Concrete Block vs Frame in Davie: Insurance Costs 2026

Does Concrete Block or Frame Construction Cost More to Insure in Davie?

A concrete block home in Davie usually costs less to insure than a comparable wood frame home, often 10 to 30 percent less, because block stands up to wind, fire, and termites better than wood. Insurers only rate a home as masonry when block makes up at least two thirds of the exterior walls, so many two story Davie homes that are block downstairs and frame upstairs get rated as frame. Confirm the construction type before you write an offer, because it changes your yearly cost.

If you are comparing two Davie homes that look almost identical from the street, the one built with concrete block and the one built with wood frame can carry very different insurance premiums. In a Broward County market where home insurance is often the number that surprises buyers most, this is one of the first things I check on a property. Here is what the difference actually is, why it exists, and how you confirm what you are buying before the premium shows up in your closing numbers.

What Concrete Block and Frame Actually Mean

Two construction types dominate Davie’s single family housing stock.

• Concrete block, often written as CBS for concrete block and stucco, uses masonry block for the exterior walls with stucco applied over it. The walls are solid.
• Wood frame uses a wooden stud skeleton for the exterior walls, sheathed and then finished, often with stucco over wire lath so it can look identical to block from the curb.

Insurers care about this because the wall material predicts how the home behaves in a fire, a windstorm, and a termite season. Block is non combustible, holds up to higher wind pressure, and does not feed termites. Wood frame is combustible, more vulnerable to wind driven failure, and can suffer termite and moisture damage. Those risk differences are what get priced into your premium.

There is one classification rule that trips up a lot of buyers. A home is rated as masonry only when the block portion is at least two thirds of the total exterior wall area. If it falls below that, the insurer rates the whole home as frame, even if part of it is block. That single rule is why the two story question below matters so much.

What the Insurance Difference Actually Is

Across Florida, a masonry home commonly insures for somewhere in the range of 10 to 30 percent less than a comparable wood frame home, and some studies of new construction put the gap higher. On a Davie home that carries a four or five figure annual premium, that is real money every year you own the house, and it compounds over the length of your mortgage.

The reason sits in the risk data. Block walls resist wind pressure meaningfully better than comparable frame walls, which matters in a coastal county inside a high velocity hurricane zone. Block does not burn and does not rot, so fire and moisture claims are less likely. Insurers reward that lower expected loss with a lower rate, and many Florida carriers apply a superior construction or masonry credit directly.

One honest qualifier, because it keeps you from overweighting this single factor. Construction type is one lever, not the whole premium. Two frame homes on the same Davie street can price very differently based on roof age, roof shape, opening protection, and whether a wind mitigation inspection documents the credits the home has earned. A newer frame home with a hip roof, impact windows, and a clean wind mitigation report can beat an older block home with a worn roof and no documented protections. Construction type sets the starting point. The rest of the risk profile moves it from there. This is exactly why insurance belongs in your Davie cost of living math from the beginning, not as an afterthought at closing.

Why Two Story Davie Homes Are the Tricky Case

Davie is an older, largely built out town, and a big share of its two story homes were built from the 1970s through the early 2000s. Many of those follow the same South Florida pattern: concrete block on the first floor and wood frame on the second.

Now apply the two thirds rule. When the framed second story takes up more than a third of the total exterior wall area, which it usually does, the insurer rates the entire home as frame. So a house you think of as a block home, because the first floor you walked through felt like solid masonry, can be a frame home on your insurance quote. Buyers relocating from out of state get caught by this constantly, because they assume block down means block rated. It does not.

That is not a reason to walk away from a two story home. It is a reason to get the construction type confirmed in writing before you set your budget, so the premium is a known number and not a surprise. The home insurance picture in Davie is very quotable once you know the real inputs, and construction type is one of the biggest.

How to Tell Which One You Are Looking At, and How to Verify It

You can get a strong first read yourself, and then confirm it with the records and the inspection.

1. Knock on the wall. Stucco over wood frame sounds slightly hollow when you tap it. Stucco over concrete block feels solid, like rock. This is a quick field test, not proof.

2. Look at the windows. In a block wall the window sits recessed roughly three inches into the opening. In a frame wall it sits much closer to the outside face, often within an inch. A deep window reveal usually means block.

3. Have the inspector check the attic. The one certain way to read the wall structure is to look at the top of the exterior walls in the attic, which your home inspector does as a normal part of the inspection.

4. Pull the county building record. The Broward County Property Appraiser lists the exterior wall and construction details on the property record, so you can see how the county classifies the home before you ever tour it.

5. Confirm with permits and a four point inspection. Town of Davie and Broward County permit records show what was built and when. On any home over about 40 years old, your insurer will also require a four point inspection, and construction type is confirmed there alongside the roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC.

Here is how I use this with buyers. Before we write an offer, I want the construction type nailed down and a real insurance quote in hand for that specific parcel, not a rule of thumb. A block rating versus a frame rating can move the premium enough to change which home is actually the better buy once you compare true monthly cost. The list price is only part of the number. The way I look at it, insurance is a carrying cost you commit to for as long as you own the home, so you want it on the table while you still have room to decide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does concrete block really lower home insurance in Davie?

Usually yes. A concrete block home in Broward County commonly insures for roughly 10 to 30 percent less than a comparable wood frame home, because block resists wind, fire, and termite damage better. The exact savings depend on the carrier and the rest of the home’s risk profile, so get a quote for the specific property rather than relying on a percentage.

How do insurers decide if my Davie home is block or frame?

They rate the home by how much of the exterior wall area is masonry. If concrete block makes up at least two thirds of the exterior walls, the home is rated masonry. If it falls below that, the home is rated frame. This is why many two story homes with a framed second floor are rated frame even though the first floor is block.

Is a two story block and frame home in Davie a bad idea?

No. Mixed construction is common and normal in Davie’s two story homes built from the 1970s through the early 2000s. It simply means the home will likely be rated frame for insurance, so you want the construction type and a real premium confirmed before you set your budget. Roof age, roof shape, and opening protection still move the number a lot.

How can I confirm the construction type before I buy?

Start with the Broward County Property Appraiser record at bcpa.net, which lists exterior wall and construction details. Have your home inspector verify at the top of the wall in the attic, and use the four point inspection required on older homes. Town of Davie and Broward County permit records confirm what was built. Your agent should have this settled before you write the offer.

Does construction type matter more than my roof for insurance?

Not always. Construction type sets your starting rate, but roof age, roof shape, impact rated openings, and a documented wind mitigation report can move the premium as much or more. A newer frame home with strong protections can insure for less than an older block home with a worn roof. Treat construction type as one major input, not the whole answer.

Talk to a Davie Real Estate Expert

Before you write an offer on any Davie home, you want the real carrying cost in front of you, and construction type is one of the biggest pieces of it. A quick conversation is the fastest way to confirm whether a specific home is block or frame, what that means for your insurance, and how it fits your budget. Anthony is a Davie native and a Broker Associate with Coldwell Banker, and he built livingindavieflorida.com to answer exactly these questions. Schedule a strategy call here.

Anthony Spitaleri

Living in Davie Florida

954-235-5783

Davie, Florida

livingindavieflorida.com

Written by Anthony Spitaleri, Broker Associate with Coldwell Banker and a Davie native. More about Anthony