In Florida the insurance quote is part of the inspection. Before your inspection period ends you need the home inspection, a 4-point and a wind mitigation report where they apply, a flood zone check, and a quote the insurer will actually bind, in writing.
Count the days first
Deadlines run in calendar days from the effective date. If your contract becomes effective on Monday, November 16, 2026, a 15-day inspection period ends on Tuesday, December 1. Book the inspector before you make the offer, send reports to your insurance agent the day you get them, and leave the last two days for a decision, not for waiting.
The reports insurers ask for
| Report | What it covers | When it is needed | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home inspection | General condition of the house | Every purchase | Ask for a quote |
| 4-point | Roof, electrical, plumbing, HVAC | Citizens requires it over 20 years old; most private insurers at about 20 to 30 years | $75 to $175 |
| Wind mitigation | Roof shape, deck attachment, roof-to-wall connection, opening protection | Optional, but it is how wind credits are earned | $75 to $175 |
On an older home, the two insurance reports together run $150 to $350. Many inspectors do all three in one visit.
Roof age decides more than you expect
Florida law says an insurer may not refuse a policy solely because of roof age if the roof is under 15 years old. At 15 years or more you can get an inspection, and the insurer cannot refuse on age alone if the roof has at least five years of useful life left. Citizens asks for that same five-year documentation on shingle roofs over 25 years and on tile or metal roofs over 50.
Roof age counts from the last full replacement, so the permit date is the fact to get. Robert can pull the permit history for the address.
Check the flood zone yourself
FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the official address lookup. A lender requires flood insurance only in a special flood hazard area (zones beginning with A or V). Outside it, a federal flood policy in Zone X typically ran $500 to $800 a year in 2026. Apopka is inland, so the risk is from lakes, wetlands and stormwater ponds, and it varies parcel by parcel.
One date to know: from January 1, 2027, every Citizens personal residential policy that includes wind coverage must also carry flood insurance, whatever the zone.
Worked example: what a quote does to the payment
Lesson 1 budgeted the Orange County average, $3,610 a year, or $300.83 a month. Suppose the 4-point shows an older roof and the lowest quote is $5,000. That is $416.67 a month, $115.84 more than you planned, every month. You want to learn that on day 6, while you can still renegotiate or cancel, not after day 15.
Ask the insurance agent for the quote in writing, with the roof age they used and any conditions attached, such as repairs required within a set time after closing.
Before the next lesson
- Read the guide to Florida home insurance inspections.
- Look up a home you like on the FEMA flood map.
- Put your inspection deadline in the contract-to-close calendar.
- Choose an inspector and an independent insurance agent before you write an offer.
Sources: Citizens inspection requirements, s. 627.7011, F.S. (roof age), FEMA Flood Map Service Center, Citizens flood requirement. Checked November 2026.
The 4-point reports on the four systems insurers care most about. Lenders require flood insurance only in a special flood hazard area, though Citizens policies with wind coverage must carry it everywhere from January 1, 2027.
