Your property. Your claim. Your advocate.
Speak with a public adjuster: (239) 444-8101
Florida public adjusters · Citizens claims
A Citizens denial letter or a low estimate is Citizens’ position based on what was in its file at the time. Florida law gives you the right to a written explanation, to a copy of the adjuster’s detailed estimate, and to reopen or supplement the claim within set deadlines. We review Citizens claims for free and tell you plainly what we see.
Free claim review
A licensed team member will contact you.
Disclaimer: AF Claims is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Carrier names are used only to identify the insurer. Every claim is different; results are not guaranteed.
Citizens Property Insurance Corporation is Florida’s state-created, not-for-profit insurer of last resort, established under section 627.351(6), Florida Statutes, to cover property owners who can’t find coverage in the private market.
Citizens has been shrinking as private insurers take policies out through the state’s depopulation (“takeout”) program. In the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation’s Q2 2026 market-share report, Citizens had 275,642 residential policies in force as of June 30, 2026, which ranked 8th among Florida residential property insurers by policy count.
According to Citizens, under s. 627.715, Florida Statutes, most new and renewing Citizens personal residential policies that include wind coverage must also carry flood insurance by January 1, 2027, under a phased schedule. Condo unit-owner, tenant and ex-wind policies are exempt.
These are the positions Florida homeowners most often tell us they ran into on hurricane, roof and water claims, with any insurer. They are general patterns, not a description of Citizens’ internal rules:
Homeowners and wind policies generally exclude flood, which is one reason Florida now requires many Citizens policyholders to carry separate flood coverage. After a storm, carriers may attribute damage to surge or rising water. Separating wind-driven damage from flood damage is often where the dollars are.
An older roof is often described as deteriorated rather than storm-damaged. Storm-date weather data, lifted or creased shingles and interior staining that lines up with the storm can show what the wind actually changed.
Florida policies commonly carry a percentage hurricane deductible. If the estimate lands below it, the result is effectively a denial. A missed room or a low roof quantity can be the difference.
Water claims are often declined as repeated seepage over 14 days or more. Plumber reports, moisture mapping and the timeline of when you noticed the damage help establish whether a loss was sudden.
Florida’s 1-year notice rule for new and reopened claims (s. 627.70132) is strict. When a claim is reported late, the reason you discovered the damage when you did becomes important.
If you have a Citizens wind-only policy alongside a private multi-peril policy, each carrier may point to the other for the same damage. Keep both claims documented with the same timeline and photos.
If your policy was assumed by a private insurer, check which company insured the home on the date of loss. The claim goes to that insurer, under that policy’s terms and deadlines. Your declarations page shows the effective dates.
Within 60 days after notice of an initial, reopened or supplemental claim, a Florida residential insurer must pay or deny it, or a portion of it, and give a reasonable written explanation of the basis in the policy. If it pays less than its own detailed estimate, it must explain the difference in writing (s. 627.70131(7)(a), Fla. Stat.).
The insurer must send you any detailed estimate within 7 days after its adjuster generates it (s. 627.70131(3)(e)). Compare it room by room with the damage.
Look up the exclusion or condition named in the letter, plus your declarations page and endorsements: hurricane deductible, roof settlement terms, water damage limits.
Notice of a new or reopened claim is due within 1 year after the date of loss, and a supplemental claim within 18 months (s. 627.70132, as amended through 2024). For weather events, the date of loss is the landfall or NOAA-verified date. Lawsuit deadlines are separate.
If the dispute is about the amount of loss and your policy has an appraisal clause, appraisal may apply. Florida’s DFS mediation program (s. 627.7015) is available for many residential disputes.
More on Florida claims: Florida public adjusters · Florida denied claim guide
Real results
Real claims our clients authorized us to share, with their exact numbers. Our case records don’t name the insurance company, so these are not presented as Citizens claims.
Every insurance claim is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. See all results →
Yes. Florida-licensed public adjusters represent policyholders on Citizens claims the same way they do on private-carrier claims. Florida law regulates public adjuster contracts and fees (s. 626.854, Florida Statutes), and our fee is set out in writing before you sign anything.
Florida’s claim-handling statute, s. 627.70131(7)(a), requires residential property insurers to give a reasonable written explanation of the basis for a payment, denial or partial denial, and to explain in writing when the payment is less than the insurer’s own detailed estimate. Ask Citizens for that explanation in writing.
Under s. 627.70132, Florida Statutes, notice of a new or reopened claim must be given within 1 year after the date of loss, and notice of a supplemental claim within 18 months after the date of loss. For hurricanes and other weather events, the date of loss is the landfall date or the date NOAA verifies the event. Lawsuit deadlines are separate; ask a Florida-licensed attorney about those.
The Florida Department of Financial Services runs a mediation program for many residential property claim disputes (s. 627.7015, Florida Statutes). It is a meeting with a neutral mediator and the insurer to try to resolve the claim without a lawsuit. Eligibility rules apply.
No. No one can honestly guarantee an outcome. We review the file, tell you what we see, and represent you if it makes sense to work together. Every claim is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
The claim review is free, and asking questions doesn’t hire us. If it makes sense to work together, the fee and services are explained in a written agreement before you sign.
General information, not legal advice. Policies and state laws differ, and laws change.
Sources checked September 27, 2026.
Free review. Phone, Zoom or in person. We’ll tell you honestly what we see.
Disclaimer: AF Claims is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Carrier names are used only to identify the insurer. Every claim is different; results are not guaranteed.
American Financial Claims is a licensed public adjusting firm, not a law firm. We do not provide legal advice. Office: Brickell Arch, 1395 Brickell Ave, Suite 800, Miami, FL 33131. Every insurance claim is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
