Can't Get Homeowners Insurance In Florida? Here's What To Do

You got a non-renewal notice, or you’re shopping for coverage and every carrier is declining you. Usually it’s the roof. Sometimes it’s the plumbing, the electrical panel, or the age of the house.

This is one of the most Florida-specific problems there is, and it has real consequences: a house that can’t be insured generally can’t be sold to a financed buyer, because no lender will fund a mortgage without insurance.

Here’s what’s going on and what you can actually do.

Why Florida insurers are declining you

Florida homeowners pay roughly $7,100 to $10,200 a year for property insurance - about 181% above the national average. After years of losses, carriers tightened underwriting dramatically. The usual triggers:

Roof age. The single most common reason. Asphalt shingle roofs over 15 years old get heavy scrutiny; over 20–25 years, many carriers simply decline.

Failed 4-point inspection. Most carriers require one for homes 20 years or older. It covers four systems: roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC.

Specific known problems:

• Polybutylene plumbing (roughly 1978–1995) - near-automatic decline from most carriers
• Federal Pacific Stab-Lok or Zinsco electrical panels - known fire hazards, near-automatic decline
• Aluminum branch wiring (1965–1973) - decline unless properly remediated
• Knob and tube wiring
• Cast iron drain pipes - common in older Central Florida homes and increasingly scrutinized
• Water heaters over 15–20 years old
• HVAC over 15–20 years old

Open claims history - multiple claims in three to five years.

Vacancy. Most policies limit or void coverage after 30–60 days of vacancy. This blindsides people handling inherited houses constantly. See selling an inherited house in Florida.

Your legal protection on roof age - know this

Florida law gives you a specific right that a lot of homeowners don’t know about.

An insurer cannot refuse to issue or renew a policy solely because of roof age if the roof is less than 15 years old.

Once a roof reaches 15 years, an insurer may require an inspection before issuing or renewing. But even then - if an authorized inspector certifies the roof has at least 5 years of useful life remaining, the insurer cannot deny coverage based solely on age.

So if you were non-renewed over roof age: get an independent roof inspection. If it certifies five or more years of remaining useful life, you have a documented basis to push back. A $150–$300 inspection can save a $20,000 roof replacement.

Send the certification to the carrier in writing and ask them to reconsider. If they still decline, you can file a complaint with the Florida Department of Financial Services (1-877-693-5236) or the Office of Insurance Regulation.

Citizens Property Insurance

Citizens is Florida’s state-backed insurer of last resort. You generally qualify only if you can’t get comparable private coverage or private premiums are more than 20% higher.

Citizens has its own roof rules:

• Asphalt shingle, tile, and metal roofs: generally must be under 25 years old
• Flat or modified bitumen: generally under 15 years
• Exceptions where an inspection shows at least 5 years of remaining useful life

Citizens is a genuine option, but it comes with the depopulation program - private carriers can take your policy out of Citizens, and if the offer is within the statutory threshold you may be required to accept it.

Good news for 2026

The market has actually improved. Following the 2022–2023 tort reform legislation, several carriers have filed rate decreases in the 5–10% range, and new insurers have entered or re-entered Florida.

If you were declined 18 months ago, shop again. The carrier list is genuinely different now. Use an independent agent who writes for multiple carriers - they see the whole market, including smaller carriers that don’t advertise.

What to do, in order

1. Read the non-renewal notice. It must state the reason. That tells you what to fix.

2. Get an independent inspection. Roof, 4-point, and wind mitigation. The wind mitigation report can also earn significant discounts for hip roofs, roof-to-wall connections, impact windows, and secondary water resistance. Many homeowners are overpaying because they never submitted one.

3. Push back if it’s roof age and you have life left. Use the 5-year certification.

4. Shop with an independent agent. Multiple carriers, including surplus lines.

5. Get a Citizens quote if the private market declines you.

6. Fix the specific disqualifier. Sometimes it’s cheap:

• Electrical panel replacement: $1,500–$3,000
• Water heater: $800–$2,000
• Re-pipe from polybutylene: $4,000–$10,000
• Roof replacement: $12,000–$30,000+

7. Don’t go without coverage. If you have a mortgage, the lender will force-place insurance - expensive, and it only protects them, not your belongings or your liability.

What this means if you want to sell

This is the part that matters for your decision.

An uninsurable house effectively can’t be sold to a buyer using a mortgage. No insurance means no loan. That eliminates most of the retail market.

Your realistic options:

Fix it, then list. A new roof costs $12,000–$30,000 but typically returns much of that in sale price and reopens the entire financed-buyer pool. If you have the money or can get a roof financed, this is usually the best return.

List it as-is and accept a cash-only buyer pool. Legal and fine, just a much smaller pool and a lower price. Some agents will do this; many aren’t set up for it.

Sell directly to a cash buyer. Cash buyers don’t need insurance to close - no lender, no requirement. The price reflects the condition, but it closes and you stop carrying an uninsured asset.

The honest comparison

Replace the roof and list when you can fund it and the rest of the house is solid. A $20,000 roof on a $340,000 house usually pencils out and you’ll net more.

Sell as-is when you can’t fund the roof, the house needs multiple disqualifying repairs, you’ve already been declined and can’t get coverage at all, or an uninsured loss is a risk you can’t absorb.

That last point deserves weight. Carrying an uninsured Florida house through hurricane season is a real gamble. If a storm takes the roof and you have no coverage, the loss is total and it’s yours. That risk belongs in the math.

What you must disclose

Under Johnson v. Davis, Florida sellers must disclose known material facts affecting value that aren’t readily observable. Insurance non-renewal, roof age and condition, polybutylene plumbing, and known electrical hazards are material. Disclose them.

Buyers find these in their own 4-point inspection anyway. Disclosing up front costs you a little price and saves you a lawsuit.

Frequently asked questions

Can an insurance company drop me because of my roof age in Florida? Not if the roof is under 15 years old. Over 15, they can require an inspection - but they can’t deny solely on age if an authorized inspector certifies at least 5 years of remaining useful life.

What is a 4-point inspection? An inspection of roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC, generally required by Florida carriers for homes 20+ years old. Costs $100–$200.

What is a wind mitigation inspection? An inspection documenting wind-resistant features. It typically saves you money - often hundreds per year. Get one even if you’re not required to.

Can I sell a house I can’t insure in Florida? Yes, but generally only to a cash buyer. Financed buyers need insurance to get a loan.

Does polybutylene plumbing make a house uninsurable? Most Florida carriers decline it. A re-pipe ($4,000–$10,000) resolves it and restores your options.

What is Citizens Insurance? Florida’s state-backed insurer of last resort, available when private coverage isn’t obtainable or costs more than 20% above Citizens.

Is Florida insurance getting better? Somewhat. Several carriers filed 5–10% rate decreases after tort reform and new insurers entered the market in 2026. If you were declined more than a year ago, shop again.

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General information about Florida insurance regulation, not legal or insurance advice. Rules and carrier appetites change. Contact the Florida Department of Financial Services at 1-877-693-5236 for free consumer assistance.

Beach Bums Real Estate buys houses for cash in Orlando and Central Florida - including homes that can’t be insured or financed. Call (689) 249-4888. If a new roof would let you list and net more, we’ll tell you that instead.