How to file a flood insurance claim in Florida

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These are the NFIP steps. If you have a private flood policy, your policy sets its own claim steps and deadlines. Check it.

Step 1: Report the flood

Report the flood to your agent or your flood insurance company right away. Do it in writing, and give your policy number. Report it even if you are not sure it is covered, or you think the damage may be less than your deductible.

What do you do before you start cleaning? Take the photos first.

Step 2: Photos before cleanup

Go back in only when it is safe. Then start cleaning up right away, because water damage gets worse fast.

• Take photos and video of every room and every damaged item first.
• Keep a small piece of wet carpet or flooring for the adjuster.
• Do not throw anything out before the adjuster sees it. If something must go out for health reasons, photograph it before it goes. Spoiled food: photograph it, then throw it away.
• Make a list of your damaged things: how many, what they are, what they are worth, and how much you lost. Attach bills, receipts and any papers you have.

Who comes to look at the damage? The adjuster.

Step 3: Work with the adjuster

An adjuster usually reaches out within one to two days. After a big storm it can take longer.

The adjuster looks at the damage and writes a report. The adjuster does not approve or deny your claim. Your flood insurance company decides.

What is the one deadline that can sink a claim? The proof of loss.

Step 4: Send a proof of loss within 60 days

You have 60 days from the day of the flood to send a signed proof of loss. That is your sworn statement of what you are claiming. The adjuster may help you fill it out, but the deadline is yours.

The clock starts on the day of the flood, not the day the adjuster visits. Your company may accept the adjuster's report in place of a proof of loss, so ask what it wants from you.

After a very large storm, FEMA can give more time for that storm. It does this only by an official FEMA notice for that event. Do not count on more time unless that notice exists.

Can you get some money sooner? Ask for an advance.

Can you get money before the claim is settled?

Yes. You can ask your adjuster for an advance or partial payment to start the recovery. Any advance comes off the total you are paid later.

If you have a mortgage, your lender must sign every building check, advances too. Building checks are made out to you and your lender.

The building and your things have separate deductibles. If both are damaged, both deductibles come off.

So when is the money due? See the policy term.

When is the claim paid?

Under the policy, the loss is payable 60 days after your company receives your proof of loss, once you and the company agree on the amount. If the company uses the adjuster's report in place of a proof of loss, it is 90 days after that report is filed. A court judgment or an appraisal award also sets the amount.

That is the policy's term for when payment is due. It is not a promise of a date in your mailbox, so stay in touch with your adjuster.

What if you think the amount is wrong? You have choices.

What if you disagree with the claim?

If your company denies part of your claim in writing, you have choices. You can appeal to FEMA within 60 days of the date on the letter. Or you can ask for an appraisal if you only disagree on the amount. You cannot do both. You have one year from the denial to sue, and an appeal does not pause that clock. Talk to a lawyer about a lawsuit.

• Appeal to FEMA: send it by mail to FEMA, 400 C Street, S.W., 6th Floor S.W., Washington, DC 20472-3010, or by email to FEMA-NFIP-Appeals@fema.dhs.gov, or use FEMA's online appeal form. If FEMA asks for more information, you get at least 14 days to answer.
• Appraisal: you and the company each pick an appraiser within 20 days of a written request. The two pick an umpire. Each side pays its own appraiser and you split the rest. Appraisal settles the amount, not whether something is covered.

What if the home is badly damaged? Ask about ICC.

Is your home substantially damaged? Ask about ICC

If your county or city says your home is substantially damaged, call your flood company right away about ICC. It can pay up to $30,000 toward raising or floodproofing the home.

ICC stands for Increased Cost of Compliance. It helps bring a home up to the local flood code by raising it, floodproofing it, moving it or tearing it down. It comes only with building coverage and has no deductible.

• Substantially damaged means the repairs cost 50% or more of the home's market value, not counting the land. Your county or city decides this and sends you a letter.
• Deadlines: send a separate ICC proof of loss within 60 days of the date on that letter. You have six years from the flood to finish the work.
• The limit: the building payment plus ICC cannot pass the most the law allows. On a home insured for $250,000 that gets $240,000 for the building, ICC can pay $10,000 at most.

ICC can help after two smaller floods too. This only works where the county or city has a repetitive loss rule. It may apply if your home had two NFIP flood claims in 10 years and the repairs averaged at least 25 percent of the home's value. The county or city must first say the home is substantially damaged. Do not start the work before you get that letter.

Will a claim raise your price? It can.

Will a flood claim raise my price?

It can. A home's NFIP flood claim history stays with the address, not the owner. If the home has had two or more flood claims since April 1, 2023, its NFIP price can go up. Ask the seller about past flood claims before you buy.

If a home has had many large flood claims, FEMA can list it as Severe Repetitive Loss. At renewal the policy moves to FEMA's own NFIP Direct. You keep your agent and your coverage, but the price may go up. If the home has been raised since the floods, ask FEMA to update its record.

Is a storm on the way? Your policy pays to protect the home.

Does the policy pay to protect the home before a flood?

Yes. When a flood is close and there is flooding near you or an official evacuation order, the NFIP pays:

• up to $1,000 for sandbags, sand, fill for a temporary levee, pumps, and plastic sheeting and lumber used with them, plus your own or your family's work at the federal minimum wage, and
• up to another $1,000 to move your insured things to a safe place, where they are covered for up to 45 days in a row.

There is no deductible, it does not lower your limits, and it pays even if the water still got in. Keep every receipt.

Will it pay for a hotel? Not under the NFIP.

Does flood insurance pay for a hotel?

NFIP flood insurance does not pay for a hotel while you rebuild. After a declared disaster, FEMA aid may help. Check disasterassistance.gov. Some private flood policies sell living costs as an add-on; see private flood vs NFIP.

Who else may knock on the door? Watch for scams.

How do you spot a claim scam?

After a flood, people may show up claiming to be adjusters or inspectors. Ask for ID. A real adjuster will never ask you for money, your Social Security number or your bank account information. Be careful with anyone who pushes you to sign something fast or to pay up front for repairs.

Who can you call for help? Use these numbers.

Who can you call?

• Your agent or your flood insurance company first. Their number is on your policy papers.
• The NFIP: (800) 621-3362.
• FEMA Mapping and Insurance eXchange (FMIX) for flood maps and insurance questions: (877) 336-2627.
• The Office of the Flood Insurance Advocate, if you are stuck: fema.gov/flood-insurance/advocate.

Want the next claim to go easier? Get ready now.

How do you get ready for the next storm?

• Check that your declarations page names you, and your lender if you have one.
• Keep your policy, receipts and a list of your things with photos somewhere waterproof, or in the cloud.
• Know your flood zone and when coverage starts. A new NFIP policy usually waits 30 days. Read the 30-day wait rules.

Want to know your zone before the next storm? Check my address for the FEMA flood zone at that exact spot.

Questions Florida homeowners ask about flood claims

How long do I have to file a flood insurance claim?

Report the flood right away, in writing. Under the NFIP you then have 60 days from the day of the flood to send a signed proof of loss. A private policy sets its own deadline, so check yours.

How soon will an adjuster contact me?

An adjuster usually reaches out within one to two days of your report. After a big storm it can take longer.

Can I throw away flood-damaged things before the adjuster comes?

Take photos and video of everything first, and keep samples like a piece of wet carpet. Do not throw things out before the adjuster sees them unless they are a health hazard. If something must go, photograph it first.

Does my mortgage company have to sign the flood claim check?

Yes, for the building. If you have a mortgage, your lender must sign every building check, advances too.

Can I appeal a denied flood claim?

Yes. Under the NFIP you can appeal to FEMA within 60 days of the date on the denial letter, or ask for an appraisal if you only disagree on the amount. You cannot do both. You have one year from the written denial to sue. Talk to a lawyer about a lawsuit.

Facts last checked November 5, 2026. Every figure comes from the federal or state source listed above.