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Usually not. Florida insurers issue a “binding moratorium” when a tropical storm or hurricane threatens the state, which stops them from writing new policies or increasing coverage until the storm passes. Moratoriums typically start when a storm enters a defined watch area or forecast cone, which can be days before landfall.

The same applies to flood insurance, which generally has a 30-day waiting period anyway. Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, so review your coverage limits, deductibles, and flood protection in the spring. If you’re buying a home in Orlando or Oviedo during hurricane season, get your insurance bound early in the contract period so a storm doesn’t delay your closing.

Questions about your own policy? Near Me Insurance in Oviedo helps homeowners and drivers across Seminole and Orange County compare options from multiple carriers.

Florida homeowners policies must cover “catastrophic ground cover collapse,” but full sinkhole coverage is usually optional and costs extra. This matters in Central Florida, one of the most sinkhole-prone regions in the country. The 1981 Winter Park sinkhole is one of the most famous in U.S. history.

Catastrophic ground cover collapse only applies when all of these happen: an abrupt collapse, a depression clearly visible to the naked eye, structural damage to the building including the foundation, and the home being condemned and ordered vacated. Cracking, settling, or slow sinkhole activity is not covered unless you’ve added sinkhole coverage. Florida insurers must offer sinkhole coverage but can require an inspection first.

Questions about your own policy? Near Me Insurance in Oviedo helps homeowners and drivers across Seminole and Orange County compare options from multiple carriers.

A wind mitigation inspection documents your home’s hurricane-resistant features on Florida’s official OIR-B1-1802 form, and insurers are required to offer premium credits for those features. For many Central Florida homes, it’s the single biggest discount available on the wind portion of the premium.

The inspector checks roof covering, roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections (clips or straps), roof shape (hip versus gable), secondary water resistance, and opening protection like impact windows or shutters. Inspections usually take under an hour and cost around $75 to $150. The report is generally valid for five years. Homes built in Oviedo and Orlando after the 2002 Florida Building Code often qualify for credits their owners aren’t receiving.

Questions about your own policy? Near Me Insurance in Oviedo helps homeowners and drivers across Seminole and Orange County compare options from multiple carriers.

Under Florida Statute 627.7011, an insurer cannot refuse to issue or renew a homeowners policy solely because the roof is less than 15 years old. If your roof is 15 years or older, you have the right to have it inspected by an authorized inspector. If the inspection shows at least five years of useful life remaining, the insurer can’t refuse coverage based on roof age alone.

Insurers can still decline coverage for a roof that’s damaged, leaking, or in poor condition. Older homes, often 30+ years, may also need a 4-point inspection of the roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. Common problems include Federal Pacific or Zinsco panels, polybutylene pipes, and aging water heaters. Keep permits and receipts for any updates.

Questions about your own policy? Near Me Insurance in Oviedo helps homeowners and drivers across Seminole and Orange County compare options from multiple carriers.

A Florida hurricane deductible is usually a percentage of your dwelling (Coverage A) limit, commonly 2%, 5%, or 10%, and it applies to hurricane damage instead of your regular deductible. On a home insured for $400,000, a 2% hurricane deductible means you pay the first $8,000 of a hurricane claim.

Under Florida law, the hurricane deductible applies once per calendar year. If two hurricanes damage your home in the same year, you generally don’t pay the full deductible twice. Other storm damage, such as a tropical storm or a summer thunderstorm, falls under your regular all-other-perils deductible.

Also note: Florida generally requires a new or reopened homeowners claim to be filed within one year of the date of loss, so report storm damage promptly.

Questions about your own policy? Near Me Insurance in Oviedo helps homeowners and drivers across Seminole and Orange County compare options from multiple carriers.