As a Floridian, you love ocean beauty, beach walking, sweet sunshine, & a coastal lifestyle. Florida is the only US state that can offer you these all. But natural disasters such as floods & hurricanes are common in Florida that can suddenly destroy your homes & buildings.
Therefore, it is very important to understand how flood insurance in Florida works, whether you need flood insurance or not, & how flood insurance protects your property during a natural disaster.
In this blog article, you will find the answers to every flood insurance question that a first-time homeowner or a seasoned pro look into in Florida. Let’s start with the following:
Key takeaways:
- Flood insurance in Florida can vary depending on various factors. Therefore, you have to review each policy & select the policy which will cover every damage to your home.
- As a Floridian, it is recommended to buy flood insurance whether you belong to a low-risk or high-risk zone because natural floods can happen to any zone or location.
- Flood insurance only covers buildings & contents & does not cover damages that are preventable by homeowners.
- Flood insurance does not cover all damage related to the building. So, you must understand the difference between homeowner’s insurance & flood insurance.
What is the definition of flood insurance?
Flood insurance is a financial protection of your property against heavy rainfall, overflow of tidal waters or sudden surface water level increase. Flood insurance helps minimize sudden property damage caused by natural calamities such as floods.
Say, Maya has a property in a flood zone in Florida that was suddenly damaged due to excessive tidal waters. If Maya has flood insurance, the insurance company will cover housing damage; otherwise, she must pay repair costs from her pocket.
How much is flood insurance in Florida?
$700 per year. But the average cost can be less or more depending on the location & age of your property, which types of zones you belong & what you have selected from a flood insurance policy.
For example, the average flood insurance cost in Alachua City is about $700 per annum. But your flood insurance cost can be $1,150 if you belong to Apalachicola City, or your flood insurance price can be $500 if you belong to Apopka City.
This example brings only one factor, but flood insurance costs can vary greatly depending on other factors.
What is a cost estimation chart for flood insurance in Florida?
The estimated cost of flood insurance in Florida can vary depending on the property’s age, the nature of the construction, and whether it has a basement. Depending on these factors, your flood insurance price can be lower or higher.
Below is a cost estimation chart for flood insurance in Florida based on National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP):
| Factors | Estimated cost (annually) |
| Property location | $450 to $21,00 |
| Risk zone | $450 to $5500 |
| Amount of coverage | $21,000 to 2,55,000 |
| Deductible | $1000 to $10100 |
Do you need flood insurance in Florida?
No, but it is highly recommended to have flood insurance in Florida. Why? Because Florida is a flood-prone area geographically, natural disasters like heavy rainfall, tropical storms, cyclones, or hurricanes are common in every Floridian. Therefore, taking flood insurance will reduce the risk of your property damage.
Say, you live in a low-risk flood zone in Florida, but due to low-lying geography, you still risk being affected by the floods. Taking flood insurance can save you from significant home damage & financial loss.
What does flood insurance cover in Florida?
Flood insurance covers two types of property damage that fall under buildings & contents.
For example, your drains & stoves are damaged by flood water. Drains & stoves fall under building coverage. Therefore, the Insurance company will pay you to repair drains & stoves.
Below the table shows what flood insurance cover in Florida:
| What is building coverage? | What do building coverage include? |
| Building coverage is the complete physical structure of your building. | Any kinds of appliances (refrigerators, stoves), electrical, sanitation, drains, window, door, wreckage removals & structural damage of your building caused by the flood. |
| What is contents coverage? | What do contents coverage include? |
| Contents coverage is a personal asset within your building. | Items within your home, such as clothing, electronics, personal property, & precious arts damaged caused by floodwaters. |
What does flood insurance not cover in Florida?
Flood insurance does not cover damage due to moisture that can be preventable by the property owner.
Say, Amelia has flood insurance for her home in Florida & her property was damaged due to heavy rainfall. Amelia has found mould in the walls & ceilings, which is causing extra damage. In this situation, the insurance provider will not cover this additional expense because it is caused by moisture & humidity.
Below the table shows what type of damage does not cover flood insurance in Florida:
| Damaged name | Reasons |
| moisture, mildew, or mold | Property owners can prevent these types of damage. If you want, then you have to purchase extra coverage. |
| Outdoor property | Flood insurance covers mainly internally attached housing property. Therefore, decks, fences, and swimming pools will not cover under flood insurance because they belong to the outdoor property. |
| Business loss | Your income from the business will not cover flood insurance. So, any loss of income from business caused by a flood will not cover flood insurance. |
| Stock certificate | Business documents, any types of currency, gold or any precious metals do not cover flood insurance because these are not internally attached property. |
| Vehicles | Any type of vehicle, such as cars, motorcycles, and boats damaged by flood, fall under car insurance. Therefore, flood insurance providers will not give financial coverage. |
| Temporary housing | Any temporary living that is repairable will not cover flood insurance. Because temporary housing damages caused by flood fall under homeowners’ insurance. |
| Wells | Any holes, fountains, showers or septic systems damaged by flood do not cover flood insurance. These kinds of damages fall under homeowners’ insurance policies. |
How much is flood insurance in Florida high-risk area?
$700, but depending on risk factors with your property, flood insurance premium cost can be several thousand dollars.
For example, your property age, construction type, and zone, each factor individually influences the premium cost. Based on these factors, your premium cost can be less or more than $700.
Below the table shows the estimated cost of flood insurance in Florida’s high-risk areas:
| Coverage Amount | Premium cost (annually) |
| $20,050 Building/$8,050 Contents | $505 to $2,550 |
| $50,100 Building/$25,100 Contents | $605-$3,010 |
| $75,010 Building/$30,010 Contents | 705 to 3510 |
| $100,010 Building/$40,010 Contents | 805 to 4010 |
| $125,010 Building/$50,050 Contents | 910 to 4550 |
| $150,010 Building/$60,010 Contents | 1050 to 5050 |
| $200,100 Building/$80,100 Contents | 1505 to 6007 |
| $250,010 Building/$100,010 Contents | $2,050-$7,050 |
How to claim flood insurance in Florida?
You can claim flood insurance in Florida by following some procedures. Below are the steps you must follow to claim flood insurance in Florida.
Step-1 Contact your insurance provider: You must immediately contact your insurance company to report your property damage. To report the damage, you must mention your insurance policy number & other relevant documents that the insurance provider wants as proof.
Step-2 List the damage: list damaged items with their price, age, and purchase date. You must also take photos or videos of the lost items before repair.
Step-3 Lower extra damage: take some necessary steps to prevent additional damage to your property. For example, you can dry out the flooded area & board up cracked doors.
Step-4 Give what the adjuster wants: The insurance provider will assign an adjuster to estimate coverage cost before finalizing your claim. So, provide any types of documents or information that the adjuster wants to verify the damage.
Step-5 Review what the adjuster estimate: Carefully check what the adjuster approves regarding your claim. Review the assessment carefully & ask questions if you need help understanding something.
Step-6 settlement agreement: After careful review, if you agree with the assessment amount, sign the settlement form & return it to your insurance provider. Then they will approve your claim amount.
How much is flood insurance in Florida Zone A?
$800, but it can vary depending on square footage, building structure, location of the property, how many old your building is & many other factors.
Say Evelyn has a new home in zone A with a replacement cost of $3,50,000. She has $130,000 in content coverage & $270,000 in-building coverage. Evelyn wants a flood insurance policy that covers both the building & contents. Zone A is under a moderate- to low-risk flood zone in Florida. Based on these, her estimated insurance premium could be:
| Policy names | Premium cost (annual) |
| PRP (Preferred risk policy) | $455 to $805 |
| SRT (Standard rated policy) | $1284 to $3500 |
| EPP (Emergency program policy) | $3500 to $7000 |
Concluding Thought
Understanding flood insurance policies in Florida can be challenging for a new homeowner or a long-time resident. Prior understanding helps you to identify some crucial factors that affect flood insurance prices and also helps you to save money by choosing the right premiums.
Before buying a premium, carefully review private flood insurance policies & NFIP-supported available insurance coverage.
You also need to understand coverage limits & exclusions of different flood insurance policies in Florida.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How much is flood insurance in Florida zone AE?
$826, but it can range between $425 to $1025 based on different risk factors such as level of coverage, home structure, how older your home is & many other factors.
For example, Anna wants to buy flood insurance in Florida zone AE for her home that has past flood history. Depending on flood-affected data, the premium cost could be a minimum of $424 to an average of $826 to a maximum of $1025.
Understanding FEMA flood maps?
FEMA flood maps are geographic maps that provide information about base flood elevations and flood insurance premium rates & determine which risk zone your property belongs to. It updates regularly by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) to reflect topography changes which are accessible through their online websites.
For example, Zoe wants to know her property’s flood risk in a coastal city in Florida. Zoe can know it by entering her address into the FEMA flood map service centre’s website. Say, her property is labelled as zone AE, a high-risk zone with a 1% annual flood chance & base flood elevation is 10 feet. By analyzing this information, Zoe can decide which flood insurance policy best matches her property.
Disclaimer
The information provided in this article is author’s view & only for educational purposes. This is not a promotional post. By reading this, you agree that the information is not purchasing advice for flood insurance in Florida. Do your research before making any important financial decision. Therefore, FinanceIdeas.org will not be liable for your financial loss.
