Flood insurance in Florida: What you need to know

Much of Florida is prone to flooding, so residents should consider purchasing flood insurance to protect their property from costly flood damage. The average cost of flood insurance in Florida is $964 per year.

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By

Pat HowardManaging Editor & Licensed Home Insurance ExpertPat Howard is a licensed insurance expert and managing editor at Policygenius. Pat has written extensively about the home insurance industry and his insights as a subject matter expert have appeared in several top tier publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and Reuters. Pat has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Michigan State University.&Rachael BrennanSenior Editor & Licensed Auto Insurance ExpertRachael Brennan is a senior editor and a licensed auto insurance expert at Policygenius. Her work has also been featured in MoneyGeek, Clearsurance, Adweek, Boston Globe, The Ladders, and AutoInsurance.com.

Edited by

Jennifer GimbelJennifer GimbelSenior Managing Editor & Home Insurance ExpertJennifer Gimbel is a senior managing editor at Policygenius, where she oversees all of our insurance coverage. Previously, she was the managing editor at Finder.com and a content strategist at Babble.com.
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Reviewed by

Michael Reynolds, CSRIC®, AIF®, CFT-I™Michael Reynolds, CSRIC®, AIF®, CFT-I™Financial AdvisorMichael Reynolds, CSRIC®, AIF®, CFT-I™, is a financial advisor, principal and founder of Elevation Financial, host of the weekly personal finance podcast Wealth Redefined®, and a member of the Financial Review Council at Policygenius.

Updated|3 min read

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Of the 2.5 million Florida homes in the FEMA-designated special flood hazard area, or areas with a 1 in 4 chance of flooding during a 30-year mortgage, just 43% have flood insurance. [1] [2]

Add to this 27% of the roughly 9 million housing units in Florida that have a high risk of flooding according to FEMA, and shopping for flood insurance is a key part of buying home insurance for Florida homeowners.

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This is because a typical home insurance policy in Florida won't cover water damage caused by flooding, including storm surge after a hurricane, river and coastal flooding, and heavy rains. Florida residents will want to consider purchasing flood insurance to fill in this important coverage gap.

While most Florida homeowners purchase flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), you also have the option of getting private flood coverage as an add-on to your current homeowners insurance policy or as a separate flood insurance policy.

If you have a mortgage and live in a FEMA floodplain, your lender may require flood insurance

If your home is located in a high-risk flood zone and you have a mortgage through a federally regulated bank, you’ll likely be required to purchase flood insurance as part of your loan agreement. While this coverage generally isn’t required if you live in a lower risk area, you should still consider flood insurance given Florida’s frequent tropical storms and catastrophic flood events. 

What does flood insurance cover in Florida?

A standard flood insurance policy through the NFIP comes with two main coverages that can be purchased together or as individual policies.  

  • Building property coverage: Pays to repair or rebuild your house or garage if they’re damaged in a flood. The maximum building property coverage limit with the NFIP is $250,000, meaning that’s the most you’ll be reimbursed for repairs, regardless of the damage amount.

  • Personal property coverage: Pays to repair or replace your belongings if they’re damaged in a flood. This includes your furniture, electronics, clothes, and any other items you own. The maximum personal property coverage limit with the NFIP is $100,000.

Each coverage also comes with its own separate out-of-pocket deductible, which is the amount you’re responsible for paying before your insurance kicks in. That means if your home and belongings are damaged in the same flood event, you’ll have to file two separate claims with separate deductibles.

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Private flood insurance vs. NFIP coverage

Many Florida homeowners are turning to private flood insurance as a lower cost (and higher quality) alternative to federal flood insurance. 

Private flood insurance generally has higher coverage limits, more comprehensive coverage options, and other perks that aren’t available through the heavily regulated NFIP. This includes coverage for things like additional living expenses to pay for hotel stays or restaurant meals if your house is badly damaged and you’re forced to evacuate; or replacement cost coverage for your personal belongings. 

Here’s a look at what Florida residents can expect with NFIP coverage compared to the private flood insurance option.

NFIP

Private flood insurance

Maximum home rebuild limit

$250,000

Typically up to $500,000 or higher

Availability

All but two Florida counties

May be limited in higher-risk areas

Waiting period

30 days

As little as two weeks

Accepted by mortgage lenders

Yes

Yes

Replacement cost building coverage

Yes

Yes

Replacement cost contents coverage

No

Yes

Loss of use coverage

No

Yes

Loss avoidance coverage (sandbags, etc)

No

Yes

Debris removal coverage

Yes

Yes

Collapse table

Additionally, private flood insurance typically has a waiting period of under two weeks, which is the amount of time it takes for the policy to become active after you’ve been approved for coverage. With the NFIP, you have to wait up to 30 days before your flood insurance policy kicks in. This is an especially important consideration for Florida homeowners who are purchasing flood insurance right before or during hurricane season.

Do I need flood insurance in Florida?

A standard home insurance policy does not cover flooding, so you’ll need to purchase flood insurance to protect your home and belongings in the event of a flood. If your house is flooded and you don’t have this coverage, you’ll have to pay out of pocket for any repairs or remediation costs.

Flood insurance isn’t legally required in Florida, however coverage is mandatory if you have a mortgage on your house through a federally-backed lender (FHA, VA, USDA loans, or any mortgage backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac) and you live in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), as designated by FEMA. Here’s a look at the total number of housing units and the percentage of all homes in high-risk flood zones for each county in Florida.

While around 73% of Florida housing units are in flood zones X, C, and B, or areas with a moderate to low risk of flooding, around 25% of all flood insurance claims come from these areas. This makes flood insurance an important consideration regardless of where you live in the Sunshine State. 

Additionally, FEMA flood maps are notoriously outdated and are generally not viewed as a reliable source of an individual property’s flood risk. For a more accurate look at your home’s risk of flooding and your potential flood insurance needs, consider using more advanced tools like Risk Factor.     

Florida flood insurance companies

When you’re ready to buy flood insurance, be sure to compare quotes from both the NFIP and private flood insurance plans. If you have homeowners insurance, your provider likely offers flood coverage via the NFIP, but it may have a private flood insurance option as well. 

If it doesn’t, consider comparing private flood insurance options with Policygenius. If you feel you’re paying too much for NFIP coverage, you may find significantly cheaper rates with one of the following Florida flood insurance companies:

  • AIG

  • American Bankers

  • American Integrity

  • American National

  • American Modern

  • American Integrity

  • ASI

  • Anchor

  • Centauri

  • Cincinnati

  • Edison

  • UPC

  • Chubb

  • FedNat

  • Florida Peninsula

  • Homeowners Choice

  • NatGen

  • Tower Hill

  • Prepared

  • Progressive

  • Safe Harbor

  • SafePoint

  • Security First

  • Southern Oak

  • TypTap

  • Universal

  • US Coastal

  • Weston

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References

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Policygenius uses external sources, including government data, industry studies, and reputable news organizations to supplement proprietary marketplace data and internal expertise. Learn more about how we use and vet external sources as part of oureditorial standards.

  1. Center of Disease Control

    . "

    National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network

    ." Accessed May 10, 2022.

  2. Federal Emergency Management Agency

    . "

    Flood Insurance Data and Analytics

    ." Accessed December 06, 2023.

Authors

Pat Howard is a licensed insurance expert and managing editor at Policygenius. Pat has written extensively about the home insurance industry and his insights as a subject matter expert have appeared in several top tier publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and Reuters. Pat has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Michigan State University.

Rachael Brennan is a senior editor and a licensed auto insurance expert at Policygenius. Her work has also been featured in MoneyGeek, Clearsurance, Adweek, Boston Globe, The Ladders, and AutoInsurance.com.

Editor

Jennifer Gimbel is a senior managing editor at Policygenius, where she oversees all of our insurance coverage. Previously, she was the managing editor at Finder.com and a content strategist at Babble.com.

Expert reviewer

Michael Reynolds, CSRIC®, AIF®, CFT-I™, is a financial advisor, principal and founder of Elevation Financial, host of the weekly personal finance podcast Wealth Redefined®, and a member of the Financial Review Council at Policygenius.

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