Homeowners insurance in Seminole comes down to a few things Florida carriers now look at hard: how old your roof is, what your inspections say, and which hurricane deductible you pick. Brown Insurance Services has been in Seminole for more than 50 years, in the Regions Bank building on 113th Street N. We’re independent, so we compare 80+ carriers instead of selling you one.
Hurricanes Helene and Milton hit two weeks apart in 2024. The Tampa Bay Times reported damage to hundreds of single-family homes in the city, nearly $25 million by the city manager’s count, and called it the worst storm damage in Seminole’s history. That is the job homeowners insurance in Seminole gets hired for.
A standard Florida homeowners policy (HO-3) pays for the coverages below. It does not pay for flood. Storm surge and rising water need their own policy. Our page on flood insurance in Seminole covers how that works here, including a discount some Seminole addresses get and others don’t.
The house itself, roof included.
Fences, sheds and a detached garage.
Furniture, clothes and electronics.
Hotel and living costs while the house is repaired.
If someone is hurt on your property and you’re held responsible.
Small medical bills for guests hurt at your home, regardless of fault.
Roof age is the first question every carrier asks. Florida law gives you some protection (s. 627.7011):
Have your roof permit date ready when you call. A permit date beats a guess. Older homes may also need a 4-point inspection (roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC). We’ll tell you up front which carriers want one, so you only pay for the inspections that matter.
Florida insurers have to offer hurricane deductible choices, usually 2%, 5% or 10% of your dwelling limit. Lower dwelling limits can also have a $500 option. The percentage is of the dwelling limit, not the claim. On a $350,000 dwelling limit, a 2% deductible is $7,000 out of pocket before the policy pays on a hurricane claim.
The hurricane deductible applies once per calendar year if you stay with the same carrier group, which matters in a year like 2024 with two storms. Move to a different carrier group mid-year and the full deductible can apply again. A higher deductible lowers the premium, but pick a number you could actually write a check for in October.
A wind mitigation inspection documents how your house is built to hold up in a storm: roof shape, how the roof deck is nailed down, how the roof is tied to the walls, any secondary water barrier, and opening protection like impact windows or shutters. Carriers give credits for those features.
Florida’s inspection form is the OIR-B1-1802, updated April 1, 2026. A completed form is good for up to five years, as long as the house isn’t materially changed. If yours is older than that, or you’ve added a roof, shutters or impact windows since, get a new one before your renewal.
First, Citizens requires flood coverage on every personal residential policy with wind coverage by January 1, 2027, whatever the house is worth. The details are on our Citizens flood requirement page. Second, Citizens is the state’s insurer of last resort. At every renewal we check whether a private carrier will write your home and show you the comparison.
Straight answers to what Seminole homeowners ask us most.
No. Flood, including storm surge, is excluded from Florida homeowners policies. You need a separate NFIP or private flood policy.
The usual levers are an updated wind mitigation inspection, a newer roof, a hurricane deductible you can afford, bundling auto or umbrella, and a clean claims history. We’ll show you what each one actually changes on your quote.
If the roof is under 15 years old, age alone isn’t a legal reason to drop you. If it’s 15 or older, ask for the inspection option. Then call us. Some carriers are more flexible on roofs than others.
Your address, the roof year or permit date, your current declarations page, and your wind mitigation and 4-point reports if you have them.
We write homeowners insurance in Seminole and across Pinellas, including Bay Pines, Kenneth City, Largo, Madeira Beach, Redington Beach and Indian Rocks Beach.
Call (727) 586-1601 or send us your address and current declarations page. We’ll compare carriers and walk you through the options.
Brown Insurance Services
7800 113th St N, Suite 201, Seminole, FL 33772 (in the Regions Bank building)
(727) 586-1601
