Guide · Florida
Prepping a hurricane claim BEFORE landfall — the 24-hour checklist.
The single best predictor of a smooth hurricane claim is documentation captured before the storm hits. Here's the 24-hour pre-landfall checklist we send to every Anchor Line client when a hurricane enters the Gulf.
Published June 12, 2026 · By the Anchor Line team
Photo and video every room and exterior wall
Most of the confusion around "Photo and video every room and exterior wall" comes from advice written for other states. In the Florida property market, the math is different. Florida re-shops every renewal. If the last time you compared was more than 12 months ago, the answer almost certainly changed: carriers entered or left the state, surplus lines moved, and roof age, wind mitigation form, distance to coast and prior claim history got re-weighted by the OIR filings.
In practice we pull four-point inspection and 1802 wind mit, run it against Citizens, Frontline, Tower Hill, American Integrity and a handful of regional writers, and rank the result by total cost — not just the headline premium. The cheapest sticker isn't always the cheapest renewal once the surcharges roll in at month 13. If you want this specific question answered against your address and four-point inspection and 1802 wind mit, call (239) 542-1117 or request a quote and we'll come back the same business day.
Save your declarations page offline (and screenshot)
"Save your declarations page offline (and screenshot)" sounds like a small detail until you watch it move a premium by four figures. We see it weekly across Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Punta Gorda and Naples. Florida re-shops every renewal. If the last time you compared was more than 12 months ago, the answer almost certainly changed: carriers entered or left the state, surplus lines moved, and roof age, wind mitigation form, distance to coast and prior claim history got re-weighted by the OIR filings.
The carriers worth quoting on this right now are Citizens, Frontline, Tower Hill, American Integrity and a handful of regional writers. Each one weights roof age, wind mitigation form, distance to coast and prior claim history differently, which is why a single-carrier captive agent can't tell you whether you're priced fairly — they only see one ranking. We're independent, so we can quote across the full Florida book. The recommendation that comes back is whichever carrier wins on your file — not whichever one we'd rather sell.
Confirm your hurricane deductible amount
"Confirm your hurricane deductible amount" sounds like a small detail until you watch it move a premium by four figures. We see it weekly across Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Punta Gorda and Naples. Florida re-shops every renewal. If the last time you compared was more than 12 months ago, the answer almost certainly changed: carriers entered or left the state, surplus lines moved, and roof age, wind mitigation form, distance to coast and prior claim history got re-weighted by the OIR filings.
In practice we pull four-point inspection and 1802 wind mit, run it against Citizens, Frontline, Tower Hill, American Integrity and a handful of regional writers, and rank the result by total cost — not just the headline premium. The cheapest sticker isn't always the cheapest renewal once the surcharges roll in at month 13. We're independent, so we can quote across the full Florida book. The recommendation that comes back is whichever carrier wins on your file — not whichever one we'd rather sell.
Move titles, ID, medical and policy info to a waterproof bag
Talk to ten agents about "Move titles, ID, medical and policy info to a waterproof bag" and you'll get ten answers. Here's how we actually handle it on real homeowners policy quotes. Florida re-shops every renewal. If the last time you compared was more than 12 months ago, the answer almost certainly changed: carriers entered or left the state, surplus lines moved, and roof age, wind mitigation form, distance to coast and prior claim history got re-weighted by the OIR filings.
The carriers worth quoting on this right now are Citizens, Frontline, Tower Hill, American Integrity and a handful of regional writers. Each one weights roof age, wind mitigation form, distance to coast and prior claim history differently, which is why a single-carrier captive agent can't tell you whether you're priced fairly — they only see one ranking. We're independent, so we can quote across the full Florida book. The recommendation that comes back is whichever carrier wins on your file — not whichever one we'd rather sell.
Drain and shut off critical systems
"Drain and shut off critical systems" sounds like a small detail until you watch it move a premium by four figures. We see it weekly across Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Punta Gorda and Naples. Florida re-shops every renewal. If the last time you compared was more than 12 months ago, the answer almost certainly changed: carriers entered or left the state, surplus lines moved, and roof age, wind mitigation form, distance to coast and prior claim history got re-weighted by the OIR filings.
Florida re-shops every renewal. If the last time you compared was more than 12 months ago, the answer almost certainly changed: carriers entered or left the state, surplus lines moved, and roof age, wind mitigation form, distance to coast and prior claim history got re-weighted by the OIR filings. Send us your current declarations page; we'll mark it up line by line and tell you whether the policy you have is still the right one for Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Punta Gorda and Naples.
Document boats, RVs and any vehicles you're leaving
Talk to ten agents about "Document boats, RVs and any vehicles you're leaving" and you'll get ten answers. Here's how we actually handle it on real homeowners policy quotes. The carriers worth quoting on this right now are Citizens, Frontline, Tower Hill, American Integrity and a handful of regional writers. Each one weights roof age, wind mitigation form, distance to coast and prior claim history differently, which is why a single-carrier captive agent can't tell you whether you're priced fairly — they only see one ranking.
What actually drives the outcome is roof age, wind mitigation form, distance to coast and prior claim history. Two homes a block apart can get $2,000 apart in premium because one of those levers shifted, and the only way to know which lever is yours is to put real numbers in front of Citizens, Frontline, Tower Hill, American Integrity and a handful of regional writers. We're independent, so we can quote across the full Florida book. The recommendation that comes back is whichever carrier wins on your file — not whichever one we'd rather sell.
Ready to compare your options?
Tell us what you have today. A licensed Florida agent will compare A-rated carriers and send your quote back the same business day.
Frequently asked questions
- Photo and video every room and exterior wall — what's the short answer?
- In Florida the answer to "Photo and video every room and exterior wall" isn't a single number. It's a ranking that comes out of pricing your homeowners policy across multiple carriers and reading the four-point inspection and 1802 wind mit together. Call (239) 542-1117 or request a quote and a licensed Florida agent will give you the version that fits your file.
- Save your declarations page offline (and screenshot) — what's the short answer?
- In Florida the answer to "Save your declarations page offline (and screenshot)" isn't a single number. It's a ranking that comes out of pricing your homeowners policy across multiple carriers and reading the four-point inspection and 1802 wind mit together. Call (239) 542-1117 or request a quote and a licensed Florida agent will give you the version that fits your file.
- Confirm your hurricane deductible amount — what's the short answer?
- The clean answer: pull four-point inspection and 1802 wind mit, run it against Citizens, Frontline, Tower Hill, American Integrity and a handful of regional writers, and the ranking tells you. Anything more specific without seeing the file is a guess. Call (239) 542-1117 or request a quote and a licensed Florida agent will give you the version that fits your file.
- Move titles, ID, medical and policy info to a waterproof bag — what's the short answer?
- Short answer: it turns entirely on roof age, wind mitigation form, distance to coast and prior claim history — and on which of Citizens, Frontline, Tower Hill, American Integrity and a handful of regional writers is open to your file this month. Send your current declarations page over and we'll mark up exactly what this means for your renewal — no obligation to switch.
- Drain and shut off critical systems — what's the short answer?
- The clean answer: pull four-point inspection and 1802 wind mit, run it against Citizens, Frontline, Tower Hill, American Integrity and a handful of regional writers, and the ranking tells you. Anything more specific without seeing the file is a guess. Send your current declarations page over and we'll mark up exactly what this means for your renewal — no obligation to switch.
- Document boats, RVs and any vehicles you're leaving — what's the short answer?
- For a homeowners policy in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Punta Gorda and Naples, this one usually breaks along roof age, wind mitigation form, distance to coast and prior claim history. We've worked the same question dozens of times this year and the answer shifts by ZIP and roof age. If you'd like the answer against your actual address and declarations page, request a quote and we'll come back the same business day.
- How fast can Anchor Line get me a quote?
- Most Florida quotes come back the same business day. Call (239) 542-1117 or request a quote online and a licensed agent will return comparison options across multiple A-rated carriers — usually within a couple of hours during business hours.
- Do I have to switch carriers to work with Anchor Line?
- Not until you choose to. We're an independent agency, which means we compare your existing coverage against the carriers we represent in writing. If your current policy is already the right answer, we tell you that.