Your policy likely has two deductibles: a flat one for everyday claims and a percentage one for hurricanes or named storms. Here's how they differ in Florida and South Carolina.
Most coastal homeowners policies carry two different deductibles, and the difference can be thousands of dollars. Confusing them is one of the most common surprises after a storm.
The two kinds
- All-perils (standard) deductible, a flat dollar amount (say, $1,000 or $2,500) that applies to ordinary claims like a kitchen fire or a burst pipe.
- Hurricane / named-storm deductible, usually a percentage of your dwelling coverage (commonly 2%, 5%, or 10%), not a flat dollar figure. On a home insured for $400,000, a 5% hurricane deductible is $20,000, the amount you absorb before coverage pays.
The percentage is applied to the Coverage A dwelling limit, not to the amount of your loss. That is why a percentage deductible can dwarf the flat one.
Florida’s rules
Florida regulates hurricane deductibles at Fla. Stat. § 627.701, which governs how insurers offer and disclose them and requires the deductible to be stated on the policy declarations. Key Florida features many homeowners don’t realize:
- A hurricane deductible in Florida generally applies per calendar year, not per storm, so once you’ve met it for one hurricane, a second hurricane the same season may fall under a lower remaining deductible. Confirm your policy’s exact wording.
- The hurricane deductible is triggered by a hurricane as defined in the statute and policy (tied to the National Hurricane Center declaring the system), which is narrower than “any windstorm.”
South Carolina’s approach
South Carolina coastal policies commonly use a named-storm or hurricane deductible as well, typically a percentage of the dwelling limit, with disclosure requirements under the state’s Title 38 insurance code. Terms and triggers vary by carrier and by how close to the coast the home sits, so the declarations page and the deductible endorsement control.
Why the trigger language matters
Whether a “hurricane” vs. “named storm” vs. “windstorm” deductible applies can change what you owe. A named-storm deductible can trigger for a tropical storm, not just a hurricane; a hurricane deductible may require the system to reach hurricane status. Read the trigger, not just the percentage.
Practical steps
- Find both deductibles on your declarations page and calculate the dollar figure of the percentage one now, before a storm.
- Run the numbers with our deductible tools, and see our explainer that a hurricane deductible usually isn’t $1,000.
- If a carrier applied the wrong deductible, that’s a coverage dispute; see our coverage and claims guides, the insurance-companies profiles, and the public-adjuster directory.
This is general information, not legal advice. Deductible triggers and per-season rules turn on your exact policy language and the current statutes; confirm both with a licensed professional in your state.
General information, not legal advice, laws and policies vary and change. Confirm current statutes and your own dates with a licensed attorney before acting.