Florida Homeowners Insurance: What Winter Park Homeowners Should Know Right Now

The private market is also turning over policies more than it used to. Florida's statewide non-renewal rate ran around 3.35 percent in 2026, a third straight year of elevated turnover, and roof age is the most commonly cited reason. Two bills that would have barred insurers from non-renewing a policy solely because of roof age, HB 815 and SB 808, died in committee in March 2026, so roof age remains a real factor in underwriting.

What that means practically: if your roof is older, get an inspection and keep the documentation. A roof with years of life left, verified by a licensed roofer, is the strongest answer to an underwriter's questions. If your roof is near the end of its life, that is a conversation worth having before you list your home, because the same question will come up for the buyer's policy too.

A hurricane deductible is different from your everyday deductible. It is calculated as a percentage of your dwelling coverage, the amount your policy would pay to rebuild the house, not as a flat dollar amount, and it applies only to damage from a named hurricane. Under Florida law, insurers must offer hurricane deductible options of $500, 2 percent, 5 percent, and 10 percent of the dwelling limit. For homes insured at $250,000 or more, the $500 option does not have to be offered, so 2, 5, and 10 percent are the realistic choices for most Winter Park homes.

To make it concrete: on a home with $400,000 of dwelling coverage, a 2 percent hurricane deductible is $8,000, and a 5 percent deductible is $20,000. That is the amount you pay out of pocket before hurricane coverage begins. The deductible applies once per calendar year to all hurricane damage combined, not once per storm, and it appears on your declarations page as both a percentage and a dollar amount.

One more thing that surprises people: a standard homeowners policy does not cover flood or storm surge. That requires a separate flood policy, usually through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private flood carrier, and it matters for lakefront and low-lying Winter Park homes in particular. The National Flood Insurance Program is reauthorized only through December 11, 2026, so I wrote a full guide to flood insurance and what that deadline means for Winter Park buyers and sellers.

With all the attention on non-renewals, it is easy to miss the good news. Citizens' multiperil rates dropped an average of 8.7 percent statewide for 2026, a decrease approved in January, with more than 330,000 policyholders seeing lower premiums and more than 150,000 seeing cuts of 10 percent or more. The 2022 litigation reform law, SB 2-A, is the main driver, and reinsurance costs have been coming down as well.

That does not mean every policy is cheaper. Your own renewal will depend on your carrier, your claims history, and your roof. But the direction of the market has shifted, which is worth knowing when you shop.

Insurance is part of your home's story now, the same way a new roof or a renovated kitchen is. A buyer will need to get their own coverage, and the cost of that coverage affects what they can afford and how confidently they move forward. A home that is easy to insure, with a documented roof and no lingering claim issues, is a home that is easier to sell.

If you are considering a sale, part of preparing is understanding your insurance picture and having your policy and roof documentation ready before you list. I help sellers get their home positioned well, and insurance is one of the details we talk through on the selling side.

For buyers, insurance is part of the monthly cost of ownership, not an afterthought. Before you settle on a home, it is worth knowing what coverage will cost and whether the roof will qualify with today's carriers. A home that looks affordable on paper can carry a very different monthly number once premiums and a hurricane deductible are in the picture.

The good news is that this is all knowable before you commit. Your insurance agent can quote a policy from the address and the home's details, and that quote belongs in your budget alongside taxes and HOA fees. When you are ready to look, we can start with the homes themselves and work through the full cost picture together on the buying side.