Florida Hurricane Deductibles Explained, With the Dollar Math

A Florida homeowners policy usually carries two deductibles. One is a flat dollar amount for everyday claims like a kitchen fire or a burst pipe. The other is a hurricane deductible, usually written as a percentage, and it’s the number that matters most when a storm comes through Polk County.

The percentage trips people up because it isn’t a percentage of the damage. It’s a percentage of your dwelling coverage. Here’s how the rule works under Florida law, with the dollar math worked out so you can check your own declarations page.

What is a hurricane deductible in Florida?

A hurricane deductible is the amount you pay out of pocket on a covered hurricane claim before the policy pays. In Florida it’s separate from your “all other perils” (AOP) deductible, which applies to non-hurricane claims.

Section 627.701, Florida Statutes, sets the ground rules. Before issuing a personal lines residential policy (homeowners, condo unit owners, dwelling and similar policies), an insurer must offer hurricane deductibles of:

• $500
• 2% of the policy dwelling limits
• 5% of the policy dwelling limits
• 10% of the policy dwelling limits

The “dwelling limit” is Coverage A, the amount your policy carries to rebuild the house itself. The statute also requires the policy to state on its face, in large bold type, that it contains a separate hurricane deductible, and the insurer must show the actual dollar value of that deductible on your declarations page.

Which deductible options must Florida insurers offer?

All four options are the starting point, but the statute makes exceptions based on the size of the dwelling limit:

Dwelling limit (Coverage A)	What the insurer must offer under s. 627.701
Under $100,000	$500, 2%, 5% and 10% (a percentage option that works out below $500 isn’t required)
$100,000 to under $250,000	$500, 2%, 5% and 10%, or instead of the $500 option, a policy with up to a 2% deductible plus a one-renewal guarantee against nonrenewal for hurricane-exposure reasons
$250,000 to under $1 million	2%, 5% and 10% (the $500 option isn’t required)
$1 million to under $3 million	5% and 10%, plus either 2% or 3%
$3 million or more	5% and 10% (the 2% option isn’t required)

Two more rules are worth knowing. For a home valued under $500,000, a hurricane deductible above 10% is allowed only if every named insured writes out and signs a statement accepting it, and any mortgage holder approves in writing. And when you don’t actively choose, the insurer’s written offer must tell you which deductible applies by default.

How do you calculate a percentage hurricane deductible?

Multiply your Coverage A limit by the percentage. The size of the claim doesn’t change the deductible.

Coverage A	2%	5%	10%
$200,000	$4,000	$10,000	$20,000
$300,000	$6,000	$15,000	$30,000
$400,000	$8,000	$20,000	$40,000

Example: one hurricane

Say your Coverage A is $300,000 with a 2% hurricane deductible ($6,000), and a hurricane causes $18,000 of covered roof and interior damage. You pay the first $6,000, and the policy pays the remaining $12,000, subject to your policy’s other terms and limits.

If the same storm causes $4,500 of covered damage, it’s below the $6,000 deductible, so the insurer pays nothing on that loss. Minor shingle, screen and fence damage often lands in that range.

Watch your renewal amounts

If your policy has an inflation guard that raises Coverage A each year, the dollar value of a percentage deductible rises with it. Florida law requires insurers to warn you on the declarations page or renewal notice that the deductible may be higher than shown when that rider applies.

When does a hurricane “start” and “end” for insurance purposes?

As of October 2026, section 627.4025, Florida Statutes, defines the hurricane period this way:

1. The storm must be one the National Hurricane Center (NHC) has declared a hurricane.
2. The period begins when the NHC issues a hurricane warning for any part of Florida.
3. The period ends 72 hours after the last hurricane watch or hurricane warning for any part of Florida is terminated.

Two details catch people off guard. First, it’s statewide: a hurricane warning for the Keys or the Panhandle starts the clock for a house in Lakeland, even if the storm never reaches Polk County as a hurricane. Second, the start point changed in 2023. Before that amendment, a watch or a warning started the period, and some older consumer material still says so. The current statute says warning.

For context, the NHC defines a hurricane warning as an announcement that hurricane-force winds (74 mph or more) are expected somewhere in the warned area, while a watch means they’re possible.

If the NHC never issues a hurricane warning for Florida during a storm, the statutory hurricane period never begins, and wind damage from that storm usually falls under your AOP deductible. Your policy wording controls, so read the deductible section or ask your agent.

What happens if two hurricanes hit in the same year?

Florida’s hurricane deductible applies on a calendar-year basis. Section 627.701(5) says the deductible applies annually to all covered hurricane losses during the calendar year under policies from the same insurer or insurer group.

For a second hurricane, the insurer may apply a deductible equal to the greater of what’s left of your hurricane deductible or your AOP deductible.

Example: two storms, same year, same insurer

Coverage A is $300,000, the hurricane deductible is 2% ($6,000) and the AOP deductible is $1,000.

1. The first hurricane causes $4,000 of covered damage. You absorb all of it, leaving $2,000 of the hurricane deductible unused.
2. A second hurricane later that year causes $10,000 of covered damage. The deductible is the greater of $2,000 (remaining) or $1,000 (AOP), so $2,000.
3. The policy pays $8,000.

The catch: insurers may require you to report hurricane losses that fall below the deductible, or keep receipts, before they’ll count them toward a later storm. Photograph the damage and keep repair invoices even when you don’t expect a payment.

Because the annual rule is tied to the same insurer or insurer group, it may not carry over if you move your policy to an unrelated company mid-year. And if you’re offered a lower hurricane deductible at renewal after a hurricane loss, the statute says the lower amount doesn’t apply until January 1 of the next year.

How is the hurricane deductible different from the all other perils deductible?

They cover different causes of loss and work differently:

	Hurricane deductible	All other perils (AOP) deductible
Applies to	Covered damage from a hurricane during the statutory hurricane period	Fire, theft, water leaks, non-hurricane wind and other covered perils
Usually written as	A percentage of Coverage A (or $500 where offered)	A flat dollar amount
How often	Once per calendar year with the same insurer or group	Per claim
Florida offer rule	$500, 2%, 5%, 10% under s. 627.701(3)	A $500 option must be offered under s. 627.701(7), subject to exceptions

Some Florida policies also carry a separate roof deductible for non-hurricane roof claims. By statute, that roof deductible can’t apply to a roof loss from a hurricane, so it doesn’t stack with your hurricane deductible.

Does the hurricane deductible apply to flood damage?

No. Standard homeowners, condo and renters policies don’t cover flood, as FEMA’s FloodSmart site explains. Storm surge, overflowing lakes and rainwater that rises into the house are flood losses, and they’re covered only by a separate flood policy from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or a private flood insurer. That policy has its own deductible.

So a single hurricane can produce two claims with two deductibles: wind damage under your homeowners policy and water damage under your flood policy. If you’re in Polk County, our guide to flood insurance in Lakeland and Polk County covers flood zones and the 30-day waiting period.

How can you lower what you’d pay on a hurricane claim?

You have a few levers, each with a trade-off:

• Choose a lower percentage. A 2% deductible generally costs more in premium than 5% or 10%. Weigh the premium difference against the cash you’d need after a storm.
• Document mitigation. Section 627.701(9) requires insurers to give you the option of a hurricane deductible reduction or a premium credit when your home has qualifying hurricane mitigation features. A wind mitigation inspection is the usual way to document them.
• Set aside the deductible amount. If you pick 5% on a $300,000 home, that’s $15,000 you’d need on hand.
• Make changes before a storm, not during one. Insurers commonly stop accepting new policies and coverage changes once a storm threatens.

Talk with a licensed agent before you pick, since the right number depends on your savings, your mortgage terms and the carrier. You can compare options through our homeowners insurance page, and condo owners should check the dwelling limit on their condo unit owners policy, since that’s what the percentage is based on.

What to have ready before you request a quote

1. Your current declarations page, showing Coverage A and both deductibles.
2. Year built and roof age, material and permit date.
3. Your most recent wind mitigation and 4-point inspection reports, if you have them.
4. Your mortgage company’s name and any deductible limits they set.
5. Claims history for the past five years.
6. Your flood zone and any current flood policy.

When you’re ready, you can request a homeowners quote and ask to see the price at 2%, 5% and 10% side by side. Homeowners in and around Lakeland can also stop by our office on South Florida Avenue.