Boats, trailers and personal watercraft stored at a Gulf Breeze home in Pensacola Beach
November 5, 2026 · PAJOE Public Adjusters
A single storm can damage a garage, the boat inside it and the trailer underneath. List each item separately before assuming one policy addresses the full loss. Collect registrations, hull identification numbers, trailer VINs and model numbers for engines or installed accessories. Photograph connections and attachment points from a safe location, and preserve records of where each item was kept.
Compare how the policies describe the equipment
Look for the homeowners policy’s watercraft language and any separate boat, trailer or personal watercraft forms. Check listed items, deductibles, limits and how accessories are treated. For example, a trailer and an outboard motor may have different descriptions on the declarations page. Ask the insurer which documents it needs and how it wants you to report damage potentially involving multiple policies.
Document before repair or removal
If the boat must be moved to protect it, have the mover record its condition and destination and retain the invoice. Ask the repair shop to distinguish damage to the vessel from pre-existing service needs. Preserve receipts for equipment and any independent valuation. Keep a separate record of damage to the storage building so that estimate can be reviewed on its own terms.
Official resource
Florida DFS general disaster insurance FAQs: https://www.myfloridacfo.com/division/consumers/storm/general-disaster-faqs
Ask PAJOE about your claim
For a free initial claim review, call PAJOE Public Adjusters at (850) 842-6424.
Florida Public Adjusting Firm License # W894577
Joseph Whitefall | Florida Public Adjuster
Individual License # E166230
Our public adjusting fee is contingent on a recovery. Before you retain PAJOE, we explain the agreed percentage and the payments to which it applies. Fee terms are set out in our signed agreement. Any outside expenses require separate written authorization consistent with applicable Florida law.
PAJOE provides public adjusting services and does not provide legal advice. Coverage and recovery depend on the policy, the facts of the loss, and supporting evidence. No particular decision, payment, additional recovery, or resolution timeframe is guaranteed.