Sell a Florida house you can't insure without replacing the roof first.
HBS buys houses directly for cash and as is. A non-renewal letter, an older roof, or a failed 4-point inspection can stall a financed sale, because a buyer's lender usually requires a homeowners policy before it funds. You can ask for a direct cash offer on the house as it is and compare it with repairing first or listing.
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We buy houses across Florida, from our home base in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco & Hernando counties. Every purchase depends on property fit, a signed agreement, and title.
What house do you want to sell?
Start with the property address. You do not need photos, repair estimates, or paperwork.
Why insurance can stall a Florida sale.
More insurers are writing Florida policies again, and recent homeowners rate filings have averaged small decreases, according to the Office of Insurance Regulation, but older houses still run into the rules below. A financed buyer usually cannot close without a policy, so these rules often decide who can buy the house.
Roof age rules
Florida law says an insurer may not refuse to write or renew a homeowners policy solely because the roof is less than 15 years old. For a roof 15 years or older, the insurer must allow an inspection and cannot refuse solely because of age if the inspector finds at least five years of useful life left.
4-point inspections
Citizens Property Insurance requires a four-point inspection of the roof, electrical, plumbing, and heating and air systems when you apply for a policy on a home more than 20 years old. Private insurers set their own underwriting rules, so ask your agent what they require before you schedule repairs.
Older roofs at Citizens
Citizens asks for proof of at least five years of remaining life on shingle and similar roofs older than 25 years, and on tile, slate, clay, concrete, or metal roofs older than 50 years, or proof that the roof was replaced.
Non-renewal and your mortgage
Most mortgages require the house to stay insured. If your policy is not being renewed, talk with your lender and agent before the coverage ends so you know your deadlines and options.
Citizens flood requirement
Citizens homeowners, dwelling, and mobile home policies that include wind coverage must also carry flood insurance in FEMA high-risk flood zones, and outside them when dwelling coverage is $400,000 or more, a tier that took effect Jan. 1, 2026. For policies that start or renew on or after Jan. 1, 2027, the rule applies whatever the home's value, so an existing policy is affected at its first renewal on or after that date. Condo unit-owner (HO-6) policies and policies without wind coverage are exempt. For Citizens policies that start or renew on or after Dec. 1, 2026, a wind loss may not be covered if required flood insurance has lapsed, so keep it in force until the sale closes.
Selling while it is hard to insure
You can usually sell a house that is hard to insure, but a buyer who needs a mortgage may not be able to close. A cash offer removes the buyer-loan contingency; the roof, systems, title, and resale risk still shape the price.
What can affect your as-is cash offer.
| Input | How it affects the offerPlain English |
|---|---|
| Roof age and remaining life | A roof near the end of its life usually means replacement cost is reflected in the offer. A roof report or permit history helps us price it instead of guessing. |
| 4-point findings | Electrical, plumbing, and heating and air items flagged in an inspection are estimated and explained in the written offer. |
| Insurance and claim history | Prior claims, open claims, or a non-renewal can affect what the next owner pays for coverage and how quickly the house can be resold. |
| Flood zone and elevation | Flood zone and elevation affect insurance costs for the next owner, so they factor into resale math near the coast. |
How the property and local records can change the sale.
Pinellas County
Older block homes and coastal neighborhoods can combine roof age, flood zone, and four-point questions in the same house.
Hillsborough County
Mid-century Tampa homes and older suburbs can bring original plumbing or electrical questions to a four-point inspection.
Pasco County
Holiday, New Port Richey, and Hudson have many older homes where roof age and insurance can decide whether a financed sale closes.
Hernando County
Spring Hill homes can add sinkhole claim history, which Florida requires sellers to disclose when a claim was paid, to roof and inspection questions.
What to gather when insurance is the problem.
Start with what the insurer or inspector actually said. You do not need to fix anything first.
Insurer letters
Share any non-renewal, cancellation, or underwriting letter and the date coverage ends.
Inspection reports
A four-point, wind mitigation, or roof certification report shows exactly which items were flagged.
Roof records
Roof permits, installation dates, invoices, and repair estimates help price the roof accurately.
Claim history
List prior or open claims, including any sinkhole, water, or storm claims, and what was repaired.
How the cash sale moves from first call to closing.
Tell us what the insurer said
Send the address and any non-renewal letter, inspection report, or roof estimate. Photos help, but they are not required to start.
Get an as-is offer if the house fits
We price the roof, systems, and resale risk into a written, property-specific cash offer, so you can compare it with repairing first or listing.
Close without a buyer loan
Our offer has no buyer-loan contingency, so the sale does not depend on a lender approving the house. The title company handles title, payoffs, and the closing documents.
More help for this Florida home sale.
Related situations
Storm DamageSubstantial Damage LettersSinkhole DamageAs-Is SaleHow We Calculate OffersSeller guides
The Citizens flood rule for 2027Check the rules behind this page.
These primary sources explain the rules summarized above. They are not legal, tax, or insurance advice; an attorney, CPA, insurance professional, or building official should confirm how they apply to your property.
Florida Statutes, s. 627.7011 (roof age and insurance)
Limits on refusing to write or renew a homeowner policy because of roof age, and the inspection path for older roofs.
Open official sourceCitizens Property Insurance inspections
Citizens' four-point rule for applications on homes over 20 years old and its documentation rules for older roofs.
Open official sourceFlorida Statutes, s. 627.351(6)(aa) (Citizens flood requirement)
The law requiring flood insurance on Citizens personal residential policies, the phase-in dates and value tiers, and the exemptions for condo unit-owner and no-wind policies.
Open official sourceCitizens Property Insurance flood requirement
When Citizens personal residential policies must also carry flood insurance.
Open official sourceCitizens bulletin, Personal Lines: 2026 Form Changes (Oct. 1, 2026)
The new flood insurance condition for policies effective on or after Dec. 1, 2026: a wind loss may not be covered if required flood insurance is not in force.
Open official sourceFlorida Office of Insurance Regulation, May 20, 2026
New insurers entering Florida and recent homeowners rate filings.
Open official sourceFlorida Statutes, s. 627.7073 (sinkhole claim disclosure)
What a seller must disclose after a paid sinkhole claim.
Open official sourceFlorida Statutes, s. 689.302 (flood disclosure)
The seller flood disclosure form and when it must be given to the buyer.
Open official sourceInsurance or Old Roof cash-sale questions.
Usually, yes. Without a policy most financed buyers cannot close, so the realistic buyers are cash buyers and investors, or a buyer who fixes the problem first. Our offer has no buyer-loan contingency, and the roof, systems, and resale risk are priced into it.
Florida law bars an insurer from refusing to write or renew a homeowners policy solely because the roof is less than 15 years old. For older roofs, the insurer must allow an inspection and cannot refuse solely on age if the roof has at least five years of useful life left. Citizens has extra documentation rules for shingle roofs over 25 years and tile or metal roofs over 50.
An inspection of the roof, electrical, plumbing, and heating and air systems. Citizens requires one when you apply for a policy on a home more than 20 years old. A failed four-point does not stop you from selling, but it can narrow the buyers who can insure and finance the house.
No. Share what you know about the roof's age, leaks, permits, and any inspection. The written offer reflects the house as it stands.
No. Florida sellers must disclose known facts that materially affect value and are not readily observable, and must give the buyer the flood disclosure form. Share the inspection and claim history you have.
Get a cash offer for your house as is.
727-497-7766Start with the address and what is going on. There is no obligation to accept the offer.
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