They Had Insurance for 50 Years—Until One Design Choice Got Them Dropped

by Julie Taylor, Realtor.com, July 16, 2025 (excerpts)

 … A couple living in Hawaii received a letter notifying them that their hurricane insurance policy would be dropped—despite nearly 50 years of continuous coverage.

The reason?

When the Lyons originally built their Haleiwa home, they used single-wall construction, a design that was popular in the 1970s for its affordability and ventilation-friendly layout. Now, it's considered structurally inferior in hurricane-prone areas. Since then, they've made no improvements to the home—and now it's about to cost them….

Hurricane insurance is a separate policy from standard homeowners coverage in many coastal and island states. It’s becoming harder to secure as storms increase in frequency and strength.

In this case, the insurance company viewed single-wall construction as too high-risk—offering little resistance to wind uplift or flying debris. That’s especially critical in hurricane-prone regions like Hawaii, which has seen an uptick in climate-related risk modeling.

“Insurers themselves are reassessing their risk ever since the Lahaina wildfires,” Hawaii's acting Insurance Commissioner Jerry Bump explains….

The renovation costs associated with upgrading a home from single-wall to double-wall average $100 to $125 per square foot, according to Breaux….

A renovation like this typically takes three months, but it can take much longer to secure permits.

"In some cases, I’ve seen it take 16 months or more just to get the green light to start," warns Breaux….

When funds are limited, choosing a bare-bones policy from a provider like the FAIR Plan might be the more practical route than reconstruction….

Read … They Had Insurance for 50 Years—Until One Design Choice Got Them Dropped

HNN: Homeowners feel sidelined after insurance companies cancel their storm coverage