The governing statutes
Five Florida statutes do 90% of the work in property insurance claims:
- Fla. Stat. 627.70131: insurer response deadlines (7-day acknowledgment, 30-day inspection, 60-day pay/deny)
- Fla. Stat. 627.70132: 1-year new-claim notice deadline, 18-month supplemental deadline
- Fla. Stat. 626.9744: matching statute (continuous-area replacement)
- Fla. Stat. 624.155: bad faith and Civil Remedy Notice
- Fla. Stat. 626.854: public adjuster licensing, fee caps, and right of cancellation
Knowing these cold, and citing them in correspondence, materially changes how a claim resolves.
Phase 1: The loss
- Address immediate safety
- Mitigate further damage (Florida policies require reasonable steps)
- Document everything: photos, video, timestamps, receipts
- Notify the carrier (verbal + written)
- Request a certified copy of the policy
Phase 2: Documentation and first inspection
- Full-property scope documentation (every room, every system)
- Moisture meter readings on water losses
- Drone / Matterport capture for major events
- Contents inventory (room by room, item by item)
- Retain mitigation contractor (do not sign AOB without legal review)
- Retain public adjuster before the carrier's first inspection if possible
Phase 3: Estimate and submission
- Xactimate estimate matched to the documented scope and current Florida pricing
- Policy review identifying every applicable coverage, endorsement, sublimit
- Submission with proof of loss, supporting documentation, and cover letter
Phase 4: Negotiation
- Track carrier response deadlines per 627.70131
- Counter every scope/pricing gap with documentation
- Invoke matching statute where discontinued material is at issue
- Claim code-upgrade coverage (law and ordinance)
- Document every communication for the claim file
Phase 5: Escalation
When the carrier will not pay fairly:
- Appraisal: binding panel decision on amount of loss
- DFS Mediation: state-sponsored, non-binding, low-cost
- Civil Remedy Notice: 60-day statutory pressure under 624.155
- Litigation: with first-party insurance counsel
Phase 6: Settlement and supplements
- Review the settlement letter and release carefully
- Don't sign a release that forecloses future damage
- Track the RCV holdback; invoice repairs to release it
- File a supplemental claim within 18 months if scope gaps emerge