Free Training · For Homeowners
How to Win Your Insurance Claim
Most homeowners lose money on every claim they handle. Not because they're unintelligent — because no one taught them what their policy actually says, what their carrier is allowed to do, and what tools the law gives them. We're going to fix that.
This is for you if…
- You filed a claim and the offer feels low
- Your claim got denied and you don't know why
- Your roof, water, fire, or mold damage isn't getting fairly handled
- You want to know what to do BEFORE you file
- You want to know what to say (and not say) to the adjuster
By the end you'll…
- Read your policy line-by-line in plain English
- Document damage like a professional
- Know every Florida deadline that can kill your claim
- Decode the carrier's estimate and write a rebuttal
- Know when to handle it yourself and when to call a public adjuster
The course
10 chapters. Each chapter is a tight cluster of short lessons. Read top to bottom or jump to what you need.
Chapter 1 — Foundations
Stop treating your insurer as a service provider. Start treating them as a counterparty. Mental model + Florida rights + deadlines that kill claims.
- 1.0
Foundations: Understanding the Claims Process and Your Rights
What insurance actually is. Who's working for whom. The deadlines that kill claims. When DIY makes sense.
15 min read
- 1.1
Florida Insurance Law Cheat Sheet
Timeframes. Statutes. Violations. Fines. The 12 levers that move carriers. Current as of 2025 (post-SB 2A + HB 837).
18 min read
Chapter 2 — Reading Your Policy Like an Adjuster
Your declarations page is the menu. The policy is the contract. Pull any line item from your own policy in 60 seconds.
- 2.1
The Declarations Page
The cover sheet that summarizes your policy. What every line means and which numbers matter most.
10 min read
- 2.2
Coverages A through F
6 coverages on every standard FL policy. Sub-limit traps. Pool cage gotcha. Defaults that almost always need raising.
12 min read
- 2.3
Exclusions, Endorsements, and Sub-Limits
3 mechanisms that quietly kill coverage. The wear-and-tear weapon. Anti-concurrent causation traps. 10-min policy audit.
12 min read
- 2.4
Deductibles — AOP, Hurricane, Named Storm
FL policies stack 2-4 deductibles. 5% hurricane deductible on $400K = $20K out of pocket. Math + trigger rules + once-per-year trap.
10 min read
- 2.5
ACV vs RCV — and Recoverable Depreciation
Same loss, different policy, two paychecks. The 2-step payout. The roof endorsement trap. How to actually recover depreciation.
10 min read
- 2.6
Ordinance and Law (Code Upgrade) Coverage
Most homeowners have it. Almost none claim it. The 25% rule. How to actually get O&L paid.
10 min read
Chapter 3 — The First 72 Hours After a Loss
What you do in the first three days decides what you can recover later. Mitigation, documentation, and the words you must never say to an adjuster.
- 3.1
Mitigation Duty — The Tarps, the Drying, the Receipts
Mandatory under every FL policy. What's reimbursable. The AOB trap (post-2023 reform). IICRC vendors. Speed = leverage.
10 min read
- 3.2
Documentation Discipline
Photo > argument. The 4-shot rule. Contents inventory. Daily log. Burden of proof reality.
12 min read
- 3.3
Reporting to the Carrier — In Writing
Phone first for the claim #, email same day in writing. The 5 things to lock in. What NOT to volunteer.
10 min read
- 3.4
What NOT to Say on a Recorded Statement
7 things you should never say. 3 things you should. Carrier tactics. When to refuse.
12 min read
Chapter 4 — Filing the Claim
Notice of loss in writing. Sworn proof of loss. The 7/30/60-day clock. Adjuster types and how to handle each.
- 4.1
Notice of Loss — In Writing
The doc that starts every clock. 1-year deadline (post-SB 2A). The format that protects you.
10 min read
- 4.2
Sworn Proof of Loss
Most important doc in your file. The strategic move = submit early to start the 60-day clock. Errors that void it.
12 min read
- 4.3
The 7 / 30 / 60 Day Clock
Carrier deadlines (post-SB 2A). Each one = leverage. What to do when they blow them.
10 min read
- 4.4
Adjuster Types — Staff, IA, Desk, Field
5 types of adjusters touch your claim. Whose paycheck depends on what. How to handle each. Quick handling matrix.
10 min read
Chapter 5 — Documenting and Pricing the Loss
Build your scope of damage like a pro. Xactimate basics, photo standards, contents inventory, matching statute, code upgrade coverage.
- 5.1
Building Your Scope of Damage
The list that drives the entire claim. Room-by-room template. Why bad scope = bad estimate, even with perfect pricing.
12 min read
- 5.2
Xactimate Basics for Homeowners
Read the carrier's estimate like an adjuster does. The 4 numbers per line. FLMI pricing. 7 lowball signals.
12 min read
- 5.3
Photo Standards
The 4-shot rule scaled. Pre-mitigation, hidden-damage, exterior sets. Time-stamping. The folder structure that wins.
10 min read
- 5.4
Contents Inventory
Pre-loss baseline + post-loss reconstruction. Sub-limit traps. Scheduled property. ACV vs RCV. Total-loss process.
12 min read
- 5.5
The Florida Matching Statute
§ 626.9744. New tile doesn't match → continuous floor owed. Roof matching narrowed by reforms. How to invoke it.
12 min read
- 5.6
Code Upgrade Coverage in Practice
How to actually claim O&L. 25% roof rule (current state). Code-required vs you-want. Building dept letter as killer doc.
12 min read
Chapter 6 — Reading the Carrier's Estimate
Decode their document. Spot missing scope. Catch suspicious pricing. The O&P 'three trades' rule. How to write a rebuttal that gets results.
- 6.1
Decoding the Carrier's Estimate
Read every section. The summary that hides the lowball. 5 things to verify against your scope.
12 min read
- 6.2
Identifying Missing Scope
5 categories carriers consistently leave out. The 30-min audit. Cross-reference their photos to their scope = layup rebuttal.
12 min read
- 6.3
Suspicious Unit Pricing
4 carrier pricing tactics. FLMI database test. Contractor quote test. Build the line-by-line rebuttal.
12 min read
- 6.4
Improper Depreciation
4 ways carriers wrongly depreciate. Labor depreciation fight. Useful-life table. The 180-day deadline.
12 min read
- 6.5
Overhead and Profit (O&P) — The Three Trades Rule
20% on top when 3+ trades. Industry standard. Carriers leave it off. Math + counter-arguments.
10 min read
- 6.6
Writing a Rebuttal That Gets Results
The 6-section format. Tone + statute citations. Evidence stacking. The sentence that stops most lowballs cold.
12 min read
Chapter 7 — When the Carrier Pushes Back
Lowball offers. Partial denials. Full denials. Reservation of rights letters. Building a paper trail for bad faith. Filing a CRN with DFS.
- 7.1
Lowball Offers
Why every first offer is a lowball. 4 categories. The 5-step negotiation playbook. When to accept anyway.
10 min read
- 7.2
Partial Denials
Carrier covers part, denies the rest. Take the approved $ without waiving denial rights. The 4-prong appeal.
12 min read
- 7.3
Full Denials
4 denial categories. Read the letter as a roadmap. § 86.121 declaratory action — the post-HB 837 fee-shifting tool.
12 min read
- 7.4
Reservation of Rights Letters
Serious signal. Don't handle alone. Get attorney involved immediately. Cooperation w/ limits.
10 min read
- 7.5
Reasonable Proof Requests vs Fishing
5 categories of carrier requests. What to provide. What to refuse. Push back without violating cooperation clause.
12 min read
- 7.6
Filing a Civil Remedy Notice (CRN)
§ 624.155 bad-faith pre-condition. 60-day cure window. Why a precise CRN often produces a check inside that window.
12 min read
Chapter 8 — Resolution Paths
Reinspection. Appraisal (and when it's a trap). DFS mediation. Pre-suit notice. EUO. When and how to involve an attorney.
- 8.0
Three Roads Out — Appraisal vs Mediation vs Arbitration
Three formal off-ramps before suit. Which decides amount, which decides coverage, and the carrier games rewriting these tools.
15 min read
- 8.1
Reinspection — When and Why
When fresh eyes unlock the claim. The matrix. How to demand. What to do during. When to skip.
10 min read
- 8.2
Appraisal — When It's a Trap
6 trap configurations carriers use. How to pick a strong appraiser + umpire. Bad-faith preservation play.
12 min read
- 8.3
DFS Mediation — Free, Useful, Underused
Free non-binding mediation. Carrier pays mediator. Tactical use most homeowners never make.
12 min read
- 8.4
Pre-Suit Notice § 627.70152
10 business days before suit. Defective notice = dismissed lawsuit. Post-HB 837 reality.
12 min read
- 8.5
Examination Under Oath (EUO)
Closer to deposition than recorded statement. 5 things that void coverage. Why you must have an attorney.
15 min read
- 8.6
When and How to Involve an Attorney
7 trigger events. Decision matrix. Post-HB 837 fee structures. § 86.121 + § 768.79 fee-shifting tools.
12 min read
Chapter 9 — Special Situations
Hurricane and named-storm. Roof claims under new Florida rules. Water + 14-day notice. Mold. Sinkhole + neutral evaluation. Theft. Fire.
- 9.1
Hurricane and Named-Storm Losses
Hurricane deductible math. Wind-vs-flood fight. Anti-concurrent causation. CAT adjuster reality. 1-year deadline.
12 min read
- 9.2
Roof Claims Under the New Florida Rules
Reform-era rules. 25% rule current state. ACV-only roof endorsement. Matching narrowed. Wear-and-tear weapon.
12 min read
- 9.3
Water Damage and the 14-Day Notice Issue
The sudden vs gradual fight that controls coverage. Why water claims demand fastest notice. Mold path.
12 min read
- 9.4
Mold
Sub-limits + endorsements. IICRC S520 protocol. Pre/post-remediation testing. ALE for uninhabitable mold events.
12 min read
- 9.5
Sinkhole + the Neutral Evaluation Process
FL § 627.706. 2 types of sinkhole coverage. § 627.7074 neutral evaluation. Why DIY is wrong here.
12 min read
- 9.6
Theft
Police report. Sub-limits bite hardest. Inventory reconstruction. SIU investigation reality.
10 min read
- 9.7
Fire
3 components: fire + smoke/soot + water. ALE for 12-24 months. Contents claim often equals structural.
12 min read
Chapter 10 — Settlement and Beyond
Recovering depreciation. Reading and signing releases. Reopening claims (18-month window). The 'did I leave money on the table?' checklist.
- 10.1
Calculating and Recovering Depreciation
The withheld $ you're owed. The 2-step payout. The 180-day deadline. Documentation that releases the second check.
10 min read
- 10.2
Reading and Signing Releases
4 release types. Red flag language. Negotiate to preserve supplemental + bad-faith rights. Check endorsement traps.
12 min read
- 10.3
Reopening and Supplemental Claims (18-Month Window)
§ 627.70132. 4 common scenarios. Strategic precautionary supplementals. Multiple supplementals.
10 min read
- 10.4
Did I Leave Money on the Table? — Final Checklist
25-question audit before you sign. 5 categories homeowners miss most. When to hire a PA.
10 min read
Want it in your inbox?
We're publishing chapters week-by-week. Drop your details and we'll send you each module the day it lands.