Do this first
What to do right now
- Write down the date and time of the storm or event that caused the damage.
- Photograph and video everything, inside and out, before any repair or clean-up.
- Find your policy declarations page and note which deductible applies to this type of loss.
- Report the loss to your carrier and ask them directly what their deadline is for filing.
- Get a licensed roofer to inspect and produce a written, photographed report.
- Keep every invoice, email and phone note in one folder from day one.
What actually decides a Florida roof claim
Two things: whether the damage is attributable to a sudden covered event rather than to wear, and whether you can show it. Carriers in Florida see an enormous volume of roof claims and they scrutinise them. A claim supported by dated photographs, an itemised contractor report and a clear timeline is in a very different position from one supported by a phone call.
Deferred maintenance is the most common reason a roof claim gets reduced. If the roof was already failing, brittle shingles, an old leak that was never fixed, rotten decking, the carrier will say so. Keeping receipts for routine repairs over the years is genuinely useful for exactly this reason.
Two deductibles, not one
Most Florida homeowners policies carry two, not one:
- All-other-perils deductible
- The ordinary deductible on the policy.
- Hurricane deductible
- Separate, typically a percentage of the dwelling coverage rather than a flat amount, and with its own trigger conditions.
Which one applies to your loss is a question for your carrier: read your declarations page and call them.
Deadlines, licences and who is who
Florida sets deadlines for reporting property claims and they have changed in recent years. Do not rely on a number you find online, including on this page: confirm the current deadline with your insurer or your agent, in writing if you can.
Know who you are dealing with. A roofing contractor repairs roofs and is licensed through the Florida DBPR, verify them at myfloridalicense.com. A public adjuster is separately licensed to represent policyholders in a claim. We are neither. First Coast Roof Network is an independent directory and referral service: we connect homeowners in Fruit Cove with local roofers, we do not perform work, we do not handle claims, and nothing here is insurance or legal advice.
