Florida's insurance landscape has shifted dramatically over the past two years. A series of legislative reforms signed into law in 2023, 2024, and 2025 have changed the rules for how homeowners file roof damage claims, what insurers are required to cover, and what contractors can and cannot do on your behalf. If you own a home in South Florida, these changes directly affect your wallet. Here is what you need to know.
The End of Assignment of Benefits (AOB) Abuse
One of the most significant changes is the restriction on Assignment of Benefits agreements. Previously, homeowners could sign an AOB allowing their contractor to deal directly with the insurance company — filing claims, negotiating payment, and even suing the insurer on the homeowner's behalf. While AOBs were designed to help homeowners, they were widely abused by unscrupulous contractors and trial attorneys who inflated claims and filed frivolous lawsuits, driving up insurance costs for everyone.
Under the new laws, AOBs for roofing claims are now heavily restricted. Contractors can still assist with the claims process, but homeowners must remain the named party on the claim. This means choosing a contractor who understands the claims process and can guide you through it — without needing to take over your policy rights.
Roof Age and Replacement Cost Coverage
Florida law now allows insurance companies to offer Actual Cash Value (ACV) coverage on roofs that are more than a specified age, rather than full Replacement Cost Value (RCV). Under an ACV policy, the insurer pays the depreciated value of your roof rather than the full cost to replace it. For a 20-year-old shingle roof, this can mean receiving only 30-40% of the replacement cost.
Check your policy carefully. If you have an ACV roof endorsement and your roof is aging, you could face a significant out-of-pocket expense after storm damage. Replacing your roof proactively — before a storm forces the issue — allows you to reset your insurance coverage with a new roof that qualifies for full RCV protection.
The 25% Free Roof Advertising Ban
Florida now prohibits roofing contractors from advertising or offering to pay your insurance deductible, waive your out-of-pocket costs, or otherwise create the impression that you can get a "free roof" through insurance. This practice was common among storm chasers who would inflate the claim to cover the deductible amount, which is insurance fraud under Florida law.
Legitimate contractors like Goliath Roofing have never engaged in this practice. Your deductible is your contractual obligation under your insurance policy, and any contractor who promises to eliminate it is putting both their license and your policy at risk.
Mandatory Inspections Before Policy Renewal
Several Florida insurers now require a roof inspection as a condition of policy renewal, especially for roofs older than 15 years. If your roof fails the inspection, your insurer may non-renew your policy or offer renewal only at a significantly higher premium. Citizens Property Insurance, the state's insurer of last resort, requires inspections on all homes with roofs older than 15 years.
A favorable roof inspection — or a new roof — can substantially reduce your insurance premium. Many homeowners find that the insurance savings from a new roof partially offset the cost of installation within just a few years.
One-Way Attorney Fee Elimination
Previously, Florida's one-way attorney fee statute allowed policyholders who won disputes against their insurer to recover their legal fees, while insurers could not recover fees even when they prevailed. This asymmetry fueled excessive litigation. The new law eliminates one-way attorney fees for property insurance claims, which is expected to reduce litigation and help stabilize insurance premiums over time.
For homeowners, this means that filing a lawsuit against your insurer is no longer a "free" option. It also means that working with a roofing contractor who knows how to document damage properly and negotiate with adjusters effectively is more important than ever — because getting it right the first time is now the most reliable path to a fair claim outcome.
What This Means for South Florida Homeowners
The bottom line is that Florida's new insurance laws place more responsibility on homeowners to choose their contractor wisely, understand their policy terms, and engage proactively with the claims process. The days of signing a blank AOB and letting someone else handle everything are over.
At Goliath Roofing, we guide homeowners through every step of the claims process under the new rules. We document damage to the standard that adjusters expect, we attend adjuster inspections to advocate for fair estimates, and we file supplements when initial estimates fall short — all while keeping you, the homeowner, informed and in control of your claim.