Hurricane & Homeowners Insurance in Brevard County: What Buyers Need to Know

These get confused constantly, and it matters: wind damage from a hurricane — including rain that gets in once wind creates an opening — is covered under a standard Florida homeowners policy, subject to a separate hurricane deductible (more on that below). Flood damage, including storm surge, is never covered by a homeowners policy, no matter how the water got in. That's a separate policy entirely — see our full flood insurance guide for zone-by-zone costs and requirements.

Florida law requires insurers to offer a choice of hurricane deductibles: $500, 2%, 5%, or 10% of your dwelling coverage limit (homes insured between $1–3 million may see a 3% option in place of 2%). This deductible is separate from — and replaces — your regular deductible once it's triggered.

It applies during the window beginning when the National Hurricane Center issues a hurricane watch or warning for any part of Florida, and ending 72 hours after the last such watch or warning for the state is lifted. It resets each calendar year; if a second hurricane hits in the same year, you'd owe whichever is greater — the remaining balance of the first deductible, or your standard all-other-perils deductible.

As an example: on a $400,000 dwelling coverage limit, a 2% hurricane deductible works out to $8,000 you'd owe before coverage kicks in; at 5%, that's $20,000. Your actual dwelling coverage limit and chosen percentage determine your real number — ask your agent to show it in dollars, not just percent.

A wind mitigation inspection uses the state's official form (OIR-B1-1802) to document how well a home is built to resist hurricane winds: roof covering and age, how the roof deck attaches to the trusses, how the roof attaches to the walls, roof shape (hip roofs generally score better than gable), secondary water resistance under the roof covering, and opening protection — impact-rated windows/doors or code-compliant shutters.

These inspections typically run in the $75–$150 range and can lead to meaningful premium credits — how much varies by insurer, so it's worth getting one done (or asking a seller for a current one) before you shop for a quote. Impact windows often run $1,000 or more per opening installed; hurricane shutters are a lower upfront-cost alternative that require deployment before a storm.

Separate from wind mitigation, many insurers require a 4-point inspection on older homes — commonly around 30 years or older, though the exact age threshold varies by carrier. It checks the age and condition of the roof, electrical panel and wiring, plumbing, and HVAC system. A roof needs to have some meaningful years of life left (insurers often look for 5+ years) to pass. This comes up often in Brevard County given how much of the housing stock along the barrier island and older neighborhoods was built decades ago.

Citizens is a Florida state-created insurer that exists as a backstop — Florida's “insurer of last resort.” You generally become eligible for it if no private insurer will offer you a policy, or if the private-market offers you do get come in more than 20% above what Citizens would charge for comparable coverage. Citizens has grown substantially as some private insurers pulled back from the Florida market in recent years.

Ending up with Citizens isn't unusual, especially for older or coastal homes, but it's generally treated as a fallback rather than a first choice — private carriers can offer broader coverage, and Citizens policyholders can be subject to assessments after a severe storm season. Your insurance agent can tell you where a specific property is likely to land.

The Florida Department of Financial Services runs My Safe Florida Home, a state program that offers eligible homeowners a free wind mitigation inspection and, in many cases, a matching grant to help pay for qualifying retrofits (things like a new roof, impact windows, or opening protection). Funding and enrollment windows have opened and closed over time, so check mysafeflhome.com directly for current eligibility and whether the program is accepting applications.

Hurricane Insurance FAQ