Florida's homeowners insurance market is one of the most complex in the country — Citizens Insurance, windstorm deductibles, roof age restrictions, and post-Ian market shifts all affect what you pay and what you're covered for. Bruno shops multiple carriers to build the right policy for your Naples home.
What It Covers
A standard Florida homeowners policy (HO-3) has several components. Knowing what each covers — and what it doesn't — is the difference between a policy that pays and one that leaves you short after a storm.
Covers the structure of your home — walls, roof, built-in appliances, and attached structures — against covered perils including wind, fire, and vandalism. Replacement Cost Value is strongly recommended over Actual Cash Value in SWFL.
Florida HO-3 policies cover wind damage from hurricanes and named storms — but with a separate windstorm deductible (typically 2–5% of insured value). This deductible applies each hurricane season, not per-claim in most cases.
Protects you if someone is injured on your property and sues you, or if you accidentally damage someone else's property. Standard limits are $100,000–$300,000. Consider an umbrella policy for additional protection.
Pays for hotel, rental, and additional living expenses if your home becomes uninhabitable due to a covered loss. After Hurricane Ian, many Naples families needed this coverage for months while their homes were repaired.
Florida Market Reality
Citizens Property Insurance Corporation is Florida's state-backed insurer of last resort. It was created for homeowners who genuinely cannot find private coverage — not as the cheapest default option. Many homeowners end up with Citizens simply because their agent didn't shop the private market thoroughly.
Citizens has real drawbacks: it can surcharge all Florida policyholders after a major storm season, its policies are often more restrictive than private alternatives, and the state can assess your premium retroactively. If you qualify for private market coverage, it's usually worth exploring.
As an independent agent, Bruno shops Citizens alongside private carriers for every client. In some cases Citizens is genuinely the best option — but that conclusion should come from comparison, not assumption.
Hurricane Ian reshaped the insurance market throughout Southwest Florida. Multiple carriers exited the Florida market entirely. Those that remained tightened underwriting requirements — especially around roof age, construction type, and elevation. Rates increased significantly across the board.
For Naples homeowners, this means the policy you had three years ago may no longer be available from the same carrier, at the same price, or with the same terms. An annual policy review is more important now than ever.
Roof age is the single most scrutinized factor. Many carriers now require roofs to be under 15 years old for full replacement cost coverage. Older roofs may only qualify for ACV settlement — meaning you'd receive depreciated value at claim time. See our home damage guide →
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Common Questions
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