Updated October 30, 2026.

Jacksonville covers a lot of ground: older homes in established neighborhoods near the St. Johns River, newer neighborhoods on the Southside, and homes near the beaches and the Intracoastal Waterway. Each one raises different questions about roofs, wind, storm surge and flood.

We’re an independent insurance agency in Gainesville, in business since 1983. Florida agency license L055907, held by Lee C. McGriff and Mack Williams Insurance Agency, Inc. We work with Jacksonville and Northeast Florida homeowners by phone, email and video. Because we’re an independent agency, a licensed member of our team may be able to compare options from the insurance companies we represent and explain the differences.

Older homes in Jacksonville

Many homes in established neighborhoods such as Riverside, Avondale and San Marco are decades old, and in Mandarin and parts of the Southside many homes were built in the 1980s or earlier (see below). On older homes, many insurance companies ask for a 4-point inspection of the roof, electrical, plumbing, and heating and air conditioning. The age at which they ask varies by company, and the condition of those systems can affect whether a company offers coverage and on what terms.

Insurance companies often ask when the roof, electrical, plumbing, and heating and air conditioning were last updated. If you’ve updated any of them, keep the permits, invoices and receipts with your insurance records, so you can show the year and the work done. Roof age matters too; see Roof age below.

Rebuilding an older home can cost more than you might expect, especially with features such as plaster walls, detailed wood trim or a tile roof, or when parts of the home would need to meet current building codes. The dwelling limit should reflect what it would cost to rebuild the home at today’s prices.

Wind, hurricanes and storm surge

Hurricane wind coverage is usually part of a Florida homeowners policy, though some policies exclude wind, and it usually comes with a separate hurricane deductible set as a percentage of the dwelling limit. A wind mitigation inspection documents features such as roof deck attachment, roof to wall connections and opening protection on the state’s Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form (OIR-B1-1802), and Florida law requires insurers’ rate filings to include discounts or credits for qualifying features (section 627.0629; Office of Insurance Regulation). The amount varies by insurance company and by home. The inspection may be at your own cost.

Storm surge is flood, not wind. Damage from rising water is generally excluded from a homeowners policy, even when hurricane winds drive it, and is covered only if you have flood coverage, usually a separate flood policy. Florida law requires homeowners policies without flood coverage to say so on the declarations page (section 627.7011(4)(b)).

Look up your evacuation zone by address with the City of Jacksonville’s Evacuation Zone Search, linked from JaxReady. It covers Duval County, including Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach. In St. Johns County, use the My Evacuation Zone Locator, and in Clay County, the Evacuation Zone Helper. Your evacuation zone is not your flood zone.

Flood along the river, creeks and coast

Jacksonville’s flood risk follows the St. Johns River, its tributaries and the coast. FEMA has proposed updated flood maps for parts of Jacksonville. As of October 29, 2026, they’re preliminary and not yet in effect, and the appeal period runs through November 18, 2026. Until FEMA sets an effective date, the current maps still apply. Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach aren’t part of this update. Read Jacksonville’s flood maps are changing for what property owners should know, and check your address on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center. In St. Johns County, see our St. Johns County flood zones guide.

Roof age

Under Florida law, an insurer may not refuse to issue or renew a homeowners policy solely because the roof is less than 15 years old. If the roof is at least 15 years old, the insurer must let you have it inspected by an authorized inspector (one the insurer approves), at your expense, before requiring a new roof, and it can’t refuse to issue or renew solely because of roof age if the inspection shows at least 5 years of useful life left (section 627.7011(5), Florida Statutes). Insurers can still decline a home for other lawful reasons. Roof age counts from the last time the whole roof was built or replaced under the building code in effect at the time, so keep the permit and invoice for any roof replacement.

A state flood insurance requirement

If your home is insured by Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, Florida’s state-created insurer, Florida law requires flood insurance for most of its personal residential policies. As of October 29, 2026, the requirement already applies to homes in a FEMA special flood hazard area and to homes with a dwelling replacement cost of $400,000 or more, and it extends to all other Citizens personal residential policies effective on or after January 1, 2027. Condo unit owner policies and policies without wind coverage are exempt (section 627.351(6)(aa)). If you’re with Citizens, ask us how the schedule applies to your home.

Southside, Mandarin and the beaches

Southside: In ZIP 32256 (Baymeadows, Deerwood and the Town Center area), Census Bureau estimates put the median year built at about 2002, with about 55% of homes built in 2000 or later. In ZIP 32216, closer in, the median year built is about 1984 and about 44% of homes were built before 1980, so roof age and 4-point questions come up more often there.

Mandarin: In ZIPs 32223 and 32257, the median year built is about 1987 and 1986, and about 62% and 65% of homes were built before 1990, so roof and plumbing age often come up at renewal.

The beaches: Census Bureau estimates put the median year built at about 1983 in Jacksonville Beach, 1973 in Neptune Beach and 1986 in Atlantic Beach. Building or altering property seaward of Florida’s Coastal Construction Control Line requires a permit from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Under FEMA’s Community Rating System, eligible NFIP flood policies get a 25% discount in Atlantic Beach (Class 5) and a 20% discount in Jacksonville Beach and Neptune Beach (Class 6), according to FEMA’s October 2026 community list. Some policies get part of the discount or none.

See our Jacksonville insurance guides on wind vs. flood, older homes, and golf carts and LSVs at the beaches.

Frequently asked questions

Does homeowners insurance cover storm surge in Jacksonville?

Generally no. Storm surge is rising water, which is flood. Flood coverage is usually a separate policy.

Do I need flood insurance if I’m not in a high risk flood zone?

Federal law requires flood insurance on loans from federally regulated or federally backed lenders for buildings and mobile homes in high risk zones of communities that take part in the NFIP. Any lender can still ask for it. Homeowners policies generally exclude flood, and FEMA has proposed new flood maps for parts of Jacksonville that aren’t in effect yet.

What is a hurricane deductible?

A separate deductible for hurricane claims, usually a percentage of the dwelling limit, such as 2% or 5%. In Florida it applies on a calendar year basis to all hurricane losses under policies from the same insurance company or group. If another hurricane causes a loss later that year, the insurer may apply whichever is greater: what’s left of the hurricane deductible or your all other perils deductible (section 627.701(5)).

Why does my older Riverside or San Marco home need a 4-point inspection?

Many insurance companies ask for one on older homes to check the roof, electrical, plumbing, and heating and air conditioning.

How can a wind mitigation inspection affect my premium?

Florida law requires insurers’ rate filings to include credits for qualifying wind features, and the inspection documents them. The amount varies by insurance company and by home. The inspection may be at your own cost.

How much dwelling coverage do I need for an older home?

Enough to rebuild the home with comparable materials at today’s costs, which isn’t the same as its market value or what you paid for it. Ask about law and ordinance coverage, which helps with the added cost of meeting current building codes.

Does Citizens require flood insurance?

Citizens Property Insurance Corporation is Florida’s state-created insurer. For most of its personal residential policies, yes. As of October 29, 2026, section 627.351(6)(aa), Florida Statutes, requires flood coverage for Citizens policies with wind coverage effective on or after January 1, 2027, or earlier for a home in a FEMA special flood hazard area or with a dwelling replacement cost of $400,000 or more. Condo unit owner and no wind policies are exempt.

Do you work with homeowners outside Duval County?

We’re licensed in Florida. Tell us your address, and a licensed member of our team can explain what applies to you.

Do I need to visit your office?

No. We can review your coverage by phone, email or video.

How do I start?

Call (352) 371-7977 or request a quote. A licensed member of our team will review your request and contact you.

General information, not legal or coverage advice. Coverage depends on the policy issued, its terms and underwriting. Sources checked October 29, 2026. McGriff-Williams Insurance is an independent insurance agency in Gainesville, in business since 1983 and licensed in Florida. We are not affiliated with FEMA, the NFIP or Citizens Property Insurance Corporation.

Sources

  • Florida Statutes section 627.7011: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/627.7011
  • Florida Statutes section 627.351: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/627.351
  • Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Wind Mitigation Resources: https://floir.gov/consumers/wind-mitigation-resources/
  • FEMA Flood Map Service Center: https://msc.fema.gov/portal/home
  • City of Jacksonville, Evacuation Zone Search: https://maps.coj.net/evsearch/ ; JaxReady, Know Your Zone: https://www.jaxready.com/Alerts/Evacuation-Zones
  • St. Johns County, My Evacuation Zone Locator: https://www.gis.sjcfl.us/MYEZ/MYEZ.html ; Clay County, Evacuation Zone Helper: https://public.claycountygov.com/evaczone/
  • Federal Register, proposed flood hazard determinations, Jan. 21, 2026: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/21/2026-01057/proposed-flood-hazard-determinations
  • U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5 year estimates, tables B25035 and B25034 (ZIP Code Tabulation Areas and places): https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B25035
  • Florida Administrative Code rule 62B-26.004, Duval County Coastal Construction Control Line: https://www.flrules.org/gateway/ruleNo.asp?id=62B-26.004
  • FEMA, CRS eligible communities, Oct. 1, 2026: https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_rsl_crs_eligible-communities-oct%202026_10052026.pdf
  • Florida Statutes section 627.701, hurricane deductibles: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/627.701
  • Florida Statutes section 627.0629, wind mitigation discounts: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/627.0629