An HOA insurance claim in Florida is filed by the homeowners association, usually through its board, to cover damage to common property such as clubhouses, pools, fences, gates, roads, and landscaping. Florida HOAs are governed by Chapter 720, separate from the condo rules under Chapter 718, and the board has a duty to pursue the claim's full value.
HOA Insurance and Chapter 720: What Boards Are Responsible For
A homeowners association in Florida is a different legal animal than a condo association. Condos fall under Chapter 718 of the Florida Statutes. HOAs fall under Chapter 720. The distinction matters when a claim comes in, because the property the HOA insures is usually limited to common areas: the entrance features, the clubhouse, the pool deck, perimeter fencing, retention ponds, private roads, and shared amenities. The individual homes themselves are almost always insured separately by each homeowner.
That split creates confusion after a storm. The board thinks the homeowner's policy should pick up damage to a shared fence line. The homeowner thinks the HOA master policy covers it. Reading the governing documents and the actual policy language, not just assuming, is the first step. This is where board members get into trouble: they estimate damage themselves or accept the insurance company's first number without checking it against the policy and the covenants.
Common HOA Claims We See Across Central Florida
Working out of Sanford, in the heart of Seminole County, we see the same patterns repeat across HOA communities in Lake Mary, Oviedo, Winter Springs, and Altamonte Springs. Wind and hurricane damage to clubhouse roofs and pool cages. Water intrusion in shared amenity buildings after a wind-driven rain event. Fence and gate damage from fallen trees. Fire damage to a clubhouse or maintenance building. Liability claims tied to common area conditions. Sinkhole and drainage-related claims, which come up more in Central Florida than in most other parts of the state.
Large HOA communities with significant common infrastructure, gated entries, multiple amenity buildings, extensive irrigation and drainage systems, carry real replacement value. When a claim on that scale gets underpaid or delayed, the dollar gap is not small. That is the kind of loss where getting the scope and the number right the first time matters most.
HOA Master Policy vs. Individual Homeowner Policy: Who Pays
This is the single most common question we get from board members. In a typical single-family HOA, the association's master policy generally covers common areas and association-owned structures. It does not usually cover the interior or exterior of an individual home, that is the homeowner's responsibility under their own policy. But there are gray zones: shared retaining walls, association-maintained fencing between lots, drainage easements, and entry monuments can sit right on the boundary between what the HOA covers and what a homeowner covers.
Before filing, pull the actual insuring agreement and compare it line by line against what was damaged. Do not rely on a summary sheet or what the property management company remembers from last year. Declarations pages change at renewal, and coverage limits or exclusions can shift without anyone flagging it to the board.
How to File an HOA Insurance Claim the Right Way
- Document everything immediately: photos, video, dates, and a written timeline of what happened and when it was discovered.
- Get board authorization in writing before anyone signs a contract or a claim-related document on the association's behalf.
- Give notice to the carrier promptly. Florida has statutory notice deadlines for property claims, and missing them can jeopardize the claim entirely.
- Keep the property manager, the board, and anyone documenting damage on the same page so the carrier gets one consistent account, not conflicting stories.
- Do not sign a release or accept a settlement check until the board understands exactly what it covers and what it closes out.
Boards often move fast to get a contractor started, which is understandable when residents are asking questions at every meeting. But moving fast on repairs before the damage is fully documented and scoped is how associations end up leaving money on the table.
Why Some HOA Boards Bring In a Public Adjuster
A public adjuster works for the policyholder, in this case the association, not the insurance company. Our job is to inspect the loss, document it against the actual policy language, and present the claim so the carrier is looking at the full, accurate scope of damage rather than a partial estimate. For a board managing volunteer time and a property manager juggling a dozen other responsibilities, having someone dedicated to the claim itself can be the difference between a fair settlement and a rushed one.
I spent years on the carrier side before I started adjusting for policyholders. I have seen how claims get built and reviewed from the inside, and I bring that same eye to reviewing an HOA's loss before it goes to the insurance company. Florida law sets out how public adjusters are licensed, how fees are structured, and what boards should expect from that relationship, all of which we walk through openly with a board before any agreement is signed. You can read more on our FAQ page.
If your association is weighing whether to bring in outside help, our page for HOA and condo board members covers what that process looks like, and our claims representation page walks through how we work a claim from first notice to settlement. For larger commercial and association losses specifically, see our commercial claims page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does HOA insurance cover fences, pools, and clubhouses?
Usually yes, since these are common areas owned or maintained by the association, but coverage depends on the specific master policy and the association's governing documents. Some fencing, especially between individual lots, can fall into a gray zone. Always check the actual policy, not an assumption based on last year's renewal.
Who decides whether an HOA hires a public adjuster?
That is a board decision, typically made and documented through a board vote or resolution, consistent with the association's governing documents and Chapter 720. Individual homeowners generally cannot authorize this on the association's behalf.
Do individual homeowners need to file their own claim too?
If the damage affects both common areas and an individual home, the homeowner may need to file a separate claim on their own policy for damage inside their unit or lot. The HOA's master policy claim and a homeowner's individual claim are handled separately even when they stem from the same storm.
What is the deadline to file a property insurance claim in Florida?
Florida law sets statutory notice deadlines for property insurance claims, and they are strict. An association should not wait to report a loss while it gathers estimates. Report the loss to the carrier promptly, then continue documenting damage. If you are unsure where your claim stands, our FAQ page has more detail.
How much does it cost an HOA to hire a public adjuster in Florida?
Public adjuster fees in Florida are set by state law and disclosed in writing before any agreement is signed. We discuss fee structure openly with a board during the initial consultation so there are no surprises. More detail is on our FAQ page.
If your association in Sanford, Lake Mary, Oviedo, Winter Springs, Altamonte Springs, or anywhere else in Seminole County or Central Florida has storm or water damage to common property, we offer a free claim review before you sign anything with a contractor or a carrier. No pressure, no obligation, just an honest look at what the policy actually owes.
This article is educational information about the insurance claims process, not legal advice. Public adjusting is not legal representation. For questions about your association's governing documents, contracts, or disputes, consult a qualified Florida attorney.
Written by James Coyne, Florida Licensed Public Adjuster (License W482618), founder of Coyne Commercial Group (Firm License G350978).