“Water goes where you cannot see. We can.
Water and flood damage claims for Florida homeowners: burst pipes, water heaters, appliance leaks, roof water, and rising water. Thermal camera and moisture meter, then the claim.
What the insurer misses
A water claim is written from the stain. The damage is behind the wall and under the floor.
- Moisture inside the wall, not just the stain on itDrywall dries on the surface. Insulation, studs and the block behind hold water for weeks. A thermal camera shows it; a glance does not.
- Flooring that has to come up, not be patchedWater travels under tile, laminate and wood. The estimate prices one room when the floor runs through three.
- Cabinets, baseboards and the wall behind themSwollen toe kicks and rotted baseboards mean the wall behind is wet too. They get skipped when nothing is pulled.
- The word gradualA sudden leak gets called a long term leak and denied. The plumber's report, the moisture pattern and the material condition tell the real story.
- Mold that started while the claim was pendingWet materials grow mold in days. If it is not documented as part of the water loss, it becomes a fight later. Mold claims.
- Thermal camera scan of every wall and ceiling near the loss
- Moisture meter readings, room by room, logged with photos
- The source: pipe, fitting, appliance, roof, or rising water, photographed
- Materials that must be removed, measured and listed
- Flooring extent traced under the finish, not just the wet spot
- Cabinets, baseboards, doors and trim that were affected
- Contents damaged by the water, itemized
- Emergency dry out and mitigation receipts included
- A line item estimate the insurer's software can read
What we document
The instruments do the arguing. Readings and photos, not opinions.
Two water 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.
Water claim questions
With the statute, not a paraphrase. All questions.
Can my insurer drop me for one water damage claim?
Not as the sole reason. Florida law names water damage claims specifically.
“A single claim on a property insurance policy which is the result of water damage may not be used as the sole cause for cancellation or nonrenewal unless the insurer can demonstrate that the insured has failed to take action reasonably requested by the insurer to prevent a future similar occurrence of damage to the insured property.”
Florida Statute 627.4133(6)
If the insurer asks you to fix the cause (replace the water heater, re-pipe a line), do it and keep the receipt. That request is the one thing that can undo the protection.
Is flood the same as water damage on my policy?
Usually not. Most Florida homeowner policies cover sudden water damage from inside the home, a burst pipe or an appliance leak, and exclude flood, which is water rising from outside. Flood is normally a separate policy. We read your policies and tell you which one the loss belongs to before anything is filed. If you have both, we file both.
The insurer says the leak was gradual and not covered. What now?
Gradual and sudden are not the same thing, and the difference is in the evidence: the plumber's report, the moisture pattern, the condition of the materials. A denial on those grounds can be reopened with better documentation, and the fee on a reopened claim is capped at 20 percent of what the reopened claim pays.
“Compensation for the reopened or supplemental claim may not exceed 20 percent of the reopened or supplemental claim payment.”
Florida Statute 626.854(11)(a)
Should I dry the house out before the adjuster sees it?
Stop the water and prevent further damage, which your policy requires, but photograph everything first and keep what was removed where a photo can show it. Keep every receipt for the emergency work; it is part of the claim. Then call us.
Free assessment
Tell us what you found. We look at it, tell you what it means, and you decide. No cost, no obligation.