What does non-admitted mean in a Florida proposal?
Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation distinguishes admitted/authorized insurers from surplus-lines insurers eligible to write certain business. Non-admitted does not mean that a placement is automatically unlawful or that nobody regulates it. Verify the exact insurer and applicable eligibility, not only the broker's or program's name. OIR insurer-status explanation and search tools.
The NAIC describes surplus lines as a market for risks and coverage needs not met by the admitted market, with regulatory responsibilities for insurers and the licensed surplus-lines broker. Availability still depends on the specific property and underwriting. NAIC surplus-lines overview.
What should the board compare line by line?
Insurer and program structure
Identify every insurer, its status, financial information, share or layer, and the party authorized to bind. A single brand on a proposal may not be the company carrying the risk.
Property values and actual limits
Compare scheduled values with per-occurrence limits, sublimits, aggregates, shared limits, and attachment points. A $250 million schedule can coexist with a lower occurrence cap.
Covered causes and policy forms
Request forms and material endorsements. Compare wind, named storm, other wind, water damage, ordinance or law, equipment, and exclusions. Do not infer flood coverage from a property limit.
Deductibles and settlement
Record the percentage or dollar amount, trigger, calculation basis, minimums, and whether the provision applies by building or occurrence. Compare replacement-cost and other loss-settlement conditions.
Total cost and payment terms
Use the same policy period and coverage scope. Separate premium, taxes, fees, financing charges, and any minimum-earned or cancellation provisions. Confirm what the displayed total already includes.
Conditions before and after binding
List inspections, repairs, signed applications, valuations, payment, deadlines, and outstanding insurer approvals. Record who will finish each item and whether the quote is still valid.
What did our Miami high-rise comparison change?
The existing program for the twin-tower property scheduled $250 million in building value but had a $100 million per-occurrence limit. Its $1,209,000 premium total already included $56,000 in surplus-lines tax. We secured admitted-market quoted terms with a $250 million coverage limit and $1.1 million premium, retaining the stated 5% named-storm and $10,000 AOP deductibles.
The quoted premium difference was $109,000. It would be incorrect to add the $56,000 tax again. The comparison illustrates a particular limit-and-price improvement, not proof that insurer status caused the savings or that every admitted option will be better. These were quoted terms; we are not asserting that coverage was bound. Other policy provisions still need comparison.
Read the full coverage-limit example and board questions before applying the lesson to a different building.
Where can the board verify insurer status?
Use the exact legal insurer name from the proposal when checking OIR's insurer-status resources. Ask us to explain the status and required disclosures for each proposed insurer. Keep those disclosures with the coverage comparison so the board can review the complete placement.
Can we compare an admitted option with our current program?
Yes—start with the property and a contact, and we can review available options for the association. We serve Florida statewide. A building's eligibility, capacity, pricing, and final terms depend on underwriting; we do not promise an admitted quote for every association.
Bring the actual proposals into our board comparison worksheet. Mark unknown forms, limits, or deductibles as unanswered rather than calling the proposals equivalent.
Official regulatory sources checked September 27, 2026. Agency example supplied by Greene and Associates; selected terms only.