How Much is Flood Insurance in Florida?

Only 43% of the 2.5 million properties in Florida's special flood hazard area, which has been designated by FEMA and has a one in four chance of flooding over the course of a 30-year mortgage, are covered by flood insurance.

Floods from storm surges following a hurricane, river and coastal flooding, and severe rains are not often covered by a conventional homeowner's insurance policy. Florida citizens should think about acquiring flood insurance to remedy this crucial coverage gap.

How much does Florida flood insurance cost?

According to our analysis of NFIP data, the average annual cost of flood insurance in Florida is $785, which is about 6% more expensive than the national average. The flood risk of your property, its design, and elevation, whether you have coverage through the NFIP or a private firm, and a number of other factors will all affect your individual premiums.

The average cost of flood insurance in Florida cities ranges from $194 annually to $3,877. While Key West, Sanibel, and other locations with greater exposure have noticeably higher rates, coastal cities like Miami have very low flood insurance premiums. In general, if you reside in a high-risk flood zone, or an area where there is at least a 1% annual probability of flooding, your flood insurance rates will be higher.

By consulting the FEMA's flood maps, you may determine which flood zone your home is in. If you live in one of those areas and have a mortgage on your home, you might be required to purchase flood insurance. Any zone with an A or V is thought to be high risk.

What does Florida flood insurance cover?

Two primary coverages are included in every regular flood insurance policy offered by the NFIP, and they can be purchased jointly or separately.

Coverage for building property: Pays to fix or rebuild your home or garage if they are damaged by flooding. The NFIP's building property coverage limit is $250,000, so no matter how much damage is done, that's the most you'll be reimbursed for repairs.

Personal property insurance: Covers the cost of repairing or replacing your possessions if a flood damages them. This applies to all of your possessions, such as furniture, electronics, clothing, and other goods. The NFIP's $100,000 maximum personal property coverage limit.

Additionally, each plan has a different out-of-pocket deductible, which is the sum you are responsible for paying before your insurance begins to pay. This implies that if both your home and your possessions are damaged as a result of the same flood, you must submit two separate claims with two separate deductibles.

NFIP coverage as opposed to private flood insurance

As a more affordable (and superior) option to federal flood insurance, many Florida homeowners are switching to private flood insurance.

In contrast to the strictly regulated NFIP, private flood insurance typically offers larger coverage limits, more extensive coverage options, and other benefits. This covers coverage for things like replacement cost coverage for your personal goods, and additional living expenses to pay for hotel stays, or restaurant meals if your house is severely destroyed and you have to escape.

In Florida, do I require flood insurance?

You will need flood insurance to protect your house and possessions in the event of a flood as a typical home insurance policy does not cover floods. You will be responsible for any repairs or cleanup charges if your home floods and you don't have this coverage.

Florida doesn't have a law requiring flood insurance, but if you live in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), as defined by FEMA, and you have a mortgage through a federally-supported lender (FHA, VA, USDA loans, or any mortgage backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac), you must have coverage. For each Florida county, the total number of housing units and the proportion of all dwellings located in high-risk flood zones are shown.

Florida-based flood insurance providers

Be sure to compare prices from the NFIP and private flood insurance plans when you're ready to get flood insurance. If you have homeowners insurance, your company probably provides flood coverage through the NFIP, but it may also provide a private flood insurance alternative.

If it doesn't, you might compare private flood insurance plans offered by up to 31 different Florida businesses. If you believe you are overpaying for your NFIP coverage, one of the following Florida flood insurance providers may offer prices that are much lower:

• AIG

• United States banks

• Continuity in America

• National American

• Modern American

• Continuity in America

• ASI

• Anchor

• Centauri

• Cincinnati

• Edison

• UPC

• Chubb

• FedNat

• Sunshine Peninsula

• Owners' Preference

• NatGen

• Castle Hill

• Prepare

• Progressive

• A safe haven

• SafePoint

• Safety first

• Oak Southern

• TypTap

• Universal

• Coastal US

• Weston

What Affects Florida Flood Insurance Rates?

Here’s a look at some of the most critical contributing aspects that will effect the cost of flood insurance premiums in Florida:

Height of Your Residence

The elevation of your home is a significant component in calculating your rate. Your local government likely possesses a flood elevation certificate for your property, whether you realise it or not.

This document is used by the NFIP to compare the height of your home to the height that floodwaters would reach if your property flooded. Your home's Base Flood Elevation is what this is known as (BFE).

Since your home has a lower likelihood of being damaged by floodwaters, you'll typically pay less for flood insurance the higher your residence is above the BFE.

The Coverage and Deductible You Select

The NFIP has stringent insurance limitations of $100,000 for personal property coverage and $250,000 for housing coverage. You'll probably spend more than someone who simply need $100,000 in home protection and $25,000 in personal property coverage if you want the maximum amount of coverage.

Private flood insurers have bigger insurance limits, which may be useful. However, keep in mind that the more coverage you require, the higher the cost. Limits north of $1 million can be provided by private businesses for both the house's structure and your possessions.

Your deductible affects your premium as well. You can select the deductible you want to pay while requesting estimates. It will probably be $1,000 or $1,250 with the NFIP, but you can choose a considerably greater amount with private insurance.

Deductibles in the tens of thousands of dollars are offered by some businesses. In general, the greater deductible you select will result in a cheaper premium because you'll be choosing to pay for more expenses out of cash.

Your Flood Zone

The NFIP is managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA generates flood zone maps for each region of each state in order to calculate flood occurrence rates across the nation. The risk of a zone experiencing flooding in a particular year determines how the flood zones are arranged.

You can image what a huge work it would be to keep accurate flood maps for the entire nation. As a result, the zones are frequently changing, and many of FEMA's maps are outdated. On the FEMA website, you can keep track of any changes to your flood zone. You may probably find information on flood insurance and flood zones on the websites of your local city or county.