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Common questionsThe questions we get asked most
Straight answers on flood, hurricane deductibles, workers' compensation, certificates and claims. If yours isn't here, call 727-290-4747 and ask a licensed agent directly.
Home, flood & windstorm
No. Flood is excluded from every standard homeowners policy in the country. It has to be written separately, either through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private flood carrier. In Florida this is not a technicality — it's frequently the difference between a covered loss and a total one.
Florida policies carry a separate hurricane deductible expressed as a percentage of your dwelling limit — commonly 2%, 5% or 10% — rather than a flat dollar amount. On a $400,000 dwelling limit, a 2% hurricane deductible is $8,000. It applies to hurricane losses; your standard all-other-perils deductible still applies to everything else. We'll show you what each option does to both your premium and your out-of-pocket exposure.
Generally no. Flood policies normally carry a waiting period before coverage takes effect, so a policy bought as a storm approaches will not respond to that storm. Lenders require flood coverage in high-risk zones, but a meaningful number of flood claims come from properties outside those zones, where nobody was required to buy it.
Because the association master policy typically stops at the drywall. Condo owners need an HO-6 walls-in policy to cover interior finishes, cabinetry, flooring, belongings, personal liability and loss assessment. Renters need a policy covering contents and liability without insuring the building.
Auto & personal liability
Florida's minimum required limits are low relative to what a serious accident actually costs, which is why uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage and higher liability limits matter more here than the state minimum suggests. We'll price several limit combinations side by side so you can see what the additional protection costs before deciding.
An umbrella sits above your home and auto liability and picks up where those limits stop — usually in $1 million increments, and usually for a surprisingly modest premium. It is worth pricing if you own rental property, have teen drivers, or hold assets that a judgment could reach.
Business coverage
Florida's requirements depend on your industry and employee count, and construction is treated differently from most other trades. Requirements also reach subcontractors you hire. Rather than guess from a website, tell us what the business does and how many people work there and we'll walk you through what applies — including what your general contractor or client contracts may require regardless of statute.
That is what hired and non-owned auto coverage is for. Your personal auto policy is not designed for business use, and an employee's carrier may deny a claim that happened on company time. Hired and non-owned coverage added to a commercial auto policy responds instead.
General liability responds to third-party bodily injury, property damage, and personal and advertising injury. It does not cover your own faulty workmanship, employee injuries (that's workers' compensation), professional advice (that's errors and omissions), or vehicles (that's commercial auto).
Working with our agency
Not necessarily. In many cases an existing policy can be transferred to our agency through a broker of record letter, keeping your coverage and rate exactly as they are while changing who services the account. If a different carrier would serve you better, we'll show you that comparison instead. Either way, nothing changes without your written authorization.
Usually same day during business hours. Send us the certificate holder's exact name and address plus any specific wording the contract requires (additional insured, waiver of subrogation, primary and non-contributory) and we'll turn it around. Call 727-290-4747 if it's urgent.
Call us at 727-290-4747 during business hours and we'll walk through it with you and contact the carrier alongside you. For an after-hours or emergency loss, call your carrier's 24-hour claims line listed on your declarations page or ID card, then let us know so we can follow the claim on your behalf. Photograph the damage before making temporary repairs, and keep receipts for anything you spend.
These answers are general summaries for informational purposes only and do not amend, extend or alter the coverage afforded by any policy. Whether a particular loss is covered depends on the specific terms, conditions, endorsements and exclusions of your issued policy and the facts of the claim.
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