Flood Insurance in Miami, FL

We write flood coverage for houses, condo units, townhomes and renters' contents across Miami, Miami Beach, and Miami-Dade County.

What flood insurance actually covers

A flood policy is written in two parts, and you can buy one or both:

• Building coverage — the structure itself: foundation, walls, electrical and plumbing systems, built-in appliances, permanently installed cabinets and flooring.
• Contents coverage — your belongings: furniture, electronics, clothing, and portable appliances.

If you own the building, you generally want both. If you rent, contents-only is what you need. If you own a condo unit, the association usually carries flood on the building, and you insure the interior and your contents — but that depends on what the association actually bought, which is worth verifying rather than assuming.

NFIP or private flood?

There are two markets, and an independent agent can quote both:

• NFIP — the federal program administered through FEMA. Widely available, standardized coverage, and accepted by every lender. It has maximum coverage limits, so higher-value homes often need more.
• Private flood — carriers writing flood outside the federal program. Often more competitive, sometimes with higher limits, replacement cost options, or coverage the federal form does not include.

Neither one is automatically cheaper. The only way to know is to quote both on your specific address, which is what we do.

The waiting period is the part people get wrong

An NFIP policy typically does not take effect for 30 days after you buy it. There are limited exceptions — most commonly when flood insurance is required as a condition of closing on a loan. Practically, this means you cannot buy flood coverage when a storm is already named and heading toward South Florida. If you have been meaning to get it, the right time is a quiet week, not a watch or warning.

"I'm not in a flood zone"

Every property is in a flood zone — the question is which one. Lenders require flood insurance on properties in high-risk zones, so those owners usually already have it. The gap tends to be in the lower-risk zones, where nobody is forced to buy it. A meaningful share of flood claims come from outside high-risk zones, and rain-driven flooding does not check the map first. Coverage in a lower-risk zone is also usually much less expensive, which is exactly why it is worth pricing.

What we look at when we quote your flood policy

• Your flood zone and, where relevant, your elevation certificate
• Whether the building is elevated, and what is on the lowest floor
• Your replacement cost, so building coverage is not set too low
• Whether you need coverage above the federal maximums
• How your flood deductible interacts with your hurricane deductible
• For condo units, what the association's master flood policy already covers

Flood, wind and hurricane are three different things

This trips up almost everyone after a storm. Wind damage — a roof torn off, a window blown in, rain entering through that opening — is homeowners or windstorm coverage. Rising water entering the building at ground level is flood. A single hurricane can cause both, and they are settled under separate policies with separate deductibles. If you only have one of the two, part of your loss simply is not covered.

Frequently asked questions