Before you call
The Question to Answer Before You Call the Carrier
Filing is not free. A denial still sits on your loss history, and Florida carriers have become notably less forgiving about claim frequency.
Photographs, moisture readings and a written scope. If you should not file a claim, that is what you will be told.
File when
These are the conditions where filing is straightforwardly the right call.
- The damage is clearly and substantially above your deductible.
- It was sudden and identifiable rather than gradual.
- A named storm or documented event caused it.
- The repair is beyond what you would comfortably pay directly.
Do not file when
These are the situations where a claim costs you and recovers nothing. It is worth being honest with yourself here, because the contractor standing in your kitchen has an incentive not to be.
- The damage sits below, or barely above, your deductible — remember Florida wind deductibles are often a percentage, not a flat sum.
- It is wear, age or maintenance rather than a sudden covered event.
- It is a slow leak in a property that was empty, where seepage exclusions likely apply.
- You have filed recently and are worried about non-renewal.
The deadline, which changed
Florida law now requires notice of a new or reopened claim within one year of the date of loss, and a supplemental claim within eighteen months. Both were shortened in 2022, so guidance from a few years ago is wrong.
This catches people out constantly, because damage that seemed minor at the time becomes significant later — by which point the window may have closed. If a storm touched your property, get it assessed while the clock is still running, even if you do not intend to file.
What we will tell you
We will give you our honest read on whether the damage is likely to be treated as covered, and we will say when we think you should not file. We lose work to that advice regularly.
What we will not do is tell you what your carrier will decide, because we do not know, and neither does any contractor who claims to.
FAQ
Common questions
- Does a denied claim still count against me?
- It can appear on your loss history, which is exactly why filing a marginal claim is a real decision rather than a free option.
- What is a percentage deductible?
- Florida wind deductibles are commonly a percentage of the dwelling value rather than a flat figure, so they are often much larger than people remember.
- How long do I have?
- One year from the date of loss for a new or reopened claim, eighteen months for a supplemental. Shortened in 2022.
- Will you tell me not to file?
- Regularly, when that is the honest answer.
Next step
Find out what is actually wrong with it.
An inspection, photographs of what we found, and a written scope. If the honest answer is that it can wait another season, that is the answer you will get.