Most Florida homeowners policies carry two deductibles: a flat all-other-perils deductible for everyday claims, and a separate hurricane deductible expressed as a percentage of your dwelling coverage.
Homeowners routinely discover the second one after a storm. It is the single largest out-of-pocket number in the policy, and it's set by a choice you make at purchase.
Key takeaways
- Hurricane deductibles are a percentage of dwelling coverage, not the claim amount.
- 2% on a $500,000 home is $10,000 out of pocket; 5% is $25,000.
- Non-hurricane damage uses the lower flat deductible.
- Flood damage is never covered by the homeowners policy, regardless of deductible.
How the math works
The hurricane deductible is a percentage of Coverage A — your dwelling limit — not of the claim. On a home insured for $500,000:
- 2% deductible = $10,000 out of pocket before the policy pays
- 5% deductible = $25,000 out of pocket before the policy pays
- 10% deductible = $50,000 out of pocket before the policy pays
When it applies — and when it doesn't
The hurricane deductible is triggered by windstorm damage during a hurricane event, which in Florida generally runs from the time hurricane conditions are declared for any part of the state until 72 hours after the last watch or warning ends.
Damage outside that window — a tree limb through the roof during a summer thunderstorm, a burst pipe, a kitchen fire — falls under your standard all-other-perils deductible, which is usually a flat $1,000 to $2,500.
It applies once per calendar year
Florida law generally applies the hurricane deductible once per calendar year for a given policy. If a second named storm damages the same home later in the season, the lower all-other-perils deductible typically applies to that second claim.
That's meaningful in an active season, and it's a detail worth confirming on your specific policy form.
Choosing your percentage honestly
A 5% deductible produces a lower premium than 2%. That trade is only sound if the difference is money you can actually produce after a storm — when contractors want deposits, and when everyone in the county is calling the same roofers.
The test we use with clients: if a hurricane hit tomorrow, could you write the deductible check this week without borrowing? If the answer is no, the premium savings aren't savings. They're a deferred bill.
Flood is still separate
Whatever your hurricane deductible is, it applies to wind damage. Rising water — storm surge, street flooding, an overwhelmed canal — is excluded from every standard homeowners policy and requires separate flood insurance through the NFIP or a private carrier, with its own deductible.
See how Florida home coverage is built
We'll quote 2% and 5% side by side so the trade-off is visible.
Frequently asked questions
This guide is general information for Florida consumers, not a policy or legal advice. Coverage terms vary by carrier and policy form — your declarations page controls. Last reviewed July 26, 2026.