Property Insurance

How do I file a hurricane insurance claim in Florida?

Notify the insurer within one year for new claims (SB 2A), document everything with photos before cleanup, mitigate further damage with receipts saved, watch for the 60-day carrier-response window, and avoid signing an assignment of benefits without legal review.

Florida's SB 2A (effective December 2022) reshaped the property-insurance landscape. The deadlines are now tighter, the notice rules stricter, and the litigation economics less favorable to claimants. The five steps below assume a residential or commercial wind/storm loss with no separately handled flood claim.

1. Give notice within the SB 2A window.

For new claims, notice is due within one year of the date of loss under Fla. Stat. § 627.70132. Supplemental and reopened claims have separate deadlines (currently 18 months). Call the carrier's claims line within the first week, get a claim number, and request written confirmation.

2. Document everything before cleanup.

Photograph and video every roof slope, exterior elevation, and damaged area. Create a personal-property inventory. Save copies of all communications with the carrier from day one.

3. Mitigate further damage.

Tarp, dry, and protect — but save receipts. SB 2A retained the duty to mitigate; reasonable mitigation costs remain covered if documented.

4. Avoid assignment of benefits without review.

SB 2A tightened AOB rules significantly. A contractor or restoration company asking you to sign over your insurance rights is asking for something subject to specific statutory requirements; the assignment may be voidable if those requirements aren't met. Have any AOB reviewed before signing.

5. Watch the 60-day response window.

SB 2A requires carriers to respond to first-party claims within 60 days of notice (subject to specific exceptions). Failure to respond can establish bad faith. Track the dates and document any delay.

If the carrier underpays, delays, or denies, the next steps include § 624.155 pre-suit notice (the statutory prerequisite for bad-faith claims), appraisal for amount-of-loss disputes, or a coverage suit. See the first-party insurance practice for the full process.

Quick reference

1. Give SB 2A notice. Notify the insurer within one year of loss; get written confirmation.
2. Document damage. Photograph and video everything before any cleanup.
3. Mitigate further damage. Tarp, dry, and protect — save all receipts.
4. Review any AOB. Have any assignment of benefits reviewed before signing.
5. Track the 60-day response. Calendar the SB 2A response deadline and document delays.

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