Question 1

What does Hillsborough County's $3,514 average premium actually tell me?

Accepted Answer

$3,514 is the average Hillsborough home premium including wind, calculated by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation from charged premiums reported through September 30, 2025. It is a reference point, not a quote, a recommended price, or a savings claim. Your home may land above or below it, and the useful question is why: roof, updates, construction, location, and claims history drive an individual premium. A free review starts from the county figure and works out where your own policy stands.

Question 2

Homes in my part of Tampa were built in the 1980s. How does that change my insurance?

Accepted Answer

The Tampa Bay metro's median build year is 1986, per US Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 estimates, so a large share of local homes have crossed the age checkpoints carriers watch. Around 20 years, many carriers ask for a four-point inspection covering the roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. Florida Statute 627.7011 also sets the roof rules: under 15 years, age alone cannot disqualify your roof, and at 15 or older an inspection showing 5 or more years of useful life keeps age off the table. In established neighborhoods like Seminole Heights, South Tampa, and West Tampa, clear records of roof, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and wind-mitigation updates often matter as much as the headline price.

Question 3

My renewal came in higher. Is that what the whole Tampa market thinks of my home?

Accepted Answer

No. A renewal is one carrier's view of your home. Tampa Bay has more than 900,000 owner households, and 61.5% of occupied Hillsborough homes are owner-occupied, so this is a large market where different carriers can view the same roof, updates, and construction differently. Florida's insurance regulator reported more than 190 residential filings for rate decreases or no increase after the 2022 and 2023 reforms, but each filing reaches policyholders on that carrier's approved schedule and your renewal date. Renewals in Hillsborough do not all move with statewide filings at the same time, which is exactly why a second look is worth it.

Question 4

My home in Riverview is newer construction. Does wind coverage mean I'm set for flood?

Accepted Answer

No, wind and flood are separate conversations. Homeowners coverage can include wind subject to its deductible, while standard homeowners policies generally exclude flood, which requires its own separate policy. In the southern growth corridor, Riverview, Apollo Beach, and Ruskin, newer construction may document well for wind credits while location and flood exposure still need their own review. A review keeps wind coverage, hurricane deductibles, and flood insurance from being blurred together and never treats homeowners coverage as a substitute for flood insurance.

Question 5

I'm one of the 6,011 Citizens policyholders in Hillsborough. Is this review for me?

Accepted Answer

Yes. 6,011 is the count of Citizens personal residential policies in Hillsborough as of June 30, 2026. You can request private-market quotes whether or not you have received a takeout letter. If you have a letter, its deadline and the Citizens eligibility rules matter, so the dedicated Citizens letter-review page is the fastest route. Truscott is not affiliated with or endorsed by Citizens.

Question 6

My mortgage company pays my insurance from escrow. Can I still switch carriers?

Accepted Answer

Yes, switching through escrow is routine. Your servicer pays whichever carrier your declarations page names, so when you switch, the new declarations page goes to the servicer and it pays the new carrier instead. Any unearned premium from the old policy is typically refunded, the replacement should be bound before the old policy ends so there is no gap, and it is worth confirming with the servicer that the correct carrier and amount are on file.

Question 7

Is Truscott a Tampa insurance agency?

Accepted Answer

Truscott is a Florida-licensed independent insurance agency (FL license L136441) serving homeowners statewide by phone and online, and it does not have an office in Tampa. This page is tailored to Tampa, Brandon, and Riverview homeowners using market-level public data and local context: Hillsborough premium figures, Citizens counts, and the different documentation checkpoints for an established city home, an eastern suburb, and a newer southern-corridor build.

Question 8

What does the free review cost me, and what happens to my documents?

Accepted Answer

The review is free with no credit card required. Uploaded documents are encrypted in transit and at rest, Truscott never sells your personal information, and you can ask for your files to be deleted at any time. If you later buy a policy through Truscott, the agency is paid a commission by the carrier.

Your renewal is one carrier's view of your Tampa home. A free second look from a Florida-licensed agent.

Tell Ava about your Tampa home

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The Tampa insurance picture, decoded

County pricing gives you a reference point

A large market rewards re-shopping

Home age changes the paperwork

Wind and flood are separate conversations

See what your report looks like

Premium Context

Coverage Changes

Property Checkpoints

Market Options

What you'll get

Your Rate in Tampa Context

What Changed at Renewal

A Home-Age Game Plan

Quotes From Multiple Carriers

How it works

Tell us about your home

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A licensed agent reviews and shops

Tampa is not one housing profile

Established Tampa neighborhoods

The eastern suburbs

The southern growth corridor

One renewal is not the whole market.

Different situation?

Got a Citizens takeout letter?

Nonrenewed over your roof?

Home insurance reviews in other Florida markets

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Frequently asked questions

Your home is not an average. Do not insure it like one.