We represent over 40 different home insurance companies — which is close to all of the ones actively writing in Florida. That matters more here than almost anywhere else in the country, because in Florida the same house gets wildly different prices from different carriers, and which carrier wants your house changes from one quarter to the next.
This page is the short version of how Florida homeowners insurance actually works, what sets your price, and what we do about it. If you’d rather just have someone look at what you’re paying now and tell you honestly whether it’s competitive, that’s a phone call: (941) 312-5771.
Why Florida is its own thing
Florida homeowners are quoted against a set of risks most of the country doesn’t carry — hurricane wind, a long history of roof-related claims and litigation, and a carrier market that has contracted sharply. The practical result is that carrier appetite here is narrow and it moves. A company that happily wrote your ZIP code and your roof age last year may quietly stop wanting it this year, and the reverse is just as true.
No homeowner can track that from the outside. There is no public list of who currently wants what. It’s the single strongest argument for working with an agency that represents enough companies to move you when the market moves.
More on why Florida home insurance costs what it does →
What actually sets your price
Roughly in order of how much they move the number:
- Your roof — age, material, and shape. Past a certain age many Florida carriers won’t write the house at any price. This is usually the first thing that gets looked at and the most common reason a quote comes back badly.
- What your wind mitigation form says. Construction features that resist wind earn statutory discounts, but only once they’re documented on the state’s inspection form. Most of the money left on the table in Florida is here.
- Distance to water and your location. Not just coastline — county and territory rating matter too.
- Year built and construction type. Masonry versus frame; whether the home was built to post-2002 code.
- Your coverage amounts and deductibles, including the hurricane deductible, which is a percentage of your dwelling coverage rather than a flat figure.
- Claims history — yours and, in some cases, the property’s.
- Whether you bundle home and auto. In Florida this is routinely the largest non-construction discount available.
The wind mitigation inspection is the biggest lever you control
Florida law requires residential property insurers to offer discounts for hurricane mitigation features. Those discounts exist whether or not anyone tells you about them — what unlocks them is a document, the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form (OIR-B1-1802). It’s good for up to five years and there is no way to fail it. Every feature it records either earns a credit or earns nothing.
If yours comes back weak, the credit worth chasing is roof-to-wall attachment — and no, fixing it usually doesn’t mean tearing off the roof. It can often be retrofitted from inside the attic or from outside through the soffit. We know contractors who do this work and we’ll point you at them; we don’t take anything for the referral.
What a wind mitigation inspection checks →
How to lower your Florida home insurance cost →
Flood is not included — anywhere, on any policy
This is the single most common and most expensive misunderstanding we see. A Florida homeowners policy does not cover flood. Rising water, storm surge and groundwater intrusion all require a separate flood policy, whether through the NFIP or a private carrier. Plenty of homes that flood in Florida are not in a designated high-risk zone, so “I’m not in a flood zone” is not the same as “I don’t need flood.”
Read the endorsements, not just the price
When you’re comparing quotes, the number on the front page is the easy part. The endorsements section is the heart of the policy and the part almost nobody knows to read. A lower premium that quietly dropped personal property replacement cost, or screened enclosure coverage, or ordinance and law, is not a lower premium — it’s less insurance, and you find out which at the worst possible moment.
We’re happy to write a policy however you want it written. We just won’t strip it down to win on price without telling you that’s what we did.
Missing coverages to watch for on a home insurance quote →
What working with us looks like
We’re an independent agency, which means we work for you rather than for one carrier. In practice that means we shop your house across the companies we represent, tell you what we find, and re-shop it at renewal instead of letting it roll. Switching is easier than most people expect — we handle the process.
We write homeowners insurance across Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.
Where to start
If you’ve never had a wind mitigation inspection, that’s step one and it’s the cheapest step. If you have one and it came back weak, ask about retrofit before you assume you need a roof. And if you just want a second opinion on what you’re paying, call us.
Call (941) 312-5771 or stop by. We’re at 62 Sarasota Center Blvd in Sarasota, open Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. We’ll tell you if you’re already in good shape.
Florida home insurance guides
- How to lower your Florida home insurance cost
- Why is my Florida home insurance so high?
- What a wind mitigation inspection actually checks
- Tricks of the trade: missing coverages on home insurance quotes
- Florida home insurance and litigation
- What is an independent insurance agency?
- All Florida insurance news and guides
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Last reviewed August 30, 2026