For once, Florida homeowners are seeing numbers move in the right direction. Ormond Beach-based Security First Insurance is trimming certain home insurance rates and rolling out a “disappearing deductible” that rewards customers who go years without filing claims. The company says affected policies will see average savings in the mid-single digits, while the new feature cuts out-of-pocket costs for households that manage to stay claim free. The shift lands as Florida’s battered insurance market shows early signs of easing after years of painful price hikes and regulatory turmoil.
What Security First is changing
Security First has unveiled a package of product tweaks that pairs a modest statewide rate cut with a new endorsement that steadily shrinks deductibles for some customers. The endorsement reduces All Other Perils and water deductibles by 20% for each consecutive claims-free year, and those reductions compound annually. The insurer pegs the average rate decrease across affected homeowner and dwelling policies at about 5.6% and notes that some of the changes took effect on July 14, 2026. The company frames the move as an effort to keep coverage attainable while still holding the line on underwriting discipline, according to Security First Insurance.
How the disappearing deductible works
The disappearing deductible is designed to quietly reward patience. For qualifying policyholders, the deductible is automatically reduced by 20% each year for up to five years as long as no loss is reported. If a covered claim does happen, the customer benefits from the lowered deductible that year, then the schedule resets going forward, the company’s president explained.
“What this is, over the course of five years, every year your deductible goes down 20 percent as long as you don't have a loss,” Melissa Burt DeVriese told WPTV. The perk specifically targets long-tenured, low-claim policyholders who tend to shoulder higher deductibles without frequently using their coverage, and it leaves standard hurricane deductible structures unchanged.
Where this fits in Florida’s market
Florida homeowners still face some of the highest premiums in the country, and the gap is not small. Insurify’s 2026 report pegged the state’s average annual home insurance cost at roughly $8,292 for 2025. State officials and regulators say the market has begun to stabilize after a recent wave of tort reform, with a number of carriers now filing for modest decreases as legal and reinsurance pressures ease, according to the Florida CFO’s office.
Trade reporting indicates that Security First has already trimmed rates in prior filings over the last two years as carriers respond to lower litigation levels and shifting loss projections, per Insurance Journal.
How homeowners can benefit, and what to check
For customers who can steer clear of claims, the disappearing deductible could add up to a sizable reduction in out-of-pocket costs over time. The actual dollar impact depends on the specific policy, location, and loss history, and Security First notes that some dwelling products still have wind coverage restrictions in parts of South Florida.
Homeowners should read renewal packets carefully and confirm whether the disappearing-deductible endorsement is included automatically or must be added. It is also worth asking an agent exactly how the benefit interacts with hurricane deductibles and water coverage. When comparing offers, focus on the full picture, including premium, deductible structure, and endorsements, rather than getting fixated on a single headline percentage.
Security First’s changes join a growing list of carrier moves trying to take some pressure off homeowners, although experts caution that statewide costs remain elevated and that details still matter a lot. If you are unsure about eligibility, timing, or how your deductible might shrink over time, check in with your agent or the insurer directly and keep your renewal paperwork handy so you can line up competing offers side by side.
