DENIED CLAIMS · FLORIDA & NEW JERSEY

The Insurer Wants Its Own Contractor: Managed Repair in Florida and New Jersey

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

Two-story home with its roof and walls torn open after a hurricane

On a large loss, who controls the repair, and the scope it covers, becomes a central part of the claim.

Short answer: Managed repair lets the insurer choose the contractor and repair the damage instead of paying you to repair it. In Florida it exists only where your policy includes it, usually as an endorsement, and no Florida statute sets its rules. In New Jersey, regulations bar insurers from requiring repairs by a particular contractor as a condition of payment.

Where managed repair comes from in Florida

We found no Florida statute that creates or regulates managed repair programs. They come from policy endorsements filed with and approved by the Office of Insurance Regulation, Florida statutes only mention the right to repair in passing:

The Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights (§627.7142), which the insurer must provide within 14 days of the first claim communication, tells policyholders to confirm any managed repair provisions or optional preferred vendors before signing repair contracts.
§627.7011(6)(e) says the replacement cost statute does not prohibit an insurer from exercising its right to repair.

What still applies

Under §627.7011(3)(a), the insurer generally must first pay at least the actual cash value of a covered dwelling loss, then the rest as repairs are done, and for a total loss it must pay replacement cost without holding back depreciation. A managed repair election also doesn’t answer the question of scope: what is damaged and what the repair must include is still the core of the claim.

Questions to ask

Does my policy actually have a managed repair endorsement? Check the declarations page and endorsements list
When must the insurer elect to repair, and how is that communicated?
Who warrants the work, and what happens if the repair is incomplete or defective?
What scope of work did the insurer approve, and does it include everything damaged?
What happens to emergency services and repairs already done?

New Jersey is different

N.J.A.C. 11:2-17.10(a)6 says an insurer shall not require, as a condition to payment of claims, that repairs be made by a particular contractor, unless it is exercising a repair right in the policy.

Frequently asked questions

Can my Florida insurer make me use its contractor?

Only if your policy gives it that right, usually through a managed repair endorsement. Read the endorsement and the Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights the insurer sent you.

Is there a Florida law on managed repair?

We found no Florida statute that regulates managed repair programs. They are policy terms approved through the form filing process, so the endorsement wording controls.

Can a New Jersey insurer require a particular contractor?

Not as a condition to paying the claim, under N.J.A.C. 11:2-17.10(a)6, unless it is exercising a repair right in the policy.

Does managed repair change what is damaged?

No. The scope of the damage still has to be documented and agreed. A public adjuster documents the full loss so the repair covers all of it.

Call Homeland first. Before you answer the insurer, sign anything or accept a final number, call us 24/7 at (305) 783-3777 in Florida or (732) 517-3777 in New Jersey. We read the letter against your policy, document the loss and present the claim for you. Hablamos español.

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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