A Delray Beach homeowner says her homeowners insurance premium is set to rise by about $300 a year, even though she recently replaced her roof with help from the state’s My Safe Florida Home program.
Betty Haygood, 76, said the new roof was installed in August. Her renewal, due in December, shows the increase. She spoke with WPTV in her kitchen on Monday and said she feels a new roof should lower her rate, not raise it.
WPTV contacted her insurer, Universal, which is based in South Florida. The company said her old roof was insured at only 25% of its value because of its age. With the new roof, her policy now carries more comprehensive coverage, and that is what pushed the premium up.
Insurance experts and state leaders told WPTV that the Florida market is improving, with more new companies entering and more competition pressuring rates downward. For homeowners in Palm Beach County, the case shows that a roof upgrade can change how a policy is priced, even when the home is better protected.
