Dropped, Non-Renewed or Priced Out of Your Home Insurance?
My Insurance Company Dropped Me. Should I Sell My House?What to Try First, and When Selling Wins
By Nicole McGowan, REALTOR®, MRP, SRS · CENTURY 21 Wimco Realty · Updated October 13, 2026
A simple, easy-to-understand guide for homeowners in Fort Walton Beach, Navarre, Crestview, Niceville, Shalimar and Mary Esther who just got a non-renewal letter, a roof-age letter or a premium that doubled. What Florida law gives you, what to try before you list, and how to sell when the roof is the problem and the money isn't there.
The Short Answer
Not Necessarily, and Not This Week
A non-renewal letter is a deadline, not a verdict. In Florida you get at least 120 days, and you have more options than the letter suggests.
Some homeowners shop the policy, fix what the insurer flagged and stay for years. Others look at the new premium or the roof estimate, do the math, and decide it's time to sell while prices are still strong.
Both are fine answers. The goal of this page is to help you get to yours without panicking or paying for something you didn't need to.
Do These First, In This Order
- 1Read the letter for the reasonFlorida insurers have to tell you why. Roof age, claims, the home's age and "we're leaving the area" each have a different fix.
- 2Note your effective dateCount the days. You should have 120 for a non-renewal or cancellation. That's your working window.
- 3Get two quotesOne from an independent agent who writes for many carriers, one from Citizens if nobody else will write it.
- 4Price the fix and price the homeA roof bid and a home value, side by side. That's the real decision, and it's the math further down this page.
What Did Your Letter Say?
Pick Your Situation for the Next Step
Tap the one that matches. Each has its own rules under Florida law.
Before You Decide to Sell
Six Things Worth Trying First
Some of these keep you in the house. Some make the house easier to sell. Either way, you're better off knowing.
Shop It With an Independent Agent
Captive agents sell one company. Independent agents in Fort Walton Beach and Navarre can run your home through a dozen carriers at once, and new companies have entered Florida since the 2022 and 2023 reforms.
I work with local insurance agents who do exactly this, and you can talk to a real person today instead of waiting on hold with a national company. Ask me and I'll connect you.
Usually the fastest fixGet a Wind Mitigation and 4-Point Inspection
A wind mitigation report documents your roof shape, straps, deck nailing and shutters. Each one can earn a discount. A 4-point covers the roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC, and it's what most carriers want on homes over about 30 years old.
Both run a couple hundred dollars and you'll need them to sell anyway.
Pays for itselfUse the 15-Year Roof Rule
Florida law says an insurer can't refuse to write or renew you only because your roof is under 15 years old. If it's 15 or older, you can send an inspection from a licensed roofer, inspector or engineer showing at least 5 years of life left, and they have to accept it.
Fla. Stat. 627.7011Citizens, the State Backstop
If no private company will write your home, Citizens Property Insurance will. Know the catch: if a private carrier later offers coverage within 20% of your Citizens premium, you're expected to take it.
Citizens isn't cheap or fancy, but it keeps you insured while you decide.
Nobody is uninsurableMy Safe Florida Home Grant
The state program pays for a free wind inspection, then matches $2 for every $1 you spend on the upgrades it recommends, up to $10,000. Think roof-to-wall straps, impact windows and garage doors.
It's for homesteaded, site-built single-family homes, and funding comes and goes, so check the program site before you plan around it.
Up to $10,000Roofer Payment Plans
Many roofing companies in our area offer financing, so a $15,000 to $25,000 roof becomes a monthly payment instead of a lump sum. A new roof usually drops your premium too, which offsets part of it.
Not everyone qualifies, and the interest adds up. If the plan doesn't work for you, keep reading. There's a way to get the roof done without paying for it up front.
Ask before you decideOne thing not to do: don't let the policy lapse. If you have a mortgage, your lender will buy "force-placed" coverage that costs far more and covers only them. And an uninsured home is much harder to sell, because your buyer's lender will ask about it.
Do the Math
Can You Afford to Stay? Run Your Numbers
Put in what you know. This is a rough look at what staying costs over the years you plan to be here, so you can compare it with what you'd walk away with.
over 5 years, compared with last year's costs
A rough estimate for planning only. A new roof often lowers the premium, and selling has its own costs. Want the other side of the math? See what it really costs to sell, or get your home value below.
Before You Decide
What Is Your Home Worth?
Every good selling plan starts with what your home is worth today. Enter your address and I'll personally review recent sales near you and send you a custom value.
The Part Most People Don't Know
You Can Sell and Have the Roof Paid From Your Closing Proceeds
This is the situation I see most often: the insurer wants a new roof, the quote is $15,000 to $25,000, and the money isn't sitting in savings. Selling doesn't mean giving up on the roof. It means the roof gets paid for out of the sale, not out of your pocket.
What your home is worth with the current roof, and what it's worth with a new one. Sometimes the gap is bigger than the roof costs. Sometimes it isn't, and we skip the roof.
Local roofers I've worked with will install now and take payment from the title company on closing day. Nothing comes out of your account.
A brand-new roof means your buyer's insurer says yes fast, the wind mitigation report looks great, and the deal doesn't stall at the end.
The title company pays the roofer from your proceeds, you get the rest. You never wrote the check.
Three Ways to Handle the Roof When You Sell
Best when a new roof adds more value than it costs and buyers in your price range are using financing. Common in Fort Walton Beach and Navarre, where many buyers are military families with VA loans.
You price the home with the roof age disclosed and give a credit at closing toward a new one. Less work for you. Some lenders limit how much credit a buyer can take, so we check first.
Price it for the roof and let the buyer handle it. Fastest, and fine for cash buyers and investors, but it narrows your buyer pool. How as-is really works in Florida →
Why Insurance Can Kill a Sale at the End
Your Buyer Has to Get Insured Too
Any buyer with a mortgage has to have a homeowners policy in place before closing. If your home was hard for you to insure, it's hard for them too. Here's how I get ahead of that. Tap a card.
From My Own Sellers
What This Looks Like in Real Life
Quite a few of my sellers came to me the same way: a premium that jumped, a roof letter, and no money set aside for a roof.
They weren't behind on anything. They just couldn't write a $20,000 check, and the payment plans didn't fit or didn't approve them. Staying meant a bigger premium every year plus a roof they couldn't fund.
Selling let them get the roof done and paid for at closing, out of the proceeds, and walk away with their equity instead of spending it a year at a time on insurance.
How It Usually Goes
- Week 1: Home value, a roofer's bid and an insurance quote on the home, all before any decision.
- Decision: We compare staying for five years against selling now. Sometimes staying wins. Often it doesn't.
- Prep: Roof installed and set up to be paid at closing. My brokerage's vendor team handles only the repairs that matter for insurance and price.
- Listing: New roof, wind mitigation report and 4-point in the documents, so buyers know it's insurable.
- Closing: Roofer paid on the closing statement. Seller gets the rest.
Read what sellers say about working with me on my reviews page.
Related Situations
If Your Situation Is a Little Different
Good Questions
Insurance and Selling FAQ
How much notice does a Florida insurer have to give before dropping me?
At least 120 days for a non-renewal or cancellation of a homeowners policy, with the reason stated in the notice.
The exceptions are non-payment (10 days) and a cancellation in the first 60 days of a new policy (20 days). Count from the date on the letter and put the effective date on your calendar.
Can my insurance company drop me after I file a claim?
Not right away. After a hurricane claim, Florida law blocks cancellation or non-renewal for 90 days after your repairs are finished. For other claims, they have to wait until repairs are done or a year after the final payment, whichever comes first.
A single water-damage claim also can't be the only reason, as long as you did what the insurer reasonably asked to prevent it from happening again.
Do I have to replace my roof to keep my insurance in Florida?
Not just because of its age. If the roof is under 15 years old, an insurer can't refuse you for age alone. At 15 or older, you can submit an inspection showing at least 5 years of life left, and they must accept it.
If the inspection says the roof is near the end, your choices are a payment plan, the My Safe Florida Home grant for related upgrades, or selling and having the roof paid from your closing proceeds.
Can I sell my house if I have no homeowners insurance?
Yes, but it's harder. Nothing in Florida requires the seller to carry insurance to sell, but a buyer with a mortgage must have a policy before closing, and an uninsured home raises questions for them.
Keep coverage in place if you can, even with Citizens, until closing day. If you're already uninsured, we'll price the home for cash and investor buyers or fix the reason so it becomes insurable.
Should I sell my house because of homeowners insurance costs?
Sell if the new premium plus the fix you can't afford costs more over your next few years than the equity you'd lose by waiting. Stay if an independent agent can get the premium down or the fix is small.
Run your numbers in the calculator above, then get a home value. Those two figures usually make the answer obvious.
Why did my mortgage payment go up if I have a fixed rate?
Because your insurance or property taxes went up and your lender pays those out of escrow. When those bills rise, the escrow portion of your payment rises, and you may also owe a shortage from last year.
Ask your lender for an escrow analysis. If the new number isn't workable, shopping the insurance is the first move, and selling is the second.
Will the buyer be able to get insurance on my older home?
Usually yes, if the roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC check out on a 4-point inspection. Insurers care about the condition of those four things more than the year the home was built.
I have the home quoted before we list so we know where the buyer stands. If there's a problem, we fix it or price for it up front.
What happens if my policy ends while my house is under contract?
If you're the seller, ask your agent to move the policy to Citizens or a short-term carrier so the home stays covered to closing. Your contract usually puts the risk of loss on you until the deed is signed.
If you're the buyer and your lender's deadline is close, your agent should already be working a backup quote. That's why I track the insurance date like the inspection and appraisal dates.
Does a new roof lower homeowners insurance in Florida?
In most cases, yes, and often by a lot. A new roof with a fresh wind mitigation report can qualify for several discounts at once.
That's why a roof paid for at closing can be worth more to a buyer than it costs you. It's an insurable home, and their monthly payment is lower.
Do Your Own Homework
Sources & Helpful Links
The official sources behind this guide.
Need a Local Insurance Contact or a Home Value?
I Can Point You in the Right Direction
Want to talk to a local insurance agent today instead of waiting on hold with a national company? I have local agents I trust and can connect you right now. And when you're ready to see what selling looks like, I'll get you a home value, what you'd net with the roof paid at closing, and how long homes like yours are taking to sell. No pressure either way.
★★★★★ Read my client reviews · Experience.com · Realtor.com
See a sale: 2384 Placid Dr · 431 Sandy Ridge Cir · 805 Overbrook Dr
Keep exploring: How I Sell Homes · Selling in Navarre · Why Your Home Didn't Sell · PCS Orders
Nicole McGowan, REALTOR®, MRP, SRS · CENTURY 21 Wimco Realty, Inc. · Equal Housing Opportunity. This guide is general information, not legal, tax or insurance advice. Insurance rules change; confirm current law and program details with the Florida CFO, Citizens and My Safe Florida Home.
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