Hurricane damage to your business — the claim letter to your insurer

Your numbers

Work out your hurricane loss schedule

Dates, usual sales, damage and deductibles. We count lost sales week by week, the amount to claim and the Florida claim deadlines.

Date of loss (landfall) Insurer got your notice Date of your claim notice Expected reopening Usual sales per week, $ Same weeks last year Gross margin, % As defined in your policy Building and fixtures, $ Equipment, $ Inventory, $ Emergency repairs, cleanup, $ Tarps, boarding up, water removal Property deductible, $ Including the hurricane deductible Business income cover Yes No Business income deductible, $ Premises, sq ft The 60-day rule covers up to 10,000 sq ft

1. Today: photos and video before cleanup; send the notice of claim through the insurer’s portal and by e-mail, and write down the claim number.
2. Fill in the Business Damage Assessment Survey on FloridaDisaster.biz; ask about the Emergency Bridge Loan and the DFS Insurance Assistance Hubs.
3. Update the loss schedule every week until you reopen; keep receipts for emergency repairs.
4. No payment or denial 60 days after your notice: send the demand letter (step 2).

Rules (Florida Statutes 2026): notice of a property claim within 1 year of the date of loss, supplemental claim within 18 months; for a hurricane the date of loss is the landfall date (s. 627.70132). The insurer must acknowledge within 7 days and pay or deny within 60 days of your notice (s. 627.70131(1), (7)); the 60-day rule applies to structures up to 10,000 sq ft. Lost gross profit = lost sales × gross margin: the usual business income method, not a rule of law — check your policy (waiting period, period of indemnity, deductibles).