Public adjuster in Manatee County, Florida.
Helene broke the Port Manatee water level record. We help Manatee County owners document and present their claims.
Hablamos español. Our Riverview office is 33 miles from Bradenton, the county seat.
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Free claim review · Manatee County
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Pick the closest one. Documents can wait.
Manatee County claims, Bradenton to Lakewood Ranch
Bradenton is the Manatee County seat and has its own page linked below. Beyond the city, we serve communities such as Bayshore Gardens, Samoset, Ellenton, Parrish and Lakewood Ranch from our office in Riverview.
Manatee's homes are newer than those in Hillsborough, Pinellas or Polk, with a median year built of 2002. Newer construction does not remove the questions in a claim, though. Surge, river flooding and heavy rain all appear in Manatee's NOAA records, and the source of the water often decides which policy responds. We trace that source before anything else.
Cities and communities in Manatee County
Recorded storms in Manatee County
The Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport and the Port Manatee tide gauge appear again and again in Manatee's storm records. Below are five dated entries from NOAA and the National Weather Service, newest first.
- October 9, 2024: Hurricane Milton. Gusts generally ran 80 to 100 mph, with a maximum of 102 mph at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. Rain totaled 5 to 10 inches, with pockets over a foot in far western parts of the county and an isolated 13.05 inches near Bradenton. The airport's 7.58 inches on October 9 was the ninth-highest one-day total in the Sarasota-Bradenton area record. NOAA storm record
- September 26, 2024: Hurricane Helene. Gusts generally ran 65 to 75 mph, peaking at 74 mph at the airport. Port Manatee measured 6.04 feet above mean higher high water (MHHW), above the site's previous record of 3.69 feet from Idalia in 2023. Water along the rest of the Manatee coast generally reached 4 to 7 feet above MHHW. NOAA storm record
- August 30, 2023: Hurricane Idalia. Gusts generally ran 60 to 70 mph, with 70 mph at the airport, and rain totaled 4 to 7 inches, with 6.74 inches near Bradenton. Port Manatee reached 3.69 feet above MHHW. Elevated water affected areas along the immediate waterfront and the Riverfront through downtown Bradenton. NOAA storm record
- September 28, 2022: Hurricane Ian. The highest gust was 86 mph at the airport. Rain totaled 5 to 10 inches in the western half of the county and 10 to 15 inches to the east and southeast, with 15.03 inches east of Myakka Head. The Manatee River near Myakka Head reached 19.33 feet on September 29, its second highest level. NOAA storm record
- September 10, 2017: Hurricane Irma. Coastal winds were estimated at 60 to 70 knots (69 to 81 mph), with a highest reported gust of 61 knots (70 mph) at the airport. Rain was generally 5 inches or more, reaching 6.86 inches in Lake Ward. Manatee County Emergency Management reported 14 homes or businesses destroyed. NOAA storm record
If your loss date matches one of these entries, the record supports when the event happened. Whether the damage is covered still depends on the policy and on what the inspection shows.
Manatee homes and their ages
The Manatee County Property Appraiser lists about 149,000 residential parcels. The median year built is 2002: 49% of homes were built before 2002 and 36% in 2010 or later. Mobile homes account for 3% of parcels.
With homes from before 2002 and many built since 2010 in the same county, roof age and building code questions vary from one street to the next. We pull the appraiser's year built and any roof permit before the insurer asks for them.
Permits and floodplain guidance in Manatee County
Inside Bradenton city limits, the City of Bradenton handles building permits. Unincorporated addresses are permitted through Manatee County Development Services and its Accela online services.
The county's post-storm floodplain guidance states that all repairs and improvements to properties subject to its Substantial Improvement/Damage review must be permitted through Manatee County Development Services, and that the FEMA 50% rule applies to structures below the current flood protection elevation. Your roof permit, its final inspection date and the Manatee County Property Appraiser record belong in the claim file too.
Manatee County Property Appraiser
Search your Manatee parcel for the year built, building details and sales history. With about half the county's homes built in 2002 or later, the record quickly shows which roof and code questions apply.
Manatee County online services
The county's online services center, including Accela for permits in unincorporated Manatee. Use it to find roof and repair permit records and their inspection results for your claim file.
Floodplain post-storm guidance
Manatee County's guidance for repairs after a storm in unincorporated areas: which work needs a permit and how the FEMA rule applies to structures below the current flood protection elevation.
A permit record does not establish the cause of damage or insurance coverage. Ask the building department about current repair requirements.
Condo, commercial and water claims in Manatee County
Condo owners in Manatee work with the association's master policy for the building and their own unit policy for whatever the declarations page assigns to the unit. Commercial owners have building and contents coverage and, only when the policy includes it, business income.
Water claims hinge on where the water came from. A burst pipe, wind-driven rain through a damaged roof and rising flood water can fall under different policies or exclusions, so we document the source, the path and the timing before the claim goes to the insurer.
Questions we hear about Manatee County
Will I need to travel to an office outside Manatee County?
No. We serve Manatee County from our only office, in Riverview, and do not have a separate office in Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch or elsewhere in the county. You do not need to come to us: we start by phone, and visits take place at the insured property after our team confirms them.
Can you help with a condo or commercial claim in Manatee County?
Yes. For a condo unit, we separate what the association's master policy covers from what your unit policy covers, then document and present your part. For a business, we confirm the building, contents and business income coverages in the policy before preparing the claim, since business income depends on the policy itself.
My Manatee County home has water damage. Where do we start?
With the source. Tell us where the water came from and when you first saw it, and keep photos, the plumber's or roofer's notes and any moisture readings. Different sources can fall under different policies, and the policy and Florida law set notice deadlines, so report the loss to your insurer promptly.
What does Manatee County's floodplain guidance mean after a storm?
For unincorporated Manatee, the county says all repairs and improvements to properties subject to its Substantial Improvement/Damage review must be permitted through Manatee County Development Services. The FEMA 50% rule applies to structures below the current flood protection elevation, which can change how a damaged home must be rebuilt. We keep those permit records alongside the insurance claim.
Do you offer help in Spanish in Manatee County?
Yes. Every step of the claim, from reading the policy to reviewing the insurer's estimate, can be done with us in Spanish. Written submissions to the insurer are prepared in English, and we go over each one with you before it is sent.
What does it cost to work with Care Claims?
The initial claim review is free. If you choose representation, the fee and how it is calculated are explained in a written agreement before you sign, subject to Florida law. Read about public adjuster fees.
Nearest office
Care Claims, Riverview
Riverview, FLHelpful to have ready
- Your policy, if you have it
- The claim number and insurer letters
- Photos and any estimates or receipts
Start without them if you need to. Visits take place at the insured property after our team confirms them.
Your next step
Let’s look at your situation.
Start with what you know. We’ll help you work through the rest.
We review and reply within one business day. Do not wait to report damage or meet a policy deadline.