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When the Freezer Gets Hacked: Insurance Gaps Florida Businesses Should Know

Posted on by McGriff-Williams in Blog, Business Insurance |

From McGriff-Williams Insurance, an independent agency in Gainesville since 1983. Where confidence grows.

When most business owners picture a cyberattack, they think of locked computers, stolen customer data or a ransom note. In October 2026, an attack in France showed that a hack can reach something far more physical: the freezer case.

If you run restaurants or retail locations in Florida, own apartment or commercial buildings, store goods cold, or install and service building controls, this story is worth a few minutes. The bigger lesson isn’t about technology. It’s about which insurance policy, if any, pays when a hack ruins your inventory. We’ll walk through what happened, where the gaps can be, and the questions to bring to your next coverage review.

What Happened in France

On the night of Sunday, October 11, into Monday, October 12, 2026, attackers remotely accessed the refrigeration controls at hundreds of supermarkets across France. Reported counts vary, from at least 350 stores to roughly 700, according to news reports.

According to public reporting, the attackers reached controllers that were connected to the internet. They switched refrigerated and frozen cases into defrost mode, removed the limits that normally keep temperatures in check, and set some cases to around 122°F (50°C). Early findings suggested alarms were disabled or avoided. Cases ran hot for roughly four to six hours before morning staff discovered the problem. Food thawed and began to cook. A few stores reported small fires, which set off sprinklers and caused water damage.

Most stores stayed open. They threw out affected product, restocked, and recovered within hours to about a day. The losses still added up. One chain’s leadership estimated about €50,000 in losses for an average store. Another reported up to €200,000 for a single large hypermarket, and industry leaders said the total could reach tens of millions of euros.

Several things were still unknown as of mid-October 2026:

  • Who did it. No one had claimed responsibility, and investigators had not publicly named a suspect. Attribution remains unconfirmed.
  • Exactly how. Officials had not publicly confirmed the precise method used to get in.
  • Why. The motive is unknown. No ransom demand was reported.

The Paris prosecutor’s office opened a cybercrime investigation, and France’s national cybersecurity agency warned that attack campaigns were probably still underway. Equipment makers said many affected units were older models that no longer receive security updates. Security researchers also pointed to devices left exposed to the public internet and, in some cases, apparent default passwords. France’s economy minister called it “a wake-up call for everyone.”

Why It Matters Here in Florida

Grocery stores, restaurants, convenience stores and cold-storage facilities here can rely on connected refrigeration controls, and some are monitored remotely by a refrigeration contractor. That’s convenient, but it also creates a door into the system that needs to be locked.

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has published advisories describing security flaws in commercial refrigeration controllers, along with available fixes. Whether those particular flaws played a role in France has not been confirmed. Either way, the risk isn’t limited to Europe.

Here’s how the lesson can apply to the Florida businesses we work with:

  • Multi-unit restaurants and retail. If one remote connection reaches the coolers at several of your locations, one bad night could mean spoiled stock at all of them at once. That can change how your deductibles and waiting periods apply.
  • Real estate and apartments. If your buildings use connected HVAC, access or other building controls, ask who can reach those systems remotely, and whose policy would respond if a shared system were tampered with.
  • Wholesale and light manufacturing. If you hold product in coolers or freezers, the same question applies: what happens to the inventory if the temperature controls are changed remotely?
  • Contractors who install or service controls. If your team has remote access to customers’ refrigeration, HVAC or building systems, your customers may start asking how that access is secured and what insurance stands behind it.

The Surprise: Whose Policy Pays for the Spoiled Food?

French grocery leaders said publicly that their insurers had told them this kind of loss was not covered. Insurance brokers told Reuters that cyber policies typically exclude physical losses. Here’s why that gap can exist in the U.S. as well:

  • Many cyber policies exclude physical damage. Spoiled food is tangible property. A cyber policy may pay for investigating the hack but not for the inventory you had to throw away.
  • Many property policies now exclude cyber events. In recent years, insurers have added cyber exclusions to many commercial property forms.
  • Spoilage coverage often has narrow triggers. Spoilage coverage is commonly tied to a mechanical breakdown or a power outage. In France, the equipment did what it was told to do. Whether a remote change to temperature settings counts as a “breakdown” depends on your policy wording.

The result is that the largest dollar loss, the spoiled stock, can fall between policies. French insurance commentators noted that lost profit on unsold goods might be recoverable in some cases, while the cost of the discarded stock itself might not be.

Fire can be different. Some property policies cover a fire that results from a cyber incident, and others don’t.

What a Cyber Policy May Help With

Depending on its terms, a cyber policy may still help pay for:

  • Forensic investigation to find out how the attackers got in
  • Restoring and reconfiguring affected systems
  • Some lost income while systems are down, usually after a waiting period
  • Legal and public relations help
  • Extortion costs, if a ransom is demanded

A lot depends on how your policy defines your “computer system.” Some definitions include equipment like refrigeration and building controls. Others may not, especially if a vendor owns or operates the device.

Questions to Ask About Your Coverage

Bring these questions to your next insurance review:

  1. Does my cyber policy treat connected equipment, like refrigeration, HVAC or building controls, as part of my computer system?
  2. Does it include any coverage for physical damage or spoiled inventory caused by a hack?
  3. Does my property or spoilage coverage exclude cyber events? If so, is any coverage given back?
  4. What triggers my spoilage coverage? Is it only mechanical breakdown or power outage?
  5. If 20 of my locations are hit in the same night, how do my deductibles and waiting periods apply?
  6. Does my policy have a war or state-sponsored attack exclusion, and how would it apply if a government blamed another country?

Don’t Forget Your Vendors

In France, discussion quickly turned to who was responsible for securing the equipment. Ask yourself:

  • Who has remote access to your refrigeration and building systems?
  • Does your service contract say who is responsible for security, updates and passwords?
  • Does your vendor carry insurance that could respond if its access is used in an attack?

France’s government cybersecurity alert also offered a useful reminder: check your insurance contract conditions before cutting off your refrigeration contractor’s remote monitoring connection. Some policies or service agreements may require that monitoring, so check with your agent and your contractor first.

We can help with the paperwork side of this, too. For property owners, we can review the insurance requirements in your leases. That review looks only at insurance terms. It isn’t legal advice, so have your attorney review the lease itself.

Practical Steps to Consider This Month

Talk with your refrigeration contractor and IT provider about these steps, drawn largely from French and U.S. government cybersecurity guidance:

  1. Make a list of every connected refrigeration and building controller you have, with make, model and software version.
  2. Get them off the open internet. Remote access should run only through a secured connection.
  3. Update or replace outdated units. Equipment that no longer gets security updates is hard to protect.
  4. Change default passwords and remove accounts nobody uses.
  5. Check defrost schedules and temperature limits, especially after any suspicious activity.
  6. Add an independent temperature alarm that doesn’t rely on the controller itself.
  7. Set an overnight plan so someone gets the alert and knows what to do.

If you’d like a starting point, ask us about our cyber risk assessment. It’s a review of your cyber exposures and how your insurance lines up with them, not a technical security audit or certification, so keep working with your IT provider and refrigeration contractor on the steps above.

If It Happens to You

Work with your refrigeration contractor and IT provider to cut off outside access to the affected systems, keeping your policy and contract conditions on remote monitoring in mind. Document everything: photos of cases, temperature readings, and a log of every item you discard with its cost. Notify your insurance agent and insurance companies promptly under every policy that might apply, including cyber, property and any spoilage or equipment breakdown coverage. Report the incident to law enforcement (for U.S. businesses, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does cyber insurance pay for food that spoils after a hack?
Often not. Many cyber policies exclude physical damage, and spoiled food is tangible property. A cyber policy may still help with investigation, system restoration and some lost income. It depends on your policy wording.

Would my spoilage coverage pay instead?
Maybe. Spoilage coverage is commonly tied to a mechanical breakdown or a power outage. Whether a remote change to temperature settings counts as a breakdown depends on the wording, and some property policies exclude cyber events altogether.

Was the French attack ransomware?
There’s no sign it was. No ransom demand was reported, no one had claimed responsibility, and attribution was unconfirmed as of mid-October 2026.

What should I do first?
Make a list of your connected refrigeration and building controls, ask who can reach them remotely, and review your cyber, property and spoilage coverage together, not one at a time.

Let’s Look at the Whole Picture

The lesson from France is that cyber, property and spoilage coverage can’t be reviewed in isolation. They need to work together. McGriff-Williams Insurance is an independent insurance agency serving Florida businesses from Gainesville. We can review your cyber, property and spoilage coverage side by side, help you spot possible gaps, and talk through your options in plain English. There’s no obligation.

Call (352) 371-7977 or request a quote.

McGriff-Williams Insurance
3501 W University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32607
(352) 371-7977 · Monday–Friday, 9 AM–5 PM
mcgriffwilliams.com

This article is for general educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Insurance coverage depends on the actual terms, conditions, limits and exclusions of each policy. Nothing here changes any policy or promises that any loss is or will be covered. Details of the French incident are based on public reports as of mid-October 2026 and may change as investigations continue.

Sources

Not in a Flood Zone? What Florida Homeowners Should Know About Flood Insurance

Posted on by McGriff-Williams in Blog |

“Am I in a flood zone?” is often the first question Florida homeowners ask about flood insurance. It’s a good question, but the answer doesn’t tell the whole story. Here’s a plain-English look at what flood zones mean, what a typical homeowners policy leaves out, and why timing matters if you decide to buy coverage.

What a “flood zone” actually means

FEMA’s flood maps divide areas into zones. High-risk areas, called Special Flood Hazard Areas, usually show up as zones beginning with “A” or “V.” Lenders generally require flood insurance on mortgaged homes in those areas. Moderate- and low-risk areas often show up as Zone X.

You can look up your home’s zone on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Keep in mind that a map lookup is not an official determination, and maps change over time as areas are restudied.

The key point: “low risk” doesn’t mean “no risk.” Zone X describes a lower likelihood of flooding, not an absence of it.

Flooding happens outside high-risk zones too

Florida’s Department of Financial Services puts it simply: storm surge, heavy rainfall and low, flat terrain make Florida vulnerable to flooding, and flooding “doesn’t just affect those who live near a body of water.” DFS notes that approximately 25% of flood claims happen in low-risk areas (Florida DFS, Insurance Consumer Advocate).

Inland Florida isn’t immune either. Heavy rain can overwhelm drainage, raise lakes and creeks, and pool water in low spots far from the coast.

Your homeowners policy probably doesn’t cover flood

FEMA’s FloodSmart site says that most homeowners and renters insurance does not cover flood damage (FloodSmart: Buy a Policy). Flood coverage is usually a separate policy. Some private home insurers offer it as an endorsement, an add-on to the home policy, so it’s worth checking your declarations page or asking your agent what you have today.

Florida law doesn’t require most homeowners to carry flood insurance. The exceptions are mainly lender requirements and Citizens Property Insurance, which is phasing in a flood requirement for its policyholders. For everyone else, it’s a personal decision about how much risk you’re comfortable carrying.

What NFIP flood insurance covers (and doesn’t)

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), run by FEMA, is the federal flood insurance program. According to FloodSmart:

  • Building coverage goes up to $250,000 for a home. It includes the structure plus items like electrical and plumbing systems, furnaces, water heaters and built-in appliances.
  • Contents coverage goes up to $100,000 for belongings such as furniture, clothing and electronics. Renters can buy contents coverage too.
  • Building and contents coverage are typically bought separately and have separate deductibles.
  • NFIP policies don’t cover temporary housing or additional living expenses while your home is repaired, and they exclude items like vehicles, landscaping, decks, fences and pools (FloodSmart: Buy a Policy; FloodSmart policy terms).

Update (October 2026): FEMA now lets you get a quote and buy an NFIP policy online at FloodSmart.gov in participating NFIP communities (launched October 20, 2026), or buy through an insurance agent (FEMA press release, Oct. 20, 2026).

Private flood policies are also available in Florida. Their limits, waiting periods and features vary by company and policy, so compare the actual policy wording.

The 30-day waiting period: why timing matters

This is a timing detail worth knowing. NFIP coverage generally goes into effect 30 days after you buy it. FloodSmart lists a few exceptions, including no wait when the purchase is tied to making, increasing, extending or renewing a mortgage, and a one-day wait in certain newly mapped high-risk areas (FloodSmart: Buy a Policy).

In practice, you usually can’t buy NFIP coverage once flooding is in the forecast and expect it to apply to that event. Flooding can happen at any time of year in Florida, so if you’re considering flood insurance, it’s generally easier to look at it well before you think you’ll need it.

How NFIP premiums are figured

FloodSmart says three things drive an NFIP rate: where your property is built, how it’s built, and what it would cost to rebuild it. NFIP rates don’t vary by insurance company or agent; every company that sells NFIP policies uses the same pricing (FloodSmart: Buy a Policy). An Elevation Certificate, which documents your building’s elevation, is optional for NFIP coverage. FEMA’s rating can take one into account. Any effect on price depends on your property and documentation.

Questions to ask yourself

  • Where does water go on my street and lot during a heavy rain?
  • Could I afford to repair my floors, walls, systems and belongings out of pocket after a flood?
  • Does my current home policy include any flood coverage, or none?

Talk with us

McGriff-Williams Insurance is an independent agency in Gainesville, in business since 1983, and we write flood insurance every day. If you’d like to talk through your flood zone, what your current policy covers, or how NFIP and private flood options compare, call us at (352) 371-7977. We serve clients throughout Florida by phone, email and video.

General information, not legal or coverage advice. Coverage depends on the policy issued, its terms and underwriting. Information current as of October 2026; confirm details with your agent or insurer. McGriff-Williams Insurance is an independent insurance agency licensed in Florida and is not affiliated with FEMA or the National Flood Insurance Program.

Sources

Is Your Water Damage Coverage Only $10,000? What Owners of Older Florida Homes Should Know

Posted on by McGriff-Williams in Blog, Home Insurance |

Gainesville has plenty of mid-century and 1970s and ’80s homes. If you own one, check how your policy handles water damage. Many Florida insurers now cap water damage on older homes, often at $10,000.

Why Older Homes Often Have Water Caps

Most water claims start inside the house: a failed supply line, water heater, or pipe in the wall. Plumbing wears out with age, so insurers look closely at it.

Depending on the company, homes around 40 years old and older are often written with a limited water damage endorsement. It pays for sudden leaks only up to a set amount, commonly $10,000, sometimes including tear-out to reach the leak. The age cutoff and how strict it is vary by company.

On many older homes, buying a higher limit isn’t always an option. If the original plumbing is still in place, some companies will only offer the capped coverage, whatever you’re willing to pay.

Plumbing Updates That Usually Matter

Updates can open up more choices. Insurers generally look at:

  • A full re-pipe. Replacing older supply lines, especially galvanized or polybutylene pipe, is often the biggest single factor.
  • A newer water heater. Age and location both get looked at.
  • Updated supply lines to sinks, toilets, and appliances.

Results vary by insurance company. Some companies may remove the cap or offer higher limits after major plumbing work, and others may not. Keeping records of the work helps show the insurance company what was done.

Keep Your Paperwork

Insurers usually want proof. Keep:

  • A 4-point inspection. Many older Florida homes need one. It reviews the roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. Our post on what a Florida 4-point inspection checks explains what the inspector looks at.
  • Plumber invoices showing what was replaced and when.
  • Permits, where the work required one.

Updated your plumbing but still see a $10,000 limit? It may be worth a fresh review.

Newer Homes: Usually No Water Limit, Unless You Choose One

On newer homes, there’s typically no separate water damage limit. Covered water damage is insured up to your full dwelling limit (Coverage A). A cap usually only shows up if you choose one. Some companies offer a lower water limit, such as $10,000, in exchange for a premium credit. That trade can make sense for some owners, but understand it first. One bad leak can cost more than several years of the premium credit.

The 14-Day Hidden Leak Rule

Many Florida policies also exclude damage from water that leaked or seeped over a long period, often 14 days or more. A slow leak behind a wall is treated as maintenance, not a sudden accident. Wording varies. Check under sinks and around the water heater now and then.

Florida law gives you one year from the date of loss to give your insurer notice of a new claim (s. 627.70132, F.S.). Still, report water damage promptly.

Preventing Water Damage With a Leak Detection Device

A leak detection device can stop a small problem from becoming a big claim. There are two main types:

  1. Alarm or sensor-only units. Small sensors near the water heater, washer, or sinks sound an alarm or send an alert to your phone when they detect water. Someone still has to act.
  2. Automatic whole-home shut-off valves. Installed on your main water line, these shut off the water when they detect a leak or unusual flow.

A shut-off valve is the stronger protection, because it stops the water even when nobody’s home. That matters when you’re traveling or own a second home. Systems range from simple DIY sensors to professionally installed valves.

Some companies offer premium credits for these devices, sometimes with a larger credit for automatic shut-off. Requirements, such as professional installation, vary. On an older home, a shut-off valve can help show lower risk. It won’t necessarily remove a water cap.

Water Damage, Water Backup, and Flood Are Different

  1. Water damage means sudden leaks from plumbing, appliances, or AC. This is what may be capped on older homes, or by choice on newer ones.
  2. Water backup and sump overflow means water coming up through drains or sewer lines. It’s usually excluded unless you add an endorsement, often with a $5,000 default limit.
  3. Flood means rising surface water. It needs a separate NFIP or private flood policy. Florida law requires a flood warning on declarations pages for policies that exclude it (s. 627.7011, F.S.), and Citizens is phasing in a flood requirement (Florida CFO).

How to Check Your Declarations Page

On the summary page at the front of your policy, look for:

  • An endorsement with “limited water,” “water damage,” or “tear-out” in the title, and its dollar amount
  • A “water backup” or “sump overflow” line and its limit
  • Your all other perils (AOP) deductible, which usually applies to water claims

The Florida Department of Financial Services’ Homeowners’ Insurance Toolkit includes a sample declarations page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I just pay more to raise my water limit?
It depends on the company and your home’s plumbing. On many older homes with original plumbing, higher limits may not be available until major updates are made.

Does my homeowners policy cover flooding?
No. Flood needs a separate policy, and water backup usually needs its own endorsement.

Can a leak detection device lower my premium?
Some companies offer credits, especially for automatic shut-off valves. Ask when you review your policy.

Let’s Look at Your Policy Together

At McGriff-Williams Insurance, we’ve helped Gainesville-area families with their coverage since 1983. As an independent agency, we can compare your current policy side by side with options from multiple carriers. Each company handles older homes and plumbing updates in its own way, so the options can differ more than you’d expect.

Call us at (352) 371-7977 or stop by 3501 W University Ave, Gainesville. Bring your declarations page, plumbing invoices or inspection reports, and details on any leak detection device, and we’ll go through them with you.

Sources

This article is general information, not a statement of coverage. Your policy’s terms, conditions, and endorsements control. Coverage options vary by company and are subject to underwriting.

Builders Risk Insurance for Homeowners and Owner-Builders

Posted on by McGriff-Williams in Blog |

Construction blueprints and rolled plans on a job site

Short answer: Builders risk is property insurance for a home under construction or major renovation. It is not liability coverage. Homeowners and owner-builders still need a plan for liability, and flood is usually separate. Contractors should also review our builders risk insurance page for the commercial side.

Builders risk is one of the most misunderstood policies in the construction process. Many homeowners assume it’s a comprehensive policy that covers everything during a build. It isn’t. Builders risk is property insurance only, which does not include any liability. Knowing that before you break ground can help you avoid a costly gap.

If you’re a contractor or developer buying builders risk for a commercial or larger residential project, see our builders risk insurance page for Florida contractors.

What exactly does Builders Risk cover?

Builders risk, also called course of construction insurance, protects the physical structure, materials on site and in some cases materials in transit, from the start of construction until the policy ends, which depending on the form can be at completion, occupancy or the policy’s expiration date. Common covered perils include:

  • Fire, lightning, wind and hail
  • Theft of building materials and vandalism
  • Explosion and sudden water damage
  • Soft costs (architect fees, loan interest, permit costs) when specifically added

Policies are usually written for the expected length of the project. Many builders risk policies have a minimum earned premium, so you may not get money back if the project finishes early. Ask before you buy. If the build runs long, ask about an extension before the policy expires. Extensions are subject to the insurance company’s approval.

What does Builders Risk NOT cover?

  • Liability: No coverage for bodily injury or property damage claims against you as the property owner.
  • Faulty workmanship or defective materials: The cost to fix the faulty work itself is generally excluded, though many forms cover resulting damage from a covered cause.
  • Employee theft: Theft by your own employees is commonly excluded.
  • Flood: Often excluded or limited. Ask whether flood is included or whether a separate flood policy makes sense.

Another option: a homeowners or dwelling policy written for a home under construction

Some insurance companies will write a homeowners or dwelling policy on a home while it’s being built, sometimes called dwelling under construction or course of construction coverage. Not every insurance company offers it, and the rules vary. Some write it only in the name of the person who will live in the home, some limit how long the build can take and some won’t write it when the owner is acting as the builder. This coverage can protect the structure during construction. A homeowners form also includes personal liability coverage, while a dwelling form generally doesn’t unless liability is added. If you already have a homeowners policy on the home you live in now, ask whether its liability coverage extends to the lot. Many homeowners forms treat land where a home is being built as your residence as an insured location, which can extend your personal liability to the lot during construction. That generally doesn’t apply if you’re building to sell or rent. If the lot is in your name, it can be worth asking about. Confirm with your agent that liability is active and review coverage limits carefully.

Listen Up: If the land is in your name, you have a liability exposure!

If the lot is in your name, you have a personal liability exposure that exists whether you have a builders risk policy or not. Consider this:

  • A delivery driver trips over construction debris on your lot.
  • A retaining wall fails during a rain event and damages a neighboring property.
  • Someone trespasses onto the site after hours and is injured.

In each case, a builders risk policy does nothing. Liability coverage is what responds to claims like these.

Depending on your situation, options to ask about include:

  • The personal liability on your current homeowners policy, which many forms extend to land where your new home is being built as your residence
  • A homeowners or dwelling policy written for the home under construction, with liability included or added
  • A separate liability policy for vacant land or a property under construction, if your current coverage doesn’t reach the lot
  • Your personal umbrella, if you have one. An umbrella generally sits above your homeowners liability and requires it to stay in place, so ask whether your underlying policy covers the lot.

Your general contractor’s liability policy is written to protect the contractor. Unless your contract requires the contractor to add you as an additional insured, don’t count on that policy to protect you, and even then the protection is usually limited.

Building as an owner-builder

Florida lets you act as your own contractor on a one-family or two-family home you’ll live in, under the owner-builder exemption in section 489.103(7), Florida Statutes. To use it, you personally sign the building permit application, and the permitting office gives you a disclosure statement that explains your duties. In it you acknowledge that you’re the responsible party on the permit, that you must directly supervise the work and that you may be held liable if an unlicensed worker is hurt on your property. The statement also says your homeowners insurance may not cover those injuries. If you sell or lease the home within a year after it’s finished, the law presumes you built it for sale or lease. The disclosure statement also says that anyone working on the home who isn’t licensed must work under your direct supervision as your employee, and that you must provide workers’ compensation for that employee. Before you pull an owner-builder permit, ask your agent how your liability coverage applies to the project, and talk with your attorney about your duties as an employer, including workers’ compensation. Some insurance companies won’t write coverage for a home under construction when the owner is the builder, so ask about that too.

Renovating the home you own

If you’re renovating a home that’s already insured, your homeowners policy can continue to cover it during the work, but tell your agent before work starts. Many homeowners forms say a home being built isn’t considered vacant, but vacancy rules vary, so ask how your policy treats a renovation. Some still limit theft of building materials until the work is done and the home is occupied. If you plan to move out during a major renovation, ask how that affects your policy, because some insurance companies won’t insure a home that’s unoccupied while major work is underway. Coverage depends on the policy and the insurance company.

Talk to your agent before you break ground!

Whether you’re the homeowner, the builder or a real estate professional, talk with your agent before you break ground. Depending on the project, that could mean a builders risk policy, a homeowners or dwelling policy written for a home under construction or help closing a liability gap. Either way, we can walk you through your options.

Frequently asked questions

Does builders risk include liability?
No. Builders risk is property coverage for the project. Liability is a separate discussion.

I’m building as an owner-builder. Is builders risk enough?
Often you still need liability coverage for the lot and project. Talk through both before you break ground.

Does builders risk cover flood?
Flood is usually separate. Confirm what your builders risk form includes and whether a flood policy is needed for the site.

Sources

General information, not legal or coverage advice. Coverage depends on the policy issued, its terms and underwriting.

McGriff-Williams Insurance is an independent insurance agency in Gainesville, in business since 1983 and licensed in Florida. We’re at 3501 W University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32607. Questions: (352) 371-7977, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Homeowners and owner-builders in the Gainesville area can also start from our Gainesville home insurance page. Contractors: builders risk insurance or contractors insurance.

Last updated October 31, 2026

Can I Change My Coverage at Any Time?

Posted on by McGriff-Williams in Blog |

Yes. Most insurance policies, including car and home policies, can be changed during the policy term, not only at renewal. What matters is how the change affects your premium, your protection and, if you’re replacing a policy, whether you’re covered every day in between. This guide walks through what to check, as of October 27, 2026.

How an insurance policy works

An insurance policy is a contract between you and the insurance company. It spells out what’s covered, the terms and conditions, and the premium. A few parts matter most when you make a change:

  • Coverage limits: the most the policy pays for a covered loss. Each coverage has its own limit.
  • Deductibles: what you pay before coverage applies. A higher deductible usually means a lower premium and more of the loss on you.
  • Premium: what you pay for the policy. It can change with coverage changes, claims and market conditions.
  • Exclusions: situations the policy doesn’t cover.

When you can change your coverage

During the policy term

Most policies allow changes at any point in the term. Common reasons include:

  • Life changes, such as marriage, a new driver in the household, or buying a home.
  • Changes in what you own, such as a new car, a boat or valuable collectibles.
  • A coverage review that shows a gap, or coverage you no longer need.

At renewal

Renewal is a natural time to look at your coverage as a whole. You can adjust limits and deductibles, add or remove coverages, or review options with other insurance companies. Tell us your renewal date and we can review your coverage before it renews.

For a Florida homeowners policy review in the Gainesville area, see our Gainesville home insurance page. For auto changes, see Florida auto insurance.

Changing car insurance mid-term in Florida: what to check

You can change Florida car insurance at any time. Before you do, check these points.

Refunds if you cancel

In Florida, if you cancel a car insurance policy, the insurance company must refund at least 90% of the unearned premium, figured on a pro rata basis, within 30 days. If the insurance company cancels, it must refund 100% of the unearned premium within 15 days. Before you cancel, make sure the new policy is in force so there’s no gap; a lapse in required coverage can lead to license and registration suspension. (s. 627.7283, Florida Statutes)

Keep coverage continuous

Florida requires $10,000 in personal injury protection and $10,000 in property damage liability to stay in force for the whole registration period, even if the vehicle is not being driven. If you no longer need coverage on a car, surrender the license plate before you cancel the insurance. A lapse can lead to suspension of your license and registration for up to 3 years and a reinstatement fee of up to $500 (FLHSMV).

Check your liability and uninsured motorist limits

A mid-term change is a good time to look at your bodily injury limits. If you raise them, revisit uninsured motorist (UM) coverage too. An earlier UM rejection or lower UM selection carries forward only when your bodily injury limits stay the same (s. 627.727). If you have a personal umbrella, confirm your auto limits still meet its requirements, which vary by company.

Compare the whole policy, not only the price

Price is only one part of the decision. Coverage, limits, deductibles and service differ too. For more on Florida car coverage, see auto insurance in Gainesville.

How to change your coverage

  1. Review your current policy. Look at your limits, deductibles and exclusions.
  2. Think about what has changed. New drivers, new vehicles, a new home or more assets to protect can all affect what you want covered.
  3. Talk with your agent. Be clear about the change you want and when you want it to take effect.
  4. Get confirmation. Ask for written confirmation of the change, such as an updated declarations page.
  5. Review the new terms. Check the new premium and any new conditions or exclusions.

Things to keep in mind

  • Timing. Some changes are simpler at renewal than mid-term. Ask before you make the change.
  • Underwriting. A new insurance company, or a large increase in coverage, may involve a review of your claims history and other details.
  • State rules. Insurance rules vary by state and by type of policy.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change my car insurance coverage at any time?

Yes. You can usually change coverage, limits, deductibles, drivers or vehicles during the policy term. If you’re replacing a policy, make sure the new one is in force before you cancel the old one so there’s no gap.

Does changing car insurance coverage reset my policy?

Changing coverage mid-term usually changes your premium from that date forward; whether anything else on the policy changes depends on the insurance company, so ask before you make the change.

Do I get money back if I cancel my Florida car insurance?

In Florida, if you cancel a car insurance policy, the insurance company must refund at least 90% of the unearned premium, figured on a pro rata basis, within 30 days.

Talk with us before you make a change

Call us at (352) 371-7977, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or contact us. A licensed member of our team may be able to compare options from the insurance companies we represent.

You can also start from home insurance or auto insurance or request a quote.

Sources (checked October 27, 2026): Florida Statutes s. 627.7283; s. 627.727; FLHSMV, Florida insurance requirements.