Hurricane Insurance Deductibles:

When the National Weather Service names a hurricane of Category 1 or higher that makes landfall a hurricane deductible applies to your homeowner’s insurance policy. This hurricane deductible puts a homeowner on the hook between 2% to 10% of the home’s insured value before coverage kicks in. This would mean that if you had a home valued at $200,000 you would be on the hook for the first $4,000 to $20,000 worth of damages depending on the deductible in your homeowner’s insurance policy.

Hurricane storm panel protection typically costs a lot less than the $4,000 deductible for an average 3 bedroom, 2 baths and 2 car garage homes. A home of this size can have storm protection for less than $2500.

The other issue without hurricane protection for your home is the after the storm damages that may have to be addressed. The scheduling of home repair could take months because of all the other homes in the area without protection also needing similar attention.

Costly Repairs May Include:

Why All Openings of a Home Need to Be Covered

Once a window or door has been breached by hurricane winds, tremendous pressure is brought to bear on interior walls and upward pressure on the roof. This can lead to roof failure which exposes the entire contents of your home.

Insurance Discount Requirements:

In order to qualify for a homeowner insurance discount you must have your home inspected by a qualified wind mitigation inspector. You or your inspector then has to forward the report and pictures to your insurance agent to secure any possible discounts. Openings include; windows, doors, skylights and garage doors. Some garage doors do not have to be covered if they are hurricane rated. Check with your insurance company to make sure your home is adequately protected and qualified for any homeowner’s policy discounts.