Florida Insurance: All Your Needs in One Place

If you own a house in Florida, a suitable homeowners insurance policy can help to protect your investment and your finances in times of trouble. In Florida, home insurance can cover:

• Property loss and damage: Dwelling insurance covers the structure of your home and contents insurance covers your personal property.  
• Expenses associated with displacement: Loss of use insurance covers extra living costs if your home is severely damaged by a covered event and you must seek other accommodations.
• Costs related to liability lawsuits: Homeowners liability insurance provides coverage if you or a member of your family is responsible for another person experiencing an injury, property damage, financial loss, or other harm.

Local independent insurance agents can help you decide on sufficient coverage limits in each coverage category.

Vehicle owners in Florida need to carry car insurance. Your policy must meet or exceed the state’s minimum coverage requirements, which means it must include:

• Property damage liability insurance (PDL): This covers other people’s property damage if you cause a collision. Your policy must include at least $10,000 of PDL coverage.
• Personal injury protection insurance (PIP): This covers the treatment of injuries sustained by you and your passengers if you are injured in a collision, regardless of fault. Your policy must include at least $10,000 of PIP coverage.

One coverage type that is notably missing from the state’s requirements is bodily injury liability insurance (BIL). Florida and New Hampshire are the only states that do not require residents to carry BIL.

In addition to the coverage that is required by law, you can include several coverage options in your car insurance policy. Some of the options you are likely to see offered by insurance companies in Florida include collision insurance, comprehensive insurance, bodily injury liability insurance, uninsured motorist insurance, gap insurance, and towing and roadside assistance.

A local independent insurance agent can help you determine which types of optional coverage are a good fit for you.

Business insurance can help companies of all sizes remain profitable in the face of a disaster. As a business owner in this state, you will either purchase a business owners policy (BOP) or a traditional business insurance policy package.

• Business owners policy: These policies are designed for small, low-risk businesses that have fewer than 100 employees and less than $1 million in annual revenues. While they are the least expensive option, these policies have relatively low coverage limits and only provide general liability insurance, commercial property insurance, and business interruption insurance.
• Business insurance policy package: These packages are the appropriate choice for medium- and large-sized companies and small businesses that have high risks. Business owners can pick and choose from dozens of commercial insurance policies to build a policy package that is customized to their company’s specific coverage needs.

If you own a company in Florida, talk to a local independent insurance agent for help obtaining the best coverage at the most competitive price.

Workers’ compensation insurance is designed to cover associated costs if a worker is injured on the job or is diagnosed with occupational illnesses. It pays for things like medical treatment, disability pay, and vocational rehabilitation.

In Florida, all businesses in the construction industry and all other businesses that have four or more employees are required to carry worker’s compensation insurance. Exceptions are made for some employers in the agricultural industry.

Workers’ compensation insurance policies may be purchased from any commercial insurance provider that is licensed to write policies in Florida. With approval, some businesses may opt to self-insure.

Residents of Florida can purchase insurance products that are designed to protect against losses caused by many of the damaging hazards they are likely to encounter. In Florida, common risks include:

• Severe weather: Including hazards like windstorms, thunderstorms, and tropical storms.
• Falling objects: Such as uprooted trees, fallen branches, and hailstones.
• Accidental fires: Including flames, smoke, and firefighting efforts.
• Catastrophic events: Some disasters need to be covered by specialized insurance policies. Residents of Florida have a risk of:
  • Hurricanes: These storms are among the most damaging risks in FL.
  • Floods: Around 36% of properties in FL have a significant risk of flood damage.
  • Wildfires: Wildfires pose a risk to around 83% of properties in FL.
  • Tornadoes: An average of 66 tornadoes touch down in Florida every year.
• Property crimes: These include crimes like burglary, vandalism, and arson.

Because independent insurance agents live and work in your community, they are aware of the risks you face as a property or business owner in your Florida city. Talk to an independent insurance agent near you for assistance with ensuring you are suitably covered against all potential hazards.

More than 2.3 million properties in Florida have a significant risk of sustaining flood damage over the next 30 years. However, flood damage is excluded from the coverage offered by nearly all homeowners, renters, and business insurance policies. This is true even if the flood is the direct result of a covered hurricane.

That is why it is a good idea to supplement your property coverage with flood insurance. Affordable policies are available through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), a program administered by FEMA.

If your property is located in a flood zone and you are still paying on a mortgage, your lender will require you to carry coverage against floods. Otherwise, flood insurance is optional. When deciding whether or not to purchase a policy, consider that the average compensation per flood claim in Florida is $28,900.

Although some landlords and rental agencies mandate that their tenants carry renters insurance, this is the exception rather than the rule. In most cases, renters insurance is optional.

Whether or not renters insurance is required, it is a good idea to purchase a policy. This valuable coverage is designed to protect against financial losses related to property damage, theft, displacement, and liability lawsuits.

In Florida, the average renters insurance policy costs just $188 a year. At just over $15 a month, many find this to be surprisingly affordable given all the protections a policy can offer. Talk to a local independent insurance agent to learn more.

Umbrella insurance is a secondary insurance policy that is designed to significantly boost the liability coverage you already have. Because umbrella insurance policies do not kick in until your primary insurance coverage has been exhausted, these policies are generally very affordable.

Personal umbrella insurance policies are typically sold in million-dollar increments and cost residents of Florida around $250 a year for every million dollars in coverage purchased. Commercial umbrella insurance, on the other hand, typically costs Florida business owners about $500 a year for every million dollars in coverage purchased.

If you are a resident of Florida who has a lot to lose, you may want to talk to a local independent insurance agent to learn more about umbrella insurance coverage.

When you are shopping for any type of insurance, you are likely to have a lot of questions. Independent insurance agents can provide answers.

These agents can help you determine how much coverage you need, explain the various insurance terms and options you are likely to encounter, and shop around to find you the best and most affordable policies.

When you are looking for the best Florida insurance companies to meet your coverage needs, look no further than a local independent insurance agent. With more than 1,500 independent agencies located throughout the state of Florida, it should be easy to find an experienced agent near you.