Public adjuster in Pinellas County, Florida.
Older homes, many condos and record Helene water levels shape claims in Pinellas County.
Hablamos español. Clearwater, the county seat, is 39.4 miles from our Riverview office.
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Representing Pinellas County policyholders
Clearwater is the Pinellas County seat. We serve the county from our office in Riverview, and the pages for St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo and Palm Harbor linked below cover each city's permits and storm records in more detail.
Two numbers stand out in the Pinellas records. The median home was built in 1974, and condos make up more than a quarter of residential parcels. That often means an older building, an association with its own insurance and a unit owner trying to see where one policy ends and the other begins.
Cities and communities in Pinellas County
Weather records for Pinellas County
NOAA's Storm Events Database and the National Weather Service record measured gusts, rainfall and tide gauge readings for each storm in Pinellas. During Helene in 2024, the gauges at Clearwater Beach and St. Petersburg both set new records.
- October 9, 2024: Hurricane Milton. Gusts across the county generally ran 80 to 100 mph, peaking at 101 mph at Albert Whitted Airport. Rain totaled 10 to 15 inches, with pockets of 15 to 20 inches in the south and southeast and a maximum of 20.4 inches near St. Petersburg. Albert Whitted recorded 18.54 inches on October 9, nearly triple its previous one-day record. NOAA storm record
- September 26, 2024: Hurricane Helene. The maximum gust was 73 mph at Clearwater Beach. The Clearwater Beach gauge peaked at 6.67 feet above mean higher high water (MHHW), beating its March 1993 record, and St. Petersburg reached 6.31 feet above MHHW, beating the record Hurricane Elena set in 1985. NOAA storm record
- August 30, 2023: Hurricane Idalia. Gusts generally ran 60 to 70 mph, with a maximum of 61 mph at St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport. Clearwater Beach measured 4.05 feet above MHHW, and water elsewhere along the Pinellas coast generally reached 3 to 5 feet above that level. Over 70 water rescues were conducted. NOAA storm record
- September 28, 2022: Hurricane Ian. The highest gust in the county was 77 mph in St. Petersburg, and rain totaled 1.5 to 4 inches. Offshore winds caused below-normal tides: 4 feet below normal on the gulf side of the barrier islands and up to 5 feet below normal in Tampa Bay near St. Petersburg. NOAA storm record
- September 10, 2017: Hurricane Irma. The highest gust was 77 knots (89 mph) at Pier 60 Park, and Tarpon Springs recorded 5.98 inches of rain. Pinellas County Emergency Management reported 77 homes or businesses destroyed, 533 with major damage, 5,761 with minor damage and 11,935 more affected. NOAA storm record
A storm record dates the event and shows conditions measured nearby. It helps line up your account with the insurer's timeline, while the policy and the inspection settle what is covered.
Pinellas housing: older homes, many condos
The Pinellas County Property Appraiser lists about 392,000 residential parcels. The median year built is 1974, 91% of homes were built before 2002 and only 4% in 2010 or later. Condos account for 27% of parcels and mobile homes 4%.
With homes this age, insurers often ask about the roof, plumbing and electrical systems and about earlier repairs. Permit records and receipts answer those questions with dates rather than guesses, so we collect them at the start.
Permits and the 49% threshold
Pinellas County Building and Development Review Services issues permits for unincorporated areas such as Palm Harbor, through the Pinellas County Access Portal. St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Largo issue their own. The Pinellas County Property Appraiser has the year built.
The county manages substantial damage assessments in unincorporated areas and states that a home is substantially damaged if the price to repair it is 49% or more of its value without the land. Owners whose appraisal shows less can request a reassessment with the repair permit application.
Pinellas County Property Appraiser
Look up your parcel's year built, building details and condo unit records. In a county where most homes predate 2002, these records help answer the age and condition questions insurers ask.
Substantial Damage and Substantial Improvement
The county page on substantial damage assessments for unincorporated Pinellas, including its 49% wording and how to request a reassessment with a repair permit application.
Building departments in Pinellas County
Lists the building departments in Pinellas: the county covers unincorporated areas and a few small cities, while other cities run their own. Use it to find where your roof and repair permits are kept.
A permit record does not establish the cause of damage or insurance coverage. Ask the building department about current repair requirements.
Condo claims in Pinellas County
A condo loss in Pinellas usually involves two policies. The association's master policy covers the parts of the building the association insures, and your unit policy covers what your declarations page lists, often interior finishes and personal property.
Water that starts in one unit and reaches another can bring in both policies and more than one adjuster. We begin with the association's insurance documents and your declarations page, document the damage inside your unit and present your claim to your insurer, keeping track of what the association's insurer decides.
Questions we hear about Pinellas County
Where is your nearest office to Pinellas County?
Riverview, which is our only office. We serve Pinellas County from there and do not have a separate office in Clearwater, St. Petersburg or anywhere else in the county. The first conversation is by phone, and a visit to your Pinellas property takes place once our team confirms it.
Can you help with my condo claim in Pinellas County?
Yes. We help unit owners with their own claims: reading the unit policy, getting the association's insurance details, documenting the damage inside the unit and presenting the claim to your insurer. Because the association's master policy may cover part of the loss, we follow how that claim develops alongside yours.
What does the county's 49% figure mean for my home?
For unincorporated Pinellas, the county says a home is considered substantially damaged when the price to repair it reaches 49% or more of its value without the land. That decision affects how the home must be repaired and permitted. It is separate from your insurance claim, but we keep the two in step.
My home was built in the 1970s. Will its age count against my claim?
Age alone does not decide a claim. Insurers do ask about the roof, past repairs and the condition of the home before the storm, and in a county where the median home dates from 1974 those questions come up often. Permits, invoices and older photos help answer them with facts.
Do you help Pinellas homeowners in Spanish?
Yes. We explain the policy, the inspection and each step of the claim in Spanish, and we prepare the documents the insurer needs in English. For condo owners, that includes going over the association's insurance information in whichever language you prefer.
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.
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We review and reply within one business day. Do not wait to report damage or meet a policy deadline.