Florida homeowner dropped by her insurer says she’ll go without — even in hurricane season. How risky is ‘going bare’?

One retired legal worker, who owns homes in both Florida and Massachusetts, told Boston.com that, after years of paying continuously rising premiums and still being dropped by insurers, she’s decided to go without on her Florida home after that policy was canceled.

“S—- them,” she said. “Why am I jumping through hoops begging them to take my money?”

But as Hurricane Isaias is now bearing down on the Gulf Coast, being without any kind of homeowner’s insurance may feel like a riskier choice.

Premium pain

Florida homeowners like the woman who dropped her own insurnace can likely relate to her pain. Florida ranks as the 17th most expensive state for homeowners insurance, according to a 2026 Lending Tree survey.

But rates can vary widely depending on region, with coastal, Gulf and Keys areas being hit the hardest (by both storms and insurance rates). Bankrate puts Florida’s average annual premiums at $5,735 and says homeowners there spend almost 8% of their income on home insurance. For comparison, that figure is only 1.2% in New Jersey.

Factors that have made home insurance increasingly unaffordable for Americans overall include higher home prices, the cost of building materials and the impacts of climate change — especially in disaster-prone areas like Florida, where some insurers have completely pulled their coverage.

It may be understandable that some homeowners want to give up on their coverage. But the risks to those who “go bare” on insurance can outweigh the benefits.

Americans who are ‘going bare’

Nearly one in seven homeowners across the U.S. don’t have homeowners insurance, according to a March 2026 LendingTree report. That translates to 14.1% of owner-occupied homes.

West Virginia has the highest percentage of uninsured homeowners, at 23.9%, while Florida is at No. 6 with 19.4%.

Experts acknowledge the squeeze U.S. homeowners are feeling, but say insurance is worth the cost against self-coverage.

“If your home is worth more, it costs more to insure, and also your home is more at risk, so you stand to lose more if you go without insurance,” Hannah Jones, economic data analyst for Realtor.com, told CBS MoneyWatch. “We don’t recommend going without insurance because it leaves you extremely exposed in case you do suffer property damage or a complete loss of property.”

What homeowners can do instead

Going bare is typically considered a last resort. And having insurance may also be required by your mortgage lender. The retiree who spoke with Boston.com about letting her insurance lapse also had no mortgage on the home. She noted that this left her more financially prepared to cover expenses as they come up.

Typically, if you let your coverage lapse, it can be difficult to get insured again, at least in places like Florida, insurance agent Jake Holehouse told Tampa Bay 28, as carriers want to discourage homeowners from only having insurance during hurricane season. Here are some options he suggests homeowners consider first, plus a few more.

First, you might consider dropping your wind and hurricane coverage while still protecting yourself from other incidents like fires and break-ins, or go further and get liability coverage only to protect against slips and falls from visitors.