Homeowners insurance in Homestead, FL, from people who know what a hurricane does.
Most Homestead homes were built or rebuilt after Andrew. We make sure your policy gets credit for that, explain your hurricane deductible in dollars and help you when you have a claim. English, Spanish or Russian.
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Homestead was rebuilt after 1992
Hurricane Andrew made landfall just east of Homestead on August 24, 1992. NOAA later upgraded it to Category 5, with estimated sustained winds of 165 mph. The National Hurricane Center describes the impact as extreme from Kendall south through Homestead and Florida City: across Miami-Dade, about 25,500 homes were destroyed and more than 101,000 damaged, and 1,167 of Homestead’s 1,176 mobile homes were destroyed. Homestead was incorporated in 1913 and is the second-oldest city in Miami-Dade, but most of its housing is much younger than that.
Census estimates for 2020–2024 put the median year a Homestead home was built at 2001. About 55% of homes date from 2000 or later and only about a third from before 1990. Around 39% are detached single-family houses, about 21% are townhomes and similar attached homes, and the rest are mostly apartments and condos. Roughly half of homes are owner-occupied, so many Homestead families rent and need renters insurance rather than a homeowners policy.
For insurance, that history matters in a very practical way. Newer homes in Miami-Dade were built to the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) requirements of the building code. Insurers must offer premium credits for features that reduce wind damage, but they only apply them when the features are documented.
What we check on Homestead home policies
- A current wind mitigation inspection (form OIR-B1-1802). It is valid for up to five years if nothing material changes, and newer homes often qualify for several credits.
- Dwelling coverage at today’s rebuilding cost, not the price you paid or the county’s assessed value.
- Your hurricane deductible in dollars. A 2% deductible on a $350,000 dwelling limit is $7,000 out of pocket.
- Replacement cost for your belongings, not actual cash value.
- Law and ordinance coverage, which pays for code upgrades when part of a home is rebuilt. Florida insurers must offer 25% or 50%.
- Flood insurance. Homeowners policies exclude flood, including storm surge, and a new NFIP policy usually has a 30-day waiting period.
- Other structures and screen enclosures: fences, sheds, pool cages and their limits.
- Loss of use for hotel or rent while your home is repaired.
- Personal liability high enough to protect your family if someone is hurt on your property.
Florida rules that affect your Homestead policy
Wind mitigation credits. Florida law requires insurers to include actuarially reasonable credits for construction features that reduce wind losses, such as roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections, a hip roof and opening protection, and since October 2023 they must explain these credits on their websites. In Miami-Dade, the inspection form treats the whole county as HVHZ. Homes permitted after September 1, 1994 under the South Florida Building Code, or under the Florida Building Code from 2002 on, can get credit for meeting the code. Free inspections may also be available through the state’s My Safe Florida Home program for eligible single-family homes and townhomes.
Roof age. For policies issued or renewed since July 1, 2022, insurers cannot refuse to write or renew a home only because its roof is less than 15 years old. With an older roof, an inspection showing at least five years of remaining useful life prevents a refusal based on age alone. Many roofs replaced in the early 2000s are now past that line, so it is worth knowing your roof’s permit date.
Hurricane deductibles. Florida insurers offer hurricane deductibles of $500 or 2%, 5% or 10% of the dwelling limit, and the policy must show the amount in dollars. The deductible applies once per calendar year: if a second hurricane hits in the same year, the part you already paid counts toward it.
Claim deadlines. You must give notice of a new property claim within one year of the date of loss, and for a hurricane that date is landfall. Reopened or supplemental claims have 18 months. Report damage early, take photos and keep receipts for emergency repairs.
Flood is a separate policy
Homestead is inland, but rain from slow tropical systems and canals that back up can flood streets and low lots. A homeowners policy does not pay for flood. Miami-Dade’s current flood maps took effect in 2009, and new preliminary maps are not yet in force, so check your zone with the county. Ask us for a flood quote along with your home quote, and see our page on flood insurance in Homestead.
An agent who stays with you after the storm
M&K Agency is family-owned, with a team of 12 and more than 5,000 clients across Florida. Send us your policy and we’ll check your coverage: we compare your dwelling limit with rebuilding costs, look for missing mitigation credits and translate your deductibles into dollars. After a storm, you call us, and we help you report the claim and follow it through.
Five minutes from Homestead City Hall
We do not have an office inside Homestead; we serve Homestead homeowners from our Florida City office at 33550 S Dixie Hwy, Suite 102, Florida City, FL 33034. From Homestead City Hall it is about 1.5 miles south on US-1, around five minutes without traffic. Bring your declarations page and your wind mitigation report if you have one, or send photos by WhatsApp.
We are open Monday to Friday from 9 to 6, and Saturday by appointment. Call (305) 859-3953 or WhatsApp (971) 998-7313. Requests received during business hours get a call back from an agent within an hour.
33550 S Dixie Hwy, Suite 102
Florida City, FL 33034
English · Español · По-русски
Homeowners insurance in Homestead: common questions
My Homestead house was built after Andrew. Can that lower my premium?
It can. Insurers must offer credits for wind-resistant features, and homes built to the 1994 South Florida Building Code or the Florida Building Code can qualify. The credits are applied only when a wind mitigation inspection (form OIR-B1-1802) documents them, so send us your report or ask about getting one.
How does a 2% hurricane deductible work?
It is 2% of your dwelling coverage, not of the claim. With $300,000 of dwelling coverage, you pay the first $6,000 of hurricane damage. The deductible applies once per calendar year, so a second hurricane in the same year uses up whatever remains of it.
Does homeowners insurance in Homestead cover flooding?
No. Flood, including storm surge, is excluded from homeowners policies. You need a separate flood policy, and NFIP policies usually take 30 days to start, so buy it before hurricane season.
My roof is 16 years old. Will insurers refuse my home?
Florida law lets you have the roof inspected. If the inspection shows at least five years of remaining useful life, an insurer cannot refuse to write or renew the policy based on roof age alone. Other factors can still affect eligibility and price.
I rent in Homestead. Do I need insurance?
Your landlord’s policy covers the building, not your belongings or your liability. A renters policy covers both, and it is one of the simplest ways to protect your family after a fire, theft or storm.
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This article is general information, not legal advice or policy language. Coverage depends on the terms, limits and exclusions of your policy, and eligibility rules can change. Talk with a licensed agent about your situation.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on October 3, 2026.
- National Hurricane Center: Hurricane Andrew report (damage, storm tide)
- NOAA (2002): Hurricane Andrew upgraded to Category 5
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year: housing and commuting (tables B25034, B25024, B25003, B08303, B08013, B08301), Homestead
- Florida Department of Financial Services: wind mitigation inspection form OIR-B1-1802
- Florida Statutes s. 627.0629: required wind mitigation credits
- Florida Statutes s. 627.7011: roof-age rule (15 years), law and ordinance coverage, replacement cost
- Florida Statutes s. 627.701: hurricane deductible options and the calendar-year rule
- Florida Statutes s. 627.70132: property claim notice deadlines (1 year, 18 months)
- FloodSmart.gov (NFIP): what flood insurance covers
- Miami-Dade County: flood zone maps
- My Safe Florida Home: state hurricane-hardening inspections and grants
- City of Homestead
Areas we serve
We serve South Florida from our Florida City office, in person and by phone, WhatsApp, text and email.