrong deductible?
Put the insurer's letter next to your declarations page. Ask in writing how it calculated the number.
If the insurer denied the claim, read our denied claim guide. For how long the insurer has to decide, see our timing guide.
More questions about hurricane deductibles
Is the deductible based on my repair bill?
A percentage deductible comes from your dwelling coverage amount. A flat dollar deductible stays the same whatever the repairs cost.
Can I change my hurricane deductible after a storm?
If you are offered a lower hurricane deductible after a hurricane loss, Florida law says it does not apply until January 1 of the following year (s. 627.701). Ask your insurer how changes work on your policy.
Does the deductible cover flood damage?
Flood has its own policy and its own deductible. Rising water, including storm surge, typically needs separate flood insurance.
Can a public adjuster reduce my deductible?
The deductible is fixed by your policy, and a public adjuster cannot change it. What a public adjuster works on is the damage estimate the deductible comes out of.
Talk to a licensed public adjuster
Read us the hurricane deductible line from your declarations page when you call.
General information only. Coverage depends on your policy and the facts of your claim. Base Claims is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.
Base Claims Public Adjusters, 2400 NE 9th St, Hallandale Beach, FL 33009. Benji Licht, Licensed Public Adjuster, FL Lic. #W523574. Yossi Garber, Licensed Public Adjuster, FL Lic. #G173942.
THIS IS A SOLICITATION FOR BUSINESS. IF YOU HAVE HAD A CLAIM FOR AN INSURED PROPERTY LOSS OR DAMAGE AND YOU ARE SATISFIED WITH THE PAYMENT BY YOUR INSURER, YOU MAY DISREGARD THIS ADVERTISEMENT.
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