Best Flood Insurance in Florida for 2023 • Benzinga

• Best for Coverage Options: Neptune
• Best for Fast Coverage: TypTap
• Best for Coverage Limits: Tower Hill
• Best for Local Agents: Allstate

If you live in the Sunshine State, you know that Florida has its share of stormy weather as well as sunshine. Floods can result from hurricanes, tropical storms or even heavy rain that causes waters to rise. And it probably doesn’t help that much that the state was built on a swamp. 

Fortunately, flood insurance can help protect your Florida home. Here’s what you’ll need to know when choosing the best flood insurance in Florida.

For many years, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was the only choice for flood insurance in many parts or the country. Private market insurers are returning to the flood insurance market, however, crediting better risk prediction due to artificial intelligence (AI). Now, homeowners in Florida can choose from a number of flood insurance providers. NFIP flood coverage may be the best choice for some. In other cases, private market insurers offer better overall flood coverage.

Promising to walk you through a quote in 3 minutes or less, Neptune is part of a new breed of modern flood insurance providers. The company’s Triton AI technology speeds through risk analysis to provide accurate quotes and fast coverage. Neptune boasts premium savings of up to 25%. 

As a Neptune customer, you’ll enjoy extras like coverage for temporary living expenses, coverage for items stored in your basement and lower deductible options. Choose from 6 deductible options as low as $1,000.

Don’t be fooled by TypTap’s fun-to-say name. When it comes to flood coverage, TypTap is all business. The company leverages technology to offer fast quotes and coverage within minutes. 

Because TypTap is part of HCI Group (NYSE: HCI), you can be assured that the upstart insurer has the financial backing to cover claims and continue offering stellar service. TypTap offers both homeowners insurance and flood insurance, allowing you to manage your home policies in 1 place.

You’ll also benefit from extras like available coverage for additional living expenses and replacement cost coverage on contents.

As home costs rise in the Sunshine State, it’s good to know there are now flood options with higher coverage limits. Tower Hill offers flood coverage for up to $5 million and contents coverage of up to $3.5 million. 

In many cases, Tower Hill’s rates are lower than those for an NFIP policy. You’ll also be able to insure your home for its rebuild value. By comparison, NFIP policies cap coverage at just $250,000 for your home. Depending on your location and home value, your savings could be hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year when you choose Tower Hill.

Tower Hill offers standalone flood policies or can offer flood coverage as an add on to your Tower Hill home insurance policy. Just get a quote to find out how much you can save.

It’s tough to deny the convenience of shopping online for flood insurance. However, many homeowners still prefer working with a local agent. With one of the largest agent networks in the world, Allstate offers a great way to buy flood insurance and work with a local agent who can answer your questions. 

Like many large insurers, Allstate writes coverage through the NFIP’s Write Your Own (WYO) program. You’re buying an NFIP policy — but your agent can help you with binding coverage, updates or changes.

If you have a high-value home, you’ll want to consider your options or ask your agent about excess coverage. NFIP policies set coverage limits at a maximum of $250,000 for dwelling coverage and $100,000 for personal property coverage.

Flood insurance rates vary based on risk and the insured value of your home. Homes that cost more to rebuild typically have higher insurance rates. However, risk is often a larger rating factor. For example, you can expect higher rates for homes near the coast or in low-lying, flood-prone areas.

In Florida, annual flood insurance costs typically start at about $500 and go up from there, depending on risk and insured value. However, you should remember that the Florida insurance market is in a massive state of flux, with certain insurers charging much more. You may also be subject to much higher premiums depending on the risk your home presents. Search quite carefully before choosing a flood insurance carrier so that you know for sure you have found the best carrier that can actually pay your claims and won’t empty your wallet.

If your lender requires flood insurance, your lender can escrow the premiums for your flood insurance. New rules that went into effect in early 2016 allow you to escrow your flood insurance and pay your flood premiums as part of your mortgage.

Flood insurance covers a crucial gap found in homeowners insurance policies. Risks such as overland flooding, seepage and surges aren’t covered by a standard home insurance policy. As a solution, a flood insurance policy can protect your home against flood risks. 

Your flood coverage extends to your home itself, the contents of your home and unattached structures. Coverage limits, however, can vary. What your policy covers can vary as well. For example, an NFIP policy won’t cover damage to your finished basement or the contents of your basement. But policies from other providers can cover these risks. Shop carefully and ask questions.

The average elevation for Miami-Dade County and Broward County, the most populous areas of Florida, is only about 6 feet. Much of Florida is at risk of flooding, even areas miles away from the coast. Shore areas may see greater risks from surge while inland areas may see greater risks from heavy rains and runoff.

If you’re in a higher risk area, your lender will require flood insurance as a condition of your mortgage. But even if you aren’t required to buy flood insurance, it often makes sense to purchase a policy. Because rates are risk-based, homes in lower risk areas cost less to insure. This makes coverage an affordable choice in low-risk areas and must-have protection in higher risk areas.

At the same time, you should not forgo flood insurance coverage because you never know when a storm could do severe damage to your home, especially as global warming has intensified weather patterns in the Atlantic Ocean.

Flood insurance is a key part of a protection strategy for your home, especially in stormy-weather states like Florida. Get some quotes and compare rates but don’t be afraid to ask questions. Each policy has its special features and it’s important to choose the best policy for your unique needs.

If you need flood insurance as a condition of your mortgage, be sure to check with your lender and verify that they will approve your flood insurance company. NFIP policies are generally accepted by lenders, but some smaller or newer flood insurance companies might not be approved yet.