Florida Home Insurance Claims: What to Do First

Report it the day you notice it, not the day you decide it matters

Most homeowners claims that get denied in Florida are not denied because the damage wasn’t covered. They are denied because of something the homeowner did, or didn’t do, in the first week after they noticed a problem. That is a hard thing to hear after the fact, and it is also the part of the process nobody explains until it is too late, so this is our attempt to explain it in advance.

The short version is that your policy asks you to do a handful of specific things after a loss, and your insurance company is allowed to deny the claim if you don’t do them. None of those things are difficult. They just have to happen quickly, and in the right order.

Why a delay can turn a small claim into no claim at all

There are two separate clocks running after you notice damage, and homeowners tend to only hear about one of them.

The first is the outer deadline set by Florida law. Under Fla. Stat. 627.70132, a property insurance claim is barred unless notice was given to the insurer within one year after the date of loss, and a supplemental claim is barred after 18 months. For hurricanes and other weather events, that clock starts when the storm made landfall or the event was verified by NOAA, not when you happened to notice the damage.

How the reporting deadline went from three years to one

That one-year window is far tighter than it used to be, and the history explains why it exists. Before July 2021, a homeowner had three years from the date a hurricane made landfall, or from the date a windstorm caused damage, to report the claim. Senate Bill 76 cut that to two years effective July 1, 2021, broadened it from wind to a loss caused by any peril, and left supplemental claims at three years. Senate Bill 2-A then cut it again, effective December 16, 2022, to the one year and 18 months that stand today.

The reason for the squeeze was a pattern the whole industry watched play out. Years after a named storm, claims would arrive on roofs that were at or past the end of their service life, asserting the damage traced back to a hurricane three or four seasons earlier. Once that much time has passed nobody can really prove it either way. The shingles are older, other storms have come through since, and whatever evidence would have settled the question has long weathered away. Shortening the window was the legislature’s answer to a problem it had no good way to referee.

One wrinkle worth knowing. The one-year rule applies to policies with effective dates on or after December 16, 2022, and a policy issued or renewed before that date keeps the older two-year and three-year windows. That is why Hurricane Ian claims were handled under the prior rule. If you are unsure which applies to you, ask us.

None of which should be read as permission to take your time. These are outer limits that bar a claim entirely, not targets. The only sensible practice is to report anything you notice as soon as you notice it.

The second clock is the one that actually causes the denials we see, and it lives in the policy rather than in the statute. Most Florida homeowners policies written today contain a water damage provision that excludes damage caused by constant or repeated seepage or leakage occurring over a period of 14 days or more. Read that carefully, because it is not a reporting deadline in the way people assume. It is a coverage limit tied to how long the water has been running. A pinhole leak behind a wall that has been weeping for three weeks can fall outside coverage entirely, no matter how promptly you called the day you finally saw the stain.

Separately from that, every policy contains a duty to give prompt notice after a loss. Florida courts have gone back and forth on exactly who has to prove what when notice comes in late, and the districts do not currently agree with each other. You do not want to be the homeowner who finds out how your district rules on it.

Put those together and the practical advice is the same from every direction. The day you see water where water should not be, that is the day you report it.

What this looks like in a real house

A supply line behind a bathroom vanity starts seeping. It is not a burst pipe, it is a slow drip, and the only sign is a slightly darker patch on the baseboard. The homeowner notices it on a Saturday, decides it is minor, and plans to deal with it after a trip.

Three weeks later the baseboard is soft, the drywall is stained two feet up, and there is a musty smell in the hallway. Now the repair is not a plumber and a section of baseboard. It is demolition of the vanity wall, remediation, new drywall, new flooring where the water tracked under it, and a mold protocol, and in Florida most policies cap mold remediation at a sublimit that is a fraction of the dwelling coverage.

The homeowner reports it that week. The adjuster’s report notes moisture readings and staining consistent with a leak running well over 14 days. The claim is denied under the seepage provision, and the homeowner pays for all of it.

Had the same leak been reported on that first Saturday, it would likely have been a plumbing repair, a small section of wall, and a dryout. Mold takes time to grow, and time is exactly what you give it by waiting.

What to do first: call the claims department

This sounds obvious and it is the step people get wrong most often. Call your insurance company’s claims department and report the loss.

Not the billing department, not the general customer service line, and not a message left with whoever answers. Telling somebody at the company that you have damage is not the same thing as filing a claim, and we have watched homeowners assume they had reported a loss when no claim had ever been opened. If you are not sure you reached the right place, ask directly whether a claim number has been assigned, and write it down.

Your agent can absolutely help you, and we do this for our customers every day. But the notice that starts the clock is the notice to the carrier’s claims department, so make sure that call happens.

Once the claim is reported, Florida law puts deadlines on your insurance company too. Under Fla. Stat. 627.70131, the insurer must acknowledge your communication within 7 calendar days, begin its investigation within 7 days of receiving proof-of-loss statements, conduct any physical inspection within 30 days, send you a copy of any detailed estimate within 7 days of it being generated, and pay or deny the claim within 60 days of notice. Those last two are worth knowing about, because a copy of the adjuster’s estimate is something you are entitled to rather than something you have to beg for.

Document everything before anything gets touched

Take pictures immediately, and take far more than you think you need. Wide shots that establish the room, closer shots of the damage itself, and photos of anything that shows the source, like the fitting that failed or the branch that came through. Video walking through the affected area is even better, because it captures context that stills miss. Photograph damaged contents individually, and keep the damaged items if you safely can.

Save every receipt connected to the loss, including tarps, fans, a dehumidifier rental, a hotel room if the house is not livable, and anything else you spend because of the damage. Keep a simple log of who you spoke to at the insurance company, on what date, and what they told you.

If you have photos of the room from before the loss, from a listing, a holiday picture, anything, set those aside too. Proving what a space looked like beforehand is surprisingly hard after the fact.

Do not repair before the adjuster sees it, but do stop the damage

These two instructions sound contradictory and they are not, so it is worth separating them.

Your policy requires you to protect the property from further damage, and it will pay for reasonable emergency measures taken to do that. Tarping a roof, boarding a broken window, shutting off the water supply, pulling up soaked carpet, running fans and a dehumidifier, and moving undamaged furniture out of a wet room are all the kind of thing you are expected to do and are not going to be penalized for. Keep the receipts, and photograph the damage before you cover or remove anything.

What you should not do is complete the permanent repair, or dispose of the damaged property, before the insurance company has had its chance to inspect.

The example that still stings

We had a customer call in to report that a lightning strike had destroyed their HVAC system. That is a covered loss and a straightforward claim. The problem was that they had already called an HVAC company, had a new system installed, and let the contractor haul the old unit away and scrap it before they picked up the phone to report anything.

By the time the claim was filed there was nothing left for anyone to look at. No damaged equipment, no way to confirm the cause, and no evidence beyond the homeowner’s account and an invoice for a replacement. The claim was denied, and it would almost certainly have been paid if that old condenser had been left sitting beside the house for a week.

If a system genuinely has to be replaced immediately because you cannot live without it in a Florida August, that is understandable. Tell the claims department that is what is happening, get it in writing if you can, photograph everything extensively, and insist that the contractor leave the old equipment on the property until the adjuster has seen it.

The part nobody explains: desk adjusters and field adjusters

This confuses almost every homeowner we talk to, and it causes a lot of unnecessary frustration, so here is how the sequence actually works.

You call and speak to an intake representative. This person is not your adjuster. Their job is to take down the facts of the loss, open a claim, and issue you a claim number. Do not expect coverage answers from them, because answering those is not their role.
The claim is assigned to a desk adjuster. This happens behind the scenes. The desk adjuster works from the carrier’s office, and this is the person who will actually handle your claim from beginning to end.
A field adjuster is sent out to inspect. This is the person who shows up at your house, walks the damage, takes measurements and photographs, and writes up what they found. Almost everyone assumes this is their adjuster, because this is the only human being they meet face to face.
The field adjuster’s report goes back to the carrier, and the field adjuster is done. They do not decide coverage, they do not approve payment, and in most cases you will never speak to them again after the inspection.
The desk adjuster is your actual adjuster. They review the field report, apply the policy to it, make the coverage decisions, issue payments, and handle any supplement or dispute that comes up later.

The practical takeaway is to get your desk adjuster’s name, direct phone number and email early, and to route your questions there. Being pleasant to the field adjuster who visits is worth doing, and pointing out damage they might otherwise miss is absolutely worth doing, but asking them whether something is covered is asking a question they are not in a position to answer.

Use contractors who are licensed, insured and verifiable

Storm damage brings out people who are very good at sounding legitimate, and Florida has more of this problem than most states.

Verify any contractor’s license through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation before you sign anything, ask for a certificate of insurance naming you, and be skeptical of anyone who knocks on your door with an offer that expires today.

There are also things a contractor is flatly not allowed to do in Florida, and hearing any of them should end the conversation:

A contractor may not interpret your policy or advise you on your coverage unless they are also a licensed public adjuster.
A contractor may not negotiate or settle your claim on your behalf.
A contractor may not pay, waive or rebate your deductible, or hand you something of value to cover it. Under Florida law this is insurance fraud punishable as a third-degree felony, and the homeowner who goes along with it is not in a comfortable position either.

The simplest way around all of this is to ask your desk adjuster whether the carrier has preferred or pre-screened contractors in your area. Most Florida carriers maintain vendor lists covering every region of the state, and they vet the companies on them. Working with a contractor already on that list tends to speed the claim up and heads off the payment disputes that happen when an estimate and an adjuster’s scope do not match, because the two sides are already speaking the same language about pricing.

You are not required to use their list, and you have the right to choose your own contractor. It is just usually the path with the fewest arguments in it.

A short checklist to keep somewhere findable

Stop the source if you safely can, and take emergency measures to prevent further damage.
Photograph and video everything before you move, cover or remove anything.
Call the insurance company’s claims department and get a claim number.
Keep every receipt connected to the loss, including emergency measures and additional living expenses.
Do not complete permanent repairs, and do not let anyone haul damaged property away, until the inspection has happened.
Get your desk adjuster’s name and direct contact information.
Verify any contractor’s license and insurance, and ask the desk adjuster about the carrier’s approved vendor list.
Ask for a copy of the adjuster’s detailed estimate, which the carrier owes you within 7 days of generating it.

If you are not sure, call us

We would rather field a question about something that turns out to be nothing than sort out a denial six weeks later. If you see a stain, a drip, a soft spot in a floor or a shingle in the yard and you are not sure whether it rises to a claim, call and talk it through with us before the clock does the deciding for you.

Common questions

How long do I have to report a home insurance claim in Florida?

For policies with effective dates on or after December 16, 2022, Florida law gives you one year from the date of loss to report a claim and 18 months for a supplemental claim. Policies issued or renewed before that date keep the older two-year and three-year windows. Those are outer limits that bar a claim entirely, not targets, so report anything you notice the day you notice it.

What is the 14-day water damage rule in Florida?

Most Florida homeowners policies exclude damage caused by constant or repeated seepage or leakage occurring over a period of 14 days or more. It is a limit on how long the water has been running, not a deadline to report. A slow leak behind a wall can fall outside coverage even if you call the same day you first see the stain.

Will my claim be denied if I repair the damage before the adjuster sees it?

It can be. Your policy requires you to protect the property from further damage, so emergency measures like tarping a roof, shutting off the water or running fans are expected and covered. Completing the permanent repair or throwing away the damaged property before the insurance company inspects removes the evidence they need, and claims do get denied on that basis.

What is the difference between a desk adjuster and a field adjuster?

The field adjuster is the person who comes to your house, inspects the damage and writes a report, and then is generally out of the picture. The desk adjuster works from the carrier’s office, receives that report, makes the coverage decisions, issues payment and handles the claim from beginning to end. The desk adjuster is your actual adjuster, so get their name and direct contact information early.

Do I have to use my insurance company’s contractor?

No. You have the right to choose your own contractor. Carriers maintain pre-screened vendor lists for every region of Florida, and using one usually speeds the claim up and avoids payment disputes because the shop and the insurer already agree on pricing, but it is your decision.

Written by Brian Lough, owner of The Insurance Man and Company in Sarasota, Florida. Licensed Florida insurance agent, license #P034754, with over 20 years in the business.

Last reviewed September 19, 2026

FL Home Insurance Claims Tips