CLAIMS GLOSSARY · FLORIDA & NEW JERSEY

Calendar-Year Deductible

Also called: annual hurricane deductible, aggregate hurricane deductible

By Nelson Avila, Licensed Florida Public Adjuster (License G332385) · Florida Certified Contractor
Homeland Public Adjusters · Last reviewed: October 2026

Definition

A calendar-year deductible is a deductible that is satisfied once for all covered losses of that type in the same calendar year. In Florida, the hurricane deductible on a personal residential policy works this way: once you have absorbed the full hurricane deductible in a year, a later hurricane in the same year is subject only to the greater of what is left of it or your regular deductible.

Full guide: What Is a Hurricane Deductible? Florida and New Jersey

The Florida rule

§627.701(5)(a) provides that the hurricane deductible “shall apply on an annual basis to all covered hurricane losses that occur during the calendar year” for losses insured under one or more policies issued by the same insurer or insurer group. For a second hurricane, the insurer may apply “the greater of the remaining amount of the hurricane deductible” or the deductible that applies to other perils. The statute also lets insurers require that you report or document hurricane losses that fall below the deductible, so they can be counted toward a later claim in the same year.

Why it matters

2004 (Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne) and 2024 (Debby, Helene, Milton) each put multiple storms across Florida in one season. A homeowner with a $20,000 hurricane deductible who absorbed $15,000 of uncovered damage from the first storm has only $5,000 of hurricane deductible left for the second, and if the regular deductible is $2,500, the second storm’s deductible is $5,000, not $20,000.

What to do after the first storm

Report every hurricane loss, even one below the deductible, and ask the carrier to confirm in writing how much of the calendar-year deductible has been applied.
Keep the estimate and photos: they document the amount absorbed.
If you switch carriers mid-year, the new carrier’s deductible starts fresh; the rule applies to the same insurer or group.

Commercial and association policies

The calendar-year rule in §627.701(5) is written for personal lines residential policies. Commercial property and condominium association master policies usually apply the hurricane deductible per occurrence, and often per building or per location. Associations should read the deductible endorsement with the board before hurricane season; see hurricane deductible for the percentage mechanics.

New Jersey

New Jersey has no calendar-year rule. Hurricane deductibles there may be applied only when the Department of Banking and Insurance trigger is met (an NWS-named hurricane with sustained winds of 74 mph or greater measured in the state), and the policy language decides whether the deductible is per occurrence.

Frequently asked questions

Does the calendar-year deductible reset on my policy renewal date?

No. It runs by calendar year (January 1 to December 31) under §627.701(5), regardless of when the policy renews, as long as the losses are with the same insurer or insurer group.

My first storm damage was below the deductible. Should I still report it?

Yes. The amount you absorbed counts toward the calendar-year deductible, and the statute allows the insurer to require documentation of it. Reporting it preserves the credit for a later storm.

Does the rule apply to a condo association’s master policy?

Not by statute; the calendar-year provision applies to personal lines residential policies. The master policy’s own deductible endorsement controls, and it is usually per occurrence.

Related terms

Hurricane Deductible

A hurricane deductible is a separate, usually percentage-based deductible that replaces your regular deductible when a loss is caused by a named hurricane.

Read the definition ›

Date of Loss

The date of loss (DOL) is the date the damage occurred, which is the date the covered event happened, not the date you discovered it or reported it.

Read the definition ›

Supplemental Claim and Reopened Claim

A supplemental claim is a claim for additional loss or damage from the same peril the insurer has already adjusted, or for costs incurred while repairing under an open claim.

Read the definition ›

If this is your loss, call Homeland before you talk to the insurance company: Florida (305) 783-3777, New Jersey (732) 517-3777, 24 hours. A licensed public adjuster reviews the claim for free and calls you back right away. No Recovery, No Fee.

Sources

This article is for general information only and is not legal or insurance advice. Statutes, regulations and policy wording change, and how they apply depends on your own policy and the facts of your claim. Homeland Public Adjusters is a public adjusting firm, not a law firm.

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