Welcome to Florida!

Being a new home owner you may find understanding your Florida home insurance policy a little complex. Things like exclusions, add-ons and deciding whether you need windstorm or other disaster coverage may be confusing. Many standard home insurance policies consist of four different types of coverage. Here’s a basic overview of those four components:

• Dwelling. This part of your insurance usually helps protect against repair or replacement of your home’s structure. A detached garage is also typically covered by dwelling insurance.
• Household contents. The home contents part of your insurance policy is designed to offer financial compensation if your personal possessions, furniture and clothing are damaged or stolen. A standard policy may also provide coverage for some expensive items, but only up to a certain dollar limit. For unique collections, antique furniture or valuable jewelry it’s best to purchase additional coverage specifically for these items.
• Personal liability protection. This type of insurance is designed to protect you against the cost of a potential lawsuit in the event someone sustains an injury while on your property.
• Loss of use. This means if you need to find alternative housing while the insured damage to your home is being repaired, your insurance will usually help cover the costs involved. Often the amount of loss of use coverage depends on the policy you have purchased.

A standard Florida home insurance policy doesn’t extend coverage to damage due to flood or earthquake. These events may be covered by purchasing a separate insurance policy.