7 Days — Acknowledge
Your insurer must review and acknowledge your claim communication within 7 calendar days, unless it simply pays within that time.
Hurricane insurance claim deadlines in Florida — and how to beat them
Published July 6, 2026 · By the Armada Public Adjusting team
Florida gives you exactly one year to put a hurricane claim on the record — and the clock starts at landfall, not the day you find the damage. Here is every deadline that matters, the clock your insurer is on, and the prep that makes your claim hard to shortchange.
Part one · The deadlines
Two deadlines. One clock. It starts at landfall.
Florida rewrote its hurricane claim deadlines in December 2022, and the current rules are unforgiving. Miss a window and even a legitimate, fully covered loss can be barred forever.
Under Florida Statute 627.70132, notice of a new property insurance claim must reach your insurer within one year of the date of loss — and for hurricanes, the statute defines the date of loss as the date the storm made landfall, not the day you first noticed the damage. For tornadoes, windstorms and severe rain, it is the date the event is verified by NOAA.
The same one-year bar applies to reopened claims — claims the insurer previously closed that you ask to reopen for additional costs on damage you already disclosed. Supplemental claims get longer: if you find additional damage from the same storm while completing repairs on a timely filed claim, notice must be given within 18 months of the date of loss.
Miss those windows and the statute is blunt: the claim is barred. The carrier does not have to show the late notice hurt its investigation — the deadline does the work by itself. So our advice never changes: give notice early, even while you are still assessing. Notice preserves the claim; documentation can follow. If a storm hit your property, start with our hurricane damage claim guide.
0
Landfall — Day Zero
The hurricane makes landfall. That is your official date of loss, and every deadline below counts from this day.
1
1 Year — New Claims
Notice of a new hurricane claim must reach your insurer within 1 year of landfall — in accordance with your policy's terms.
2
1 Year — Reopened Claims
Asking the carrier to reopen a closed claim for additional costs falls under the same 1-year bar as a new claim.
3
18 Months — Supplemental
Additional damage from the same storm, found while repairs are underway on a timely claim, must be noticed within 18 months.
The other clock
Your insurer is on a deadline too
Deadlines cut both ways. Florida Statute 627.70131 puts your insurance company on its own clock — and knowing it keeps the pressure where it belongs.
7 Days — Investigate
Within 7 days of receiving your proof-of-loss statement, the carrier must begin the investigation needed to adjust the claim.
30 Days — Inspect
If the investigation involves a physical inspection, the carrier's licensed adjuster must inspect within 30 days of receiving your proof of loss.
60 Days — Pay or Deny
The insurer must pay or deny your claim — in whole or in part — within 60 days of notice. Late payments accrue statutory interest.
There are exceptions — factors beyond the insurer's control can extend some of these timeframes. But if your carrier is drifting past these marks with no explanation, that silence is a strategy. Document every call, keep every letter, and put a professional on it before the file goes cold.
Part two · Before the season
The claim you win is the one you prepped in May
The strongest hurricane claims in Florida are built before the storm has a name. Five things to do while the sky is still blue.
Build a photo & video inventory
Walk every room, open every closet, film the roof, lanai and fences. Date-stamped "before" footage is the strongest evidence a hurricane claim can have.
Know your hurricane deductible
Florida insurers must generally offer hurricane deductible options of $500, 2%, 5% or 10% of your dwelling coverage (the $500 option isn't required once a home is insured for $250,000 or more). On a $400,000 home, the gap between 2% and 10% is $32,000 out of pocket.
Check water & mold sublimits
Many Florida policies cap water damage or mold remediation at low sublimits. Learn your caps before a storm tests them, not after.
Remember: flood is separate
Homeowners policies exclude rising water — flood claims need their own policy, and NFIP policies typically carry a 30-day waiting period. Buying one when a storm is named is already too late.
Store your policy off-site
Cloud storage or a relative's house — you will need the declarations page when your own paperwork is soaked.
Not sure what your policy actually covers? We read it for free.
A free policy review before storm season exposes the deductible, sublimit and exclusion traps before a claim ever tests them. English and Spanish — serving all 67 Florida counties from Spring Hill.
Get a free policy review
Part three · After landfall
The first 72 hours decide the claim
What you do in the days after a hurricane determines what your settlement looks like months later. Six moves, in order.
1. Safety first
Do not re-enter until it's safe. Structural damage, downed power lines and gas leaks kill more people after Florida hurricanes than during them.
2. Document before you touch
Photograph and video every bit of damage before tarping, drying or debris removal. The carrier only pays for what the record shows.
3. Mitigate & keep receipts
Tarp the roof, dry the water, stop the loss from growing — your policy requires it. Every tarp, fan and hotel night is a claimable expense.
4. Give notice fast
Written notice starts your insurer's response clock under 627.70131 — and stops the one-year filing deadline from ever becoming a threat.
5. Don't sign an AOB blindly
Contractors may push an assignment-of-benefits agreement at your door. Never sign away control of your claim without understanding exactly what you're giving up.
6. Call a public adjuster early
Ideally before the carrier's adjuster visits. Their adjuster works for the insurance company — a public adjuster works only for you.
Deadline FAQ
Florida hurricane claim deadline questions
Straight answers on filing windows, dates of loss and your insurer's obligations.
Under Florida Statute 627.70132, you have 1 year from the date of loss to give your insurer
notice of a new hurricane claim — and for hurricanes, the date of loss is the date the storm
made landfall. Reopened claims share the same 1-year window. Supplemental claims — additional
damage from the same storm found while repairs are underway — must be noticed within 18 months
of the date of loss.
For hurricanes, Florida law sets the date of loss as the date the hurricane made landfall.
For tornadoes, windstorms, severe rain and other weather events, it is the date the event is
verified by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It is not the day you
discovered the damage — which is why slow-to-surface damage makes early inspection so important.
The statute says a claim noticed late is barred — the carrier can refuse to pay it entirely,
no matter how legitimate the damage is. If you are close to the deadline, give notice now,
even if the damage is not fully documented yet; you can supplement afterward. If you think
you have already missed it, have a licensed public adjuster or an attorney review the facts
before you assume the claim is dead.
Florida Statute 627.70131 requires your insurer to acknowledge your claim communication within
7 calendar days, begin its investigation within 7 days of receiving your proof-of-loss
statement, conduct any physical inspection within 30 days of receiving that proof of loss,
and pay or deny the claim — in whole or in part — within 60 days of receiving notice. Payments
made after the deadline accrue statutory interest.
This article is general information about Florida insurance deadlines as of July 2026 — it is not legal advice. Statutes change and every policy is different; for guidance on your specific claim, speak with a licensed professional.
Talk to a licensed Florida public adjuster — free inspection
Armada has recovered $30M+ for Florida policyholders. Fees are capped by state law — 20% of the claim payment, or 10% for claims from a Governor-declared emergency filed within a year of the declaration — and the inspection costs you nothing.
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