Your building just took damage. A hurricane, a fire, a burst pipe on the fifth floor. Owners are calling. Someone on the board says "file the claim," and suddenly you realize nobody in the room has ever run an association claim before.
That is normal. Most board members serve for years without a major loss. But the decisions made in the first days shape everything that follows. This guide walks through the process the way it actually happens, so your board can move with a plan instead of guessing.
Who insures what: the 718.111(11) split
Before anything else, answer one question. Is this the association's claim, or a unit owner's claim, or both?
Florida Statute 718.111(11) draws the line. The association's policy covers the building structure, the roof, exterior surfaces, and the common elements. It also covers items inside units as they were originally installed, like drywall and mechanical systems, with some exceptions. Unit owners insure their own contents, flooring, cabinets, countertops, appliances, and improvements they added.
In a real loss, both policies are often triggered at once. A roof leak damages the building (association claim) and a unit's furniture (owner claim). Sort this early. Boards that file for damage the association does not insure waste time. Boards that fail to file for damage the association does insure can face liability from owners.
The first 48 hours after a loss
Three jobs come first, in this order.
Make it safe. Restrict access to dangerous areas. Document who was notified and when.
Stop the bleeding. Your policy requires the association to protect the property from further damage. Tarp the roof. Extract standing water. Board up openings. These emergency costs are generally covered, so keep every invoice.
Document before you clean. Photograph and video everything before mitigation crews change the scene. Wide shots of each area, then close-ups. Date-stamp them. The condition of the property on day one is evidence, and once it is hauled to a dumpster it is gone.
What you should not do in the first 48 hours: sign a broad assignment of benefits, agree to a full repair contract, or throw away damaged materials before they are documented.
Notice deadlines: how long do we have?
Florida law puts hard clocks on hurricane and windstorm claims. Under current law, notice of a new claim generally must be given within one year of the date of loss for most policies, and supplemental claims have their own window after that. Policies also have their own notice language, and carriers argue late notice hurt their ability to investigate.
The practical rule for boards is simple. Give written notice to the carrier as soon as the loss is known, even if you do not yet know the full extent of damage. You can supplement later. You cannot un-ring a late-notice bell.
The documentation the carrier will demand
Association claims live or die on paper. Start a single claim file on day one and put everything in it:
• Photos and video, organized by building and area
• The policy, including all endorsements
• Emergency mitigation invoices and vendor reports
• Meeting minutes where the board discussed the loss
• Repair estimates and scopes of work
• Correspondence with the carrier, all of it, in writing
• Maintenance records and inspection reports showing pre-loss condition
That last item matters more than boards expect. Carriers often argue damage was old wear and tear. Records like roof reports, milestone inspections, and reserve studies that show the building's condition before the storm are some of the strongest evidence you can have. If your association keeps a current file like the one in our free SIRS checklist, you already have a head start.
How the carrier's adjuster works
After you file, the insurance company assigns an adjuster. This person may be professional and polite. They also work for the carrier. Their estimate reflects the carrier's reading of the policy and the carrier's pricing.
Expect an inspection, requests for documents, and eventually an estimate and a payment position. Read the estimate line by line. Carrier estimates on large association losses commonly miss things: code-required upgrades, matching of undamaged materials, general contractor overhead, interior damage in units the adjuster never entered.
The first offer is a starting point, not a verdict. You are allowed to disagree, and Florida law gives you ways to do it.
One more number to understand before the estimate arrives: the deductible. Most Florida association policies carry a hurricane deductible calculated as a percentage of the insured value, not a flat dollar amount. On a large building, that can be a six or seven figure sum that comes off the top of any payment. The board should know this figure on day one, because it shapes every budget conversation that follows. It also makes full documentation more important, not less. When the deductible is large, every missed line item in the estimate comes straight out of the owners' pockets.
Keep the claim organized as it runs
Association claims are marathons. Assign one board member or the manager as the single point of contact with the carrier, so nothing falls between chairs. Keep a dated log of every call, email, inspection, and document request. Respond to carrier requests on time, in writing, even when you disagree with where the claim is heading. A clean, complete file is the quiet advantage in every later negotiation, and it protects the board if owners ever question how the claim was handled.
Where association claims go wrong
The same mistakes show up again and again:
Waiting. Boards debate for weeks while deadlines run and damage spreads.
Thin documentation. No photos before cleanup, no written log of carrier contact, no pre-loss condition records.
Accepting the first number. Large-loss estimates are complex, and the gap between a carrier's first estimate and the real cost of repairs can be substantial.
Mixing up maintenance and damage. Repairs begin before causation is documented, and the carrier later labels everything deferred maintenance.
Silence with owners. Owners fill an information vacuum with worst-case rumors. Regular, honest updates protect the board.
Your options when the offer is low
If the carrier's position does not cover the real cost of repairs, the board has options. You can submit a supplement with better documentation. You can invoke the appraisal clause if the policy has one, which sends the dispute to appraisers and an umpire instead of a courtroom. You can pursue mediation or, with counsel, litigation.
You can also bring in your own licensed representative. A public adjuster works for the policyholder, not the carrier, and can document, estimate, and negotiate the claim on the association's behalf. Whatever path you choose, choose it deliberately and record the decision in your minutes. That is what fiduciary duty looks like during a claim. For more on the board's role, see our board member's guide to insurance claims.
Get ahead of the next one
The best time to prepare for a claim is before the loss. Our free Board Insurance Readiness Review walks your association through the records, coverage questions, and deadlines above, so the next storm season starts with a plan instead of a scramble. It is educational, it is free, and your board keeps the results.
James Coyne, Public Adjuster, License W482618, Coyne Commercial Group, License G350978