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Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Hurricane Damage in Florida? What Is Covered, What Is Not, and the Maybes

LEGAL ACCURACY LAST VERIFIED / October 16, 2026

After Hurricane Isaias the question we hear most from Panhandle homeowners is not how to file. It is whether the thing that broke is covered at all. The roof, yes. The surge in the garage, no. The pool cage, maybe. The food in the freezer, a little. Here is a plain-English list of what a standard Florida homeowners policy covers after a hurricane, what it does not, and the limits and endorsements that decide the maybes.

Short answer

Wind is covered. Flood is not. Almost everything else depends on your policy's endorsements and sublimits.

A standard Florida homeowners policy covers damage caused by hurricane wind: the roof, the structure, the water that came in through wind-made openings, and your belongings inside. It does not cover flood, and in Florida storm surge is flood. That requires a separate flood policy through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private flood carrier.

Between those two poles sits a long list of items that are covered on some policies and excluded or capped on others: screened enclosures, fences, trees, mold, food spoilage, a detached workshop, the cost to live elsewhere, and the cost to bring the repair up to code. The declarations page and the endorsements tell you which side of the line your house is on.

Covered on a standard Florida homeowners policy

  • The house. Wind damage to the roof, walls, windows, doors, soffits, and the structure is dwelling coverage (Coverage A), subject to the hurricane deductible.
  • Rain that came in through a wind opening. If the wind tore the roof or broke a window and rain came in, the interior damage is covered: ceilings, drywall, insulation, floors, cabinets, and paint.
  • Your belongings. Furniture, electronics, clothing, and other contents damaged by the covered wind and rain are personal property coverage (Coverage C), usually 50 percent of the dwelling limit, and often paid at actual cash value unless you bought replacement cost on contents.
  • Other structures. A fence, a detached garage, a shed, a dock on some forms, and a pool cage on some forms fall under Coverage B, typically 10 percent of the dwelling limit. Read the screened enclosure language carefully; see below.
  • Living elsewhere. If the house is unfit to live in because of covered damage, loss of use (Coverage D) pays the reasonable increase in living expenses, hotel, rental, meals above normal, for the time it takes to repair.
  • Debris removal. Hauling off the damaged roof, the wet drywall, and the tree that hit the house is part of the covered loss, usually with a small additional amount if the limit is used up.
  • Code upgrades. Florida requires carriers to offer ordinance or law coverage at 25 or 50 percent of the dwelling limit. If the building department requires work beyond the storm damage, this pays it.
  • Emergency measures. Tarping, board-up, water extraction, and drying to protect the property from further damage are covered and expected. Keep every receipt.

Not covered, or not by this policy

  • Flood and storm surge. Rising water from the Gulf, Santa Rosa Sound, Choctawhatchee Bay, or Pensacola Bay is flood, and homeowners policies exclude it. Flood insurance covers the building and, if you bought it, the contents. The same storm often produces both a wind claim and a flood claim on one house, and they are adjusted separately. Our wind versus flood guide covers the dividing line.
  • Wind-driven rain with no opening. Water that came in around intact windows, under doors, or through an intact roof is excluded on most policies unless you have a specific endorsement.
  • Wear, deterioration, and prior damage. The pre-storm condition of the roof, the soffit, the window seals, and the stucco is the carrier's favorite subject. Pre-storm photographs and inspection reports are your defense.
  • Your car. Hurricane damage to a vehicle is a comprehensive claim on your auto policy, not a homeowners claim.
  • Boats and docks on many forms. Boats are usually covered on land only to a small limit. Docks, piers, and seawalls are commonly excluded for wind or listed as exclusions on Gulf-front policies.
  • Trees and landscaping for wind. Most policies cover trees and shrubs only for fire, lightning, vandalism, and theft. The lost oak is not paid. Removing it from the house is. Our tree guide covers the details and the neighbor question.
  • Earth movement and sinkhole are separate. Not a hurricane issue in most cases, but they show up as exclusions when a slab cracks.

The maybes: endorsements and sublimits that decide the claim

  • Screened enclosures and pool cages. Many Florida carriers exclude screened enclosures from windstorm entirely or cap them at a small sublimit unless you bought a screened enclosure endorsement. On the Panhandle after Isaias this is the single most common unhappy surprise. Find the words screened enclosure on your declarations or endorsement list.
  • Mold. Florida policies typically limit mold remediation to ten thousand dollars unless you purchased a higher limit. Mold from a covered wind opening is covered up to that cap. Dry the house quickly so the cap is not what decides the claim.
  • Food spoilage. Some policies pay a few hundred dollars for refrigerated food lost to a power outage; many do not unless the outage is from a covered loss on the premises. Do not expect this line to be large.
  • Cosmetic damage. A cosmetic damage exclusion, common on metal roofs and sometimes siding, means dents and scuffs that do not affect function are not paid.
  • Roof payment schedule. If your policy has a roof surface payment schedule, the roof is paid at a depreciated value based on its age. Our roof damage guide walks through how that works.
  • Hurricane deductible. Usually 2, 5, or 10 percent of the dwelling limit, applied once per calendar year across every hurricane. On a four hundred thousand dollar house with a 5 percent deductible, the first twenty thousand dollars is yours. It applies to the whole Isaias loss, not to each item. Our deductible guide explains the calendar year rule.
  • Water damage sublimits. Some newer Florida policies cap non-weather water damage at ten thousand dollars. Hurricane rain through a wind opening is weather, and the cap should not apply, but carriers have tried.
  • Loss settlement. Replacement cost on the dwelling is standard. Contents are often actual cash value unless you bought replacement cost. Depreciation on contents can be a large hidden deduction.

Condo owners: the master policy covers the building, the HO-6 covers the rest

If you own a condominium unit, the association's master policy covers the building, including the roof, exterior walls, and most of what is built in, under Chapter 718. Your HO-6 covers your finished floors, cabinets, countertops, appliances, personal property, improvements, loss of use, and often loss assessment coverage for your share of the association's deductible. After Isaias, Gulf-front associations in Pensacola Beach, Navarre Beach, and Okaloosa Island are running large master-policy claims with deductibles that get assessed back to owners. Loss assessment coverage on the HO-6 is the line to look for. Our condo association hurricane guide covers the split in detail.

How a covered loss still gets underpaid

Coverage is the first question. Scope and price are the second, and that is where most Florida hurricane claims lose money. The carrier's estimate might accept that the roof is covered and then write it as a repair, accept the interior water and then skip the insulation, accept the fence and then price it at half the local rate, and apply the hurricane deductible against a number that leaves almost nothing. Each of those is a scope dispute, and each is documented and arguable. Our guide to underpaid and denied claims covers the process, and the appraisal clause in most policies exists for exactly this.

Florida has also tightened the carrier's deadlines: acknowledge in 7 days, pay or deny in 60. Put the date of loss, October 9, 2026, on everything, and report in writing within the one-year notice window.

Commonly Asked Questions

Does homeowners insurance cover hurricane damage in Florida?

Yes for wind and the rain that comes in through wind-made openings, subject to the hurricane deductible. No for flood and storm surge, which require a separate flood policy. Fences, pool cages, trees, mold, and living expenses depend on the policy's endorsements and sublimits.

Does homeowners insurance cover storm surge?

No. Storm surge is flood, and Florida homeowners policies exclude flood. A National Flood Insurance Program or private flood policy covers surge damage to the building and, if purchased, contents.

Is hurricane insurance a separate policy in Florida?

Usually not. Hurricane wind coverage is part of a standard Florida homeowners policy with its own hurricane deductible. In some high-risk coastal areas, wind is written separately through Citizens or a wind-only policy. Flood is always a separate policy.

Does homeowners insurance cover a pool cage or screened enclosure in a hurricane?

Only if the policy does not exclude it. Many Florida carriers exclude screened enclosures from windstorm or limit them to a small sublimit unless you bought a screened enclosure endorsement. Check the declarations page.

Does homeowners insurance cover mold after a hurricane?

Mold that results from a covered wind opening is covered, but most Florida policies cap mold remediation at ten thousand dollars unless you purchased a higher limit. Drying the house fast keeps the claim under the cap.

Does insurance pay for a hotel after a hurricane?

If the home is unfit to live in because of covered damage, loss of use coverage pays the reasonable increase in living expenses while repairs are made. A power outage alone, with the house intact, generally does not qualify.

What is the hurricane deductible and how does it work?

A percentage of the dwelling limit, commonly 2, 5, or 10 percent, that applies once per calendar year to hurricane losses. It comes off the whole hurricane loss, not each damaged item, so everything from one storm belongs in one claim.

Does homeowners insurance cover food that spoiled in a power outage?

Sometimes, for a small amount, often a few hundred dollars, and some policies only when the outage results from damage on your premises. It is a minor line and should not drive any decision.

Does homeowners insurance cover tree damage from a hurricane?

Damage the tree did to the house or a covered structure is covered. Removing the tree from the structure is covered. The tree itself is not covered for wind, and removing a tree that fell in the yard without hitting anything is usually not covered or is capped.

About the Author

James Coyne

Florida Licensed Public Adjuster, License W482618. Founder of Coyne Commercial Group, Firm License G350978, Sanford, Florida. Represents commercial property owners, condominium and HOA associations, and homeowners on insurance claims statewide.

Sources

This page is for general information, not legal advice or a coverage determination. Confirm any deadline or obligation against your policy, your association’s governing documents, and current Florida law.

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.

Not sure what your policy covers after Isaias?

Send us the declarations page and the endorsement list. We will tell you which parts of the damage are covered, which are capped, and which belong on a flood claim, before you have that conversation with the carrier.

Or call or text James directly: 321-501-6718

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