You made an offer, it was accepted, and now there's a closing date on the calendar. Your inbox is full of messages from your agent, your lender and the title company. Somewhere in that pile is a line that says "please provide evidence of homeowners insurance."
In most states that's a quick phone call. In Florida, insurance can decide whether the deal closes on time. Carriers here look closely at the roof, the electrical panel, the plumbing and the home's claims history before they agree to cover it. If you find out about a problem a week before closing, you have very few options left.
This is the order I walk buyers through, from the day the contract is signed to the day after closing. If you're still deciding where to buy, start with flood zones and Sarasota neighborhoods. This guide picks up once you're under contract.
Day 1: The contract is signed. Get a quote now.
Call an insurance agent the same day you call your inspector. You aren't buying the policy yet. You're finding out whether this house can be insured, and roughly what it will cost, while you can still do something about it.
Have this ready when you call:
- The property address and the purchase price
- The year the home was built and, if you know it, the year the roof was replaced
- The seller's disclosure and the listing sheet
- Any existing wind mitigation report or 4-point inspection the seller has. A wind mitigation report is generally good for five years, so a recent one can save you an inspection.
- Your closing date and your lender's name
Also ask the seller for the home's CLUE report, which is the insurance claims history on the property. The seller can request it for free from LexisNexis. Past water or roof claims on the house can raise your rate or narrow your carrier options, even though you weren't the one who filed them.
Last, call your loan officer and ask one question: "What is your deadline for proof of insurance?" Write the answer down. Everything else on this list works backward from that date.
The inspection period: where insurance problems should surface
Most Florida purchase contracts give you a short inspection period, often 10 to 15 days, so check yours. Many standard contracts don't include a separate insurance contingency. That makes the inspection period your best chance to find an insurance problem and negotiate it.
Two inspections matter most for insurance, and they're different from the general home inspection:
- 4-point inspection. Most carriers require one on homes roughly 25 years or older. It looks at the roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC. An old roof, a panel brand carriers won't accept, or polybutylene or galvanized pipes can lead a carrier to decline the house or require repairs first.
- Wind mitigation inspection. It documents roof shape, roof-deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections and opening protection. It doesn't decide whether the house can be insured, but it often makes a large difference to the price.
Ask your inspector to do both on the same visit if they're licensed to. Send both reports to your insurance agent the day you get them, not after you've finished negotiating repairs. Those reports are what the carrier will judge the house on.
If something comes back that carriers won't accept, you have three practical choices before the inspection period ends:
- Ask the seller to fix it before closing, such as replacing the panel or re-roofing.
- Ask for a credit or a lower price to cover the repair, and confirm with your agent that a carrier will write the policy with a repair deadline after closing.
- Walk away while your deposit is still protected, if you can't get coverage you're comfortable with.
Roof age causes the most problems. Before you assume a roof has to be replaced, read how Florida's 15-year roof rule and inspection right work.
The seller's policy doesn't come with the house
Buyers ask about this all the time, especially when the seller has had good rates for years. A homeowners policy insures the owner, not the address, so you'll need your own. What you pay depends on you, the carriers writing new business right now, and what the inspections show.
If the seller is with Citizens, that doesn't mean you'll end up there. Citizens is Florida's insurer of last resort, and private carriers are competing hard for new business in 2026. Citizens is also phasing in a flood insurance requirement for its policies. If you'd like to understand how Citizens works before choosing between it and a private carrier, our Citizens takeout guide explains it.
Flood: the waiting period doesn't apply to your closing
If the home is in a high-risk flood zone and you're financing it, your lender will require flood insurance. Buyers often hear about the 30-day waiting period on flood insurance and panic. It doesn't apply here. When flood coverage is required as part of a loan closing, the policy can start on the closing date.
Two things to do:
- Ask the seller whether the home already has an NFIP flood policy. Unlike homeowners insurance, an NFIP policy can usually be assigned to the buyer, and taking it over can be cheaper than starting a new one.
- Get flood quoted even if the lender doesn't require it. Plenty of Sarasota homes outside high-risk zones flooded during Ian, Helene and Milton. See flood insurance options in Sarasota.
About two weeks out: bind the policy and send the paperwork
Once the inspections are settled and you've chosen a policy, your agent binds it. That means the carrier commits to covering the home starting on your closing date. This is what your lender needs:
- A binder or declarations page showing the property address, coverage amounts and an effective date no later than closing.
- Your lender listed as mortgagee, using the exact clause your loan officer gives you, usually the lender's name followed by "ISAOA/ATIMA" and a mailing address. A wrong clause is one of the most common reasons a closing gets held up.
- A dwelling limit your lender will accept. Lenders look at the cost to rebuild, not the purchase price. A dwelling limit far below the loan amount can get flagged.
- The first year's premium paid. This is usually paid at closing and shows on your Closing Disclosure. Your lender will also collect a few months of premium up front to start your escrow account.
Send the binder to your loan officer and the title company at the same time, and check that both received it. If the closing date moves, tell your agent so the effective date moves with it.
Closing during hurricane season
Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, and it can affect your closing. When a named storm threatens the area, insurers generally stop issuing new policies until it passes. If your policy isn't bound by then, your closing can be delayed even if everything else is ready.
During hurricane season, my advice is to bind as soon as your lender allows, rather than waiting until the week of closing. A policy that's already bound is in place when a storm shows up. One that's only been quoted has to wait until the storm passes.
After closing: three things worth 20 minutes
- Make sure your wind mitigation credits were applied. If you got the inspection after binding, send it in. The credits apply going forward from when the carrier receives the report.
- Look at bundling. Now that you have a Florida home policy, bundling it with your car insurance may or may not save money, so compare both ways.
- Moved here from another state? Your car needs a Florida policy and registration within 10 days of becoming a resident. Here's what newcomers need to know.
The short version
- Day of contract: get a quote, ask the seller for any inspection reports and the CLUE report, and get your lender's insurance deadline.
- Inspection period: do the 4-point and wind mitigation inspections and send both reports to your agent right away.
- Before the inspection period ends: settle any problems that would stop a carrier from writing the policy.
- About two weeks out: bind the policy, with the correct mortgagee clause, and send it to your lender and the title company.
- Hurricane season: bind early.
Under contract? Send us your closing date.
Call or text (941) 225-2335 with your closing date, your lender's name and any inspection reports. We'll compare Sarasota homeowners insurance carriers for the house and get your lender a binder before their deadline, the same day in most cases.
Get a Quote for Your New Home →Frequently Asked Questions
Start the day you go under contract, not the week before closing. In Florida a carrier can decline a house based on its roof, electrical panel, plumbing or claims history, and you want to learn that during your inspection period while you still have options. You don't have to buy the policy that early. Get it quoted early, then bind it once the inspections are back and your lender gives you a deadline.
It depends on your lender, but many want the binder or declarations page about 7 to 10 days before closing so underwriting can clear it. Ask your loan officer for their exact deadline the day you go under contract and work backward from it.
A binder is a written confirmation from the insurance company that coverage on your new home will start on a set date, usually your closing date, while the full policy is being issued. It lists the coverage amounts, the effective date and your lender as mortgagee. Your lender and title company use it as proof of insurance for closing.
No. A homeowners policy covers the owner, not the house, so you need your own and the seller cancels theirs after closing. Flood is the exception: an NFIP flood policy can usually be assigned to the buyer, so ask the seller whether the home has one.
Insurers generally stop issuing new policies in an area while a named storm watch or warning is in effect, or while the area is in the storm's forecast path. If your policy isn't bound before that happens, your closing can slip until the storm passes. During hurricane season, bind as soon as your lender allows.