Screen Enclosure Insurance in Florida: What the Policy Covers and What It Excludes
Screen enclosure insurance Florida pool owners assume they have often is not there. Many policies exclude or cap screen enclosures for wind. Lenders do not require the coverage; your budget should.
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Screen enclosure insurance Florida pool owners assume is in their policy often is not.
Many carriers exclude or cap screen enclosures for windstorm. Lenders do not require the coverage; the replacement cost is yours. Our guide to Florida homeowners insurance cost covers the base policy.
What a screen enclosure is to an insurer
An aluminium frame with screen panels over a pool or patio.
Classified as an other structure or excluded from wind by many Florida carriers.
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation allows the exclusion with disclosure.
It is the first thing a hurricane takes.
Carriers price accordingly.
The exclusion
Policies may exclude screen enclosures entirely from windstorm.
Or cap coverage at a low limit.
Read the declarations and the exclusions page.
A screened enclosure endorsement buys coverage back for a premium.
Some carriers do not offer it at all.
What it costs to replace
A pool enclosure runs into the tens of thousands.
Prices rose after recent storm seasons and aluminium tariffs.
Permits are required.
Contractors book months ahead after a storm.
See our guide to pool financing in Florida.
Lenders
The lender requires coverage on the dwelling, not on the enclosure.
See our guide to escrow accounts in Florida.
An excluded enclosure does not block closing.
The appraiser gives it some value.
See our guide to low appraisals in Florida.
Wind code and the enclosure
Enclosures must meet the wind code for the zone.
Older enclosures often do not.
See our guide to wind mitigation inspections in Florida.
A code-compliant enclosure is easier to insure.
Ask for the permit and the engineering.
Buying a home with one
Ask the insurer whether the enclosure is covered and at what limit.
Inspect the frame for corrosion and the anchors for pull-out.
See our guide to home inspections versus appraisals in Florida.
Get the permit history.
Price an uninsured, ageing enclosure as a future cost.
Pool barrier law
Florida requires a barrier around residential pools.
The enclosure often serves as it.
Losing the enclosure in a storm can leave the pool without a barrier.
A temporary fence may be required.
Plan for it.
After a storm
Photograph the damage before cleanup.
See our guide to hurricane insurance claims and your mortgage in Florida.
File the claim and read the enclosure limit.
The hurricane deductible applies first.
See our guide to hurricane deductibles and your mortgage in Florida.
Funding a replacement
A HELOC opened before the storm.
See our guide to HELOC versus home equity loans in Florida.
Contractor financing at higher rates.
Cash from reserves.
The enclosure is the reason many Florida owners keep a HELOC open.
Removing it
Some owners take down an old enclosure rather than insure or replace it.
A fence then satisfies the pool barrier rule.
See our guide to zero lot line homes in Florida for lot constraints on fences.
Resale value may dip slightly.
Insurance simplifies.
Shopping carriers
Enclosure treatment varies more between carriers than almost any other item.
An independent agent quotes several.
See our guide to Citizens Property Insurance in Florida.
Citizens has its own enclosure rules.
Ask specifically; it is often left out of the quote summary.
Rentals
Landlord policies exclude enclosures the same way.
See our guide to how to buy a rental property in Florida.
A tenant expects the enclosure to be replaced.
Budget it as a capital item.
The lease should address storm damage.
Condos and townhouses
Enclosures on patios may be the owner's or the association's.
See our guide to HOA and mortgage approval in Florida.
Read the documents.
The master policy may or may not cover them.
Your HO-6 may need an endorsement.
Taxes and value
Replacement is a repair, not an improvement, for tax purposes.
See our guide to whether HELOC interest is tax deductible in Florida.
A new enclosure adds modest appraised value.
It adds real buyer appeal.
Keep the permit for resale.
Reading your policy
Find the screen enclosure line in the exclusions or the other structures section.
Note the limit and whether wind is excluded.
Ask the agent for the endorsement price.
Decide whether to buy it or self-insure.
Write the replacement cost into your reserve plan.
Inspecting an older enclosure
Look for corrosion at the base of the posts, loose or missing anchors and bowed beams.
Fasteners rust from salt air within a decade near the coast.
A contractor's inspection costs little and tells you the remaining life.
Re-anchoring and cable bracing can bring an older frame closer to code.
Document the work for the insurer.
Storm preparation
Some owners remove screen panels before a major hurricane to reduce wind load on the frame.
Manufacturers and engineers disagree on whether it helps.
Ask the installer for the frame's rated design.
Secure loose furniture inside the enclosure regardless.
Photograph the enclosure before the storm for any claim.
Where to start
Pull the declarations page and find the enclosure treatment.
Get the permit and engineering for the existing enclosure.
Then start a conversation about a HELOC that covers the replacement if a storm takes it.