Does homeowners insurance cover flooding?

Check my flood zone free

What counts as a flood?

Under the NFIP, a flood is water covering two or more acres of land that is normally dry, or two or more properties, and one of them is yours. The water has to come from rivers or the sea overflowing, from rain or surface water building up fast, or from mudflow.

In Florida that means, for example, storm surge pushing in from the coast, or heavy rain that rises in the street and comes in the door.

Some private flood policies count a flood that hits only your home. The NFIP needs water over two acres or two properties. See how private flood and the NFIP differ.

So which policy pays for which water? Here is the split.

Is it flood water or other water damage?

A flood policy and a homeowners policy look at water in different ways.

• Rain through the roof. Rain coming in through the roof is not flood under the NFIP policy.
• Wind. Wind damage is not flood. It belongs to your homeowners or windstorm policy.
• A burst pipe. Water that gets only into your home is not a flood under the NFIP, so a burst pipe is not a flood.
• A backed-up drain. Flood insurance covers a backed-up drain only when a flood in the area caused it.

What your homeowners policy pays for a burst pipe or a leak depends on its own wording. Read your homeowners policy or ask your agent. See what a flood policy covers and what it does not.

Own a mobile home? Insurance for manufactured homes does not cover flood damage on its own either. See mobile home flood insurance.

What happens if you file flood damage on a homeowners policy? Here is what Florida saw after Helene.

What happened after Hurricane Helene in Florida?

Most homeowners policies do not pay for flood, and the claims data shows it. After Hurricane Helene, insurers reported 10,097 Florida claims closed with no payment because the damage was flood. (Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, data as of June 10, 2025, not audited.)

That count covers claims on every kind of private policy, not only homeowners. NFIP claims are not in it. A flood policy is the one built to pay for flood.

Does Florida require flood insurance on some home policies? Yes, if Citizens insures you.

What if Citizens insures your home?

Florida law makes Citizens Property Insurance Corporation require flood insurance as a condition of coverage on its home policies. Citizens may deny coverage to a homeowner who refuses. The rule is being phased in by flood zone and by what the home would cost to rebuild. See the current dates on the Citizens flood page.

• Who is exempt. The law exempts condo unit owner policies and policies that do not cover wind.
• What counts. The flood policy can be NFIP or private, as long as it meets at least the dwelling coverage the NFIP offers. Compare private flood and the NFIP.
• What Citizens asks for. Proof of flood coverage when you apply and when you renew. A flood policy declarations page is accepted proof.

This rule has nothing to do with a loan. A lender can require flood insurance too. See every case where flood insurance is required in Florida.

When can a new flood policy start? Here is the timing.

When does a flood policy start?

An NFIP policy usually has a 30-day wait. If you buy it as part of getting, refinancing, extending or renewing a mortgage, coverage starts at closing with no wait.

Private flood policies set their own waiting periods. So do not wait for a storm to be named to shop. Read the 30-day wait rules.

What will it cost for your home? See what sets the price.

What does flood insurance cost?

Same flood zone, very different prices. Your zone decides whether your lender requires flood insurance. The price depends on the home and its spot: how high the first floor sits, what it would cost to rebuild, and how often that spot floods. The coverage and deductible you pick count too. See what goes into a Florida flood insurance price.

Start with your exact address. Check my address to see the FEMA flood zone for that spot. Then a licensed, independent insurance agent can compare NFIP and private options for your home.

Questions Florida homeowners ask about flood and homeowners insurance

Does homeowners insurance cover flood damage in Florida?

Generally, no. Most homeowners policies do not cover flood. Flood insurance is a separate policy, from the NFIP or a private insurer.

Is a burst pipe a flood?

Not under the NFIP. A flood there means water over two or more acres of normally dry land, or two or more properties. Ask your homeowners agent how your policy treats a burst pipe.

Does homeowners insurance cover storm surge?

Generally, no. Storm surge is flood. A flood policy is the one that covers flood.

Does Citizens require flood insurance?

Yes, on its home policies, phased in by flood zone and by what the home would cost to rebuild. Condo unit owner policies and policies that do not cover wind are exempt. Citizens asks for proof of flood coverage when you apply and when you renew.

Can I buy flood insurance right before a storm?

You can buy it, but an NFIP policy usually has a 30-day wait. If you buy it as part of getting, refinancing, extending or renewing a mortgage, coverage starts at closing with no wait. Private policies set their own waiting periods.

Is private flood insurance allowed for Citizens?

Yes. A private flood policy counts if it meets at least the dwelling coverage the NFIP offers.

Facts last checked November 13, 2026. Every figure comes from the federal or state source listed above.