The Florida homeowners insurance claim process, from first call to final check

Before you call: three things to do in the first days

• Make it safe and stop the damage. Tarp the roof, shut off the water, board openings. Policies require reasonable steps to protect the property, and emergency repair costs are usually part of the claim. Keep receipts.
• Document everything. Take wide and close-up photos and video of every damaged area before cleanup, inside and out, plus the roof if it is safe to photograph from the ground. Keep damaged materials or samples where practical.
• Find your policy. You need the declarations page (coverage limits and deductibles) and the full policy form. If you do not have it, ask the insurer or your agent for a certified copy.

The claim, step by step

1. Report the claim and get a claim number. Report directly to your insurer by phone, app or online portal. For a new or reopened claim, notice must be given within 1 year after the date of loss under section 627.70132 (the window was 2 years under the 2021 law and, for hurricane claims before that, 3 years; the shorter window applies to losses after the December 2022 reforms took effect). For a hurricane or other weather event, the date of loss is the landfall date or the date NOAA verifies the event. Report as soon as you can — waiting rarely helps, and policies also require “prompt” notice.
2. Acknowledgment within 7 days. The insurer must acknowledge your claim within 7 calendar days and send forms, instructions and a phone number (s. 627.70131(1)–(2)). Within 14 days you should also receive the Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights.
3. Proof of loss. Many insurers ask for a sworn proof-of-loss form stating the amount you claim. Fill it out carefully and keep a copy; if you do not yet know the full amount, say so and supplement later. The insurer must begin its investigation within 7 days after receiving proof-of-loss statements (s. 627.70131(3)(a)).
4. Inspection within 30 days. If the insurer wants to inspect, it must complete the physical inspection within 30 days after receiving your proof-of-loss statements, and the adjuster must give you their name and Florida adjuster license number (s. 627.70131(3)(b)). Be present if you can, point out every area of damage, and bring your own photos. You may have your contractor present.
5. The estimate. Ask for the adjuster’s detailed estimate. You are entitled to it within 7 days after it is generated (s. 627.70131(3)(e)). Compare it line by line to your contractor’s estimate: square footage, roof squares, materials, labor, and items such as code upgrades and overhead and profit.
6. Requests for information. The insurer may ask for documents, a recorded statement or an examination under oath (EUO). Respond within the time requested. If you fail to provide requested material information within 10 days, the insurer’s 60-day deadline can be tolled (s. 627.70131(8)(b)). An EUO is a formal sworn interview; many homeowners speak with a lawyer before one.
7. Decision within 60 days. Within 60 days after notice of the claim, the insurer must pay or deny it, in whole or in part, and explain in writing (s. 627.70131(7)(a)). Exceptions include a governor-declared state of emergency (where regulators can allow up to 30 more days), mediation or other dispute resolution in progress, and fraud or non-cooperation by the policyholder.
8. Payment in stages. With replacement cost coverage on the dwelling, the insurer must first pay at least the actual cash value minus the deductible, then the remaining replacement cost as you repair and incur the expense (s. 627.7011(3)(a)). Keep repair invoices so you can collect the held-back depreciation. Your mortgage company is often named on the check and may control release of funds.

Supplemental and reopened claims

Damage sometimes shows up later — hidden water damage behind cabinets, roof decking that is rotten only once the shingles come off. Florida law distinguishes:

• Reopened claim: a claim the insurer closed but reopens for additional costs on damage that was already disclosed. Notice is due within 1 year of the date of loss.
• Supplemental claim: additional loss from the same peril the insurer already adjusted, or costs incurred while repairs on an open claim are under way. Notice is due within 18 months of the date of loss.

The insurer’s 60-day pay-or-deny clock also applies to reopened and supplemental claims. Send supplemental requests in writing with the new estimate and photos.

If you disagree with the decision

A partial payment or denial is a decision, not necessarily the end. Common next steps, roughly in order of formality:

1. Ask for the reasons in writing and for the policy language the insurer relies on.
2. Submit more evidence: a contractor’s or engineer’s report, more photos, invoices.
3. State mediation through the Department of Financial Services, which is free to you (s. 627.7015).
4. Appraisal, if your policy has an appraisal clause and the dispute is about the amount of loss rather than coverage. See mediation and appraisal in Florida.
5. Pre-suit notice and a lawsuit. Before suing, you must give written notice on a DFS form at least 10 business days in advance, and only after the insurer has made its coverage decision (s. 627.70152). The general deadline to sue for breach of a property insurance contract is 5 years from the date of loss (s. 95.11(2)(e)), but notice deadlines come much sooner.

Common mistakes that cost Florida homeowners money

• Throwing away damaged materials before the adjuster sees them.
• Signing a contractor agreement that assigns your insurance benefits or promises a percentage of the claim.
• Guessing on a sworn proof of loss or in an EUO; it is fine to say you do not know yet.
• Accepting the first estimate without comparing it with an independent one.
• Missing the 1-year or 18-month notice deadline while waiting for a contractor.
• Cashing a check marked “final” without understanding whether it releases anything (ordinary claim checks usually do not, but mediated settlements can).

Frequently asked questions

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