After all of your hard work, you’ve finally achieved the dream of owning a home. It’s essential to safeguard this valuable investment by acquiring the right home insurance coverage—but what about flood insurance?

With rising and fluctuating home insurance costs, many homeowners are reluctant to add an additional policy, but living in Florida means you must always be prepared for the potential of floods from storms and hurricane season.

Not sure if you need flood insurance or how much you should have? Read on to learn more about flood coverage.

 

What Does Flood Insurance Cover in Florida?

Not all water damage is the same in the eyes of your insurance company. That’s why having a flood insurance policy is a so crucial.

Water damage because of a burst pipe, leaking water heater, or dripping faucet would fall under your homeowners insurance.

Your home insurance protects you so long as you are not found at fault for the water damage. If it’s determined that your pipes burst because you ignored maintenance requirements for them, your insurance will not cover you.

If your home floods because of a storm or hurricane however, you would need flood insurance to help you cover the damages to your home and any of your personal belongings.

It can help pay for the clean up of flood water, as well as replace appliances, carpeting, cabinets, and more that might’ve been damaged. So long as the damage was caused by flood waters, your flood insurance will help you recover from it.

This is a slight difference between home insurance and flood insurance. If your home suffers water damage because of a burst water heater, home insurance will help cover the damages and restoration of your home and belongings.

It’s crucial to know the differences between home and flood insurance so that you may properly file claims and know what to do if your claim is denied.

How Much Is Flood Insurance in Florida?

There is no rule stating if you’re not in a flood zone that you cannot purchase flood insurance. In fact, if you’re in a lower risk flood zone, your policy will likely be less expensive and still give you peace of mind. And the average cost of flood insurance in Florida is actually lower than you might think, $910 a year.

The cost of Florida flood insurance depends heavily on where your home is located, the age and worth of your home, as well as the value of the items you’re looking to protect. When discussing flood insurance with your insurance agent, be prepared to list your personal valuables like artwork and jewelry to determine how much coverage you may need. Like all insurance policies, the more coverage you want, the higher your premium will be.

If your home is located in a high-risk flood zone, it may be required for you to have flood insurance. Your particular insurance provider may also require you to have flood insurance regardless of where your home is located.

In the end, flood insurance in Florida is not as much of a financial burden as many homeowners think, and it can be well worth it in the end.

 

Is Flood Insurance Required in Florida?

As previously stated, certain insurance providers require policyholders to have additional flood coverage, and flood insurance is also mandated for high risk flood zones.

However, the truth is that flood insurance is an important coverage to have for every Florida homeowner, even if you are not required to have it. FEMA states that more than 30% of claims for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) are actually from low-risk flood zones.

While flood insurance is an added cost, it’s one most insurance industry professionals will highly recommend because of the peace of mind it provides. It’s relatively cheap compared to your home insurance policy and can cover a great amount of damage. Most flood policies have a waiting period before they take effect, so don’t wait until a major storm is on the radar to purchase. Getting flood insurance early is a crucial step to hurricane preparedness.

As with all insurance policies, it is best practice to be prepared for a disaster rather than wait for disaster to strike and be stuck paying for everything out of pocket.

Choosing the Right Flood Insurance for You

When deciding which type of insurance is best suited for your needs, it’s important to consider homeowners insurance and flood insurance side-by-side to make sure your property is covered in all situations.

Having both types of coverage can provide the best protection and peace of mind for Florida homeowners whether or not you’re on the coast or in a flood zone. At Brown Insurance Services, we believe you should never cut coverage for cost when it comes to your insurance. That’s why our agents will work to get you the exact amount of coverage you need at a price that fits your budget.

Let us sift through the dozens of policies for you, so you know exactly what your best options are.

Contact a Brown Insurance agent today to get the protection you need.