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Boca Raton, Delray Beach and the South County Coast: Home and Condo Insurance, Reviewed

By Harvey Wexelman

Answer paragraph

Who reviews home and condo insurance on the south Palm Beach County coast? Harvey Wexelman, Harvey the Insurance Broker, brings 30+ years in personal insurance to homes and condos from Boca Raton to Manalapan, and he lives just down the coast in Miami Beach. He checks five things: your hurricane deductible in dollars, your wind mitigation credits, your roof age, your FEMA flood zone and whether you need extra flood coverage on top of the $250,000 building cap from the federal flood program (NFIP), and, for condo owners, how your unit policy fits the association's policy.

What's different on this stretch

  • Hurricane deductible. Florida insurers must offer hurricane deductibles of $500, 2%, 5% and 10% of the dwelling limit, with some exceptions for higher-value homes, and must show the dollar amount on your declarations page, the summary page listing your coverages and limits (S4). The deductible applies once per calendar year, not once per storm, for policies with the same insurer or insurer group (S4).
  • Wind mitigation. A wind mitigation inspection records features like roof-to-wall connections and storm shutters. Florida requires insurers to offer discounts or deductible reductions for qualifying features (S5). A completed form is valid for up to five years if nothing material changes (S5).
  • Roofs. On homeowners policies, an insurer may not refuse to write or renew a home solely because its roof is under 15 years old. For an older roof, you can get an authorized inspection first, and if it shows 5 or more years of useful life left, roof age alone can't be the reason for a refusal (S6).
  • Flood. Many lots near the Intracoastal and the ocean sit in AE or VE zones. VE zones are where waves and fast-moving water can do the most damage; AE zones flood with waves under 3 feet (S3). The federal flood program (NFIP) tops out at $250,000 for the building and $100,000 for contents (S1). Look up your zone at FEMA's map center (S2).
  • Condos. Condo and co-op buildings three stories or taller need a structural milestone inspection once they turn 30, then every 10 years (S10). In unincorporated Palm Beach County, buildings within 3 miles of the coast are due at 25 (S11). Cities and towns run their own programs under the same state law, and some may use the 25-year date near salt water (S10). Associations with buildings three stories or taller must also do a structural reserve study at least every 10 years and generally can't waive those reserves (S12). Those rules can lead to special assessments. Loss assessment coverage on your unit policy can help pay your share of some of them (S13).

Citizens, the state-created insurer

Citizens Property Insurance is meant for owners who can't find coverage from a private insurer. If a private insurer offers comparable coverage at no more than 20% above the Citizens premium, you usually aren't eligible (S8). Homes with a dwelling replacement cost of $700,000 or more are generally not eligible. The limit is $1 million only in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties for now (S9). Citizens also requires flood insurance on most home policies with wind coverage, phased in by home value, and on all of them from Jan. 1, 2027. Condo unit owners, renters and policies without wind coverage are exempt (S7).

Who writes here

Some carriers focus on larger homes, and which ones will take a given home changes, so we check at each renewal.

FAQs

What does a 5% hurricane deductible mean on a Boca Raton home? It's 5% of your dwelling limit, and Florida requires the dollar amount on your declarations page (S4). It applies once per calendar year across hurricanes, so a second storm in the same year may only cost you what's left of it, or your regular deductible if that's higher (S4).

Does a wind mitigation inspection lower my premium? It may. Insurers must offer credits or deductible reductions for qualifying features (S5). How much depends on the insurer and what the inspector finds.

My condo building is over 25 years old. What should I check? Ask the association for its milestone inspection summary and reserve study (S10, S12), then check that your unit policy's loss assessment limit fits. Florida condo unit policies must include at least $2,000 of loss assessment coverage, for losses your policy covers (S13), and you can often buy more.

CTA

Want a plain-English read on your coastal home or condo? Book a 15-minute check-in: https://calendly.com/harveytheinsurancebroker/ask-harvey-15-minute-check-in or email harvey@harveytheinsurancebroker.com. Educational only. Coverage depends on the carrier, policy and underwriting.