“The storm is over. The claim is not.
Hurricane and storm damage claims for Florida homeowners: roofs, screen enclosures, fences, windows, and the water that came in behind the wind. We document all of it, then negotiate.
What the insurer misses
The insurer's adjuster is on your roof for minutes and writes from the ground. Here is what a short visit leaves out.
- Creased and lifted shingles that still lie flatWind breaks the seal and creases the tab. From the ground it looks fine. On the roof, a brittle test shows it will not reseal.
- The slope they did not walkDamage on the back slope, behind the chimney, or on a flat section gets left off the estimate when nobody went up.
- Water that followed the windA lifted shingle lets rain into the decking, the attic and the ceiling below. Weeks later there is a stain. The insurer calls it a separate event.
- Screen enclosures, fences, gutters, soffitThe other structures on your policy. They get skipped or priced as a patch when the whole run has to be replaced.
- Matching, code upgrades, and what the policy saysEndorsements on your policy can change what a repair has to include. We read the whole policy before the estimate is written.
- Drone photos of every slope, top down, before anyone repairs anything
- Test squares and chalk marks on the roof, each one photographed
- Brittle test and seal test on the shingles
- Every impact mark and crease, numbered
- Attic decking, insulation and ceilings checked with a thermal camera
- Moisture readings under any stain
- Screen enclosure, fence, gutters, soffit, windows, doors
- The date of loss tied to the storm record
- A line item estimate the insurer's software can read
What we document
The claim is only as strong as the file. We build the file the insurer cannot argue with.
Two hurricane claims, start to finish.
Click or tap a card to turn it over.
Past results do not promise a result on your claim. Photos are representative, not the homes in these claims. See all results.
Hurricane claim questions
With the statute, not a paraphrase. All questions.
What is the public adjuster fee on a hurricane claim?
Lower than on a normal claim. When the storm is the subject of a Governor declared state of emergency, the cap is 10 percent for claims made during the year after the declaration. After that year, the normal 20 percent cap applies.
“Ten percent of the amount of insurance claim payments or settlements, exclusive of attorney fees and costs, paid to the insured by the insurer for claims based on events that are the subject of a declaration of a state of emergency by the Governor. This provision applies to claims made during the year after the declaration of emergency. After that year, the limitations in subparagraph 2. apply.”
Florida Statute 626.854(11)(b)1
Can my insurer drop me after a hurricane claim?
Not for the claim itself. An act of God claim may not be used as a cause for cancellation or nonrenewal unless the insurer can show you ignored a reasonable request to prevent it happening again. After a declared hurricane there is a second protection: no cancellation or nonrenewal for 90 days after the home is repaired.
“Claims on property insurance policies that are the result of an act of God may not be used as a cause for cancellation or nonrenewal, unless the insurer can demonstrate, by claims frequency or otherwise, that the insured has failed to take action reasonably necessary as requested by the insurer to prevent recurrence of damage to the insured property.”
Florida Statute 627.4133(3)
“For a period of 90 days after the dwelling or residential property has been repaired, if such property has been damaged as a result of a hurricane or wind loss that is the subject of the declaration of emergency”
Florida Statute 627.4133(2)(e)1, the period in which an insurer may not cancel or nonrenew
At renewal an insurer can still nonrenew for a substantial change in the risk, with 120 days written notice and a stated reason. The full answer.
My roof was already old. Will the insurer say it is wear and tear?
Often, yes. That is why we document the storm damage itself: creased and lifted shingles, impact marks, broken seals, with the date of loss tied to the storm. Wear and tear and wind damage look different up close, and the photos show it. A roof can be old and still be storm damaged.
What should I do before the adjuster comes?
Tarp the roof so the damage stops spreading. Photograph everything before it is cleaned up, inside and out. Keep every receipt, including the tarp. Do not sign a contractor's assignment of benefits before you have read it with someone on your side. Then call us. The insurer's side must give at least 48 hours notice before an inspection (Florida Statute 626.854(14)), which is time enough for us to be there.
Free assessment
Tell us what you found. We look at it, tell you what it means, and you decide. No cost, no obligation.