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Flood Insurance
Prepare for the financial impact of rising water with separate flood protection for your home or belongings.
- In short
- Standard home and renters policies typically exclude flood. Separate coverage usually has a waiting period, so it is worth arranging early.
- Who or what is protected
- The building and its systems, and separately your contents, from direct physical loss by flood.
- Where it stops
- Most basement contents, cars, outdoor property and living expenses under NFIP policies; waiting periods apply.
Building and contents are separate
Under the NFIP, residential building coverage is available up to $250,000 and contents up to $100,000. Private flood policies set their own limits.
Building coverage
- Structure and foundation
- Electrical and plumbing
- Furnace, water heater, HVAC
- Refrigerator, stove, built-in appliances
- Permanently installed carpet and cabinets
Contents coverage
- Furniture and clothing
- Electronics
- Portable appliances and washer/dryer
- Curtains and portable rugs
- Valuables, up to a sub-limit
Eligibility and the waiting period
- Community participation
- NFIP policies are available where the community participates in the program.
- Waiting period
- NFIP coverage generally begins 30 days after purchase. Exceptions exist, such as coverage required at a loan closing. Private policies set their own waiting periods.
- Mapped zones
- Lenders require flood insurance for federally backed mortgages on buildings in high-risk zones. Lower-risk zones still flood.
- Basements
- NFIP coverage below the lowest elevated floor is limited mainly to building systems and some appliances.
Heavy rain after a dry spell
Hypothetical and for illustration. Whether a real loss is covered depends on the facts and the policy.
- What happens
Two days of heavy rain push water into the ground floor of a home outside a high-risk zone. Drywall, flooring, the water heater, and a sofa are ruined.
- Which part is relevant
A homeowners policy excludes flood. A flood policy’s building coverage may respond to the drywall, flooring, and water heater; contents coverage, if purchased, to the sofa.
- What could change the outcome
- Whether contents coverage was purchased
- Whether the policy had been in force past its waiting period
- Whether the event meets the policy’s definition of flood
Official flood resources
FEMA runs the National Flood Insurance Program. Its FloodSmart guide describes NFIP coverage limits, participating communities, separate building and contents deductibles, exclusions and the 30-day waiting period and its exceptions.
What an agent can do
This information is educational, not an offer of coverage.
Start by asking which options are available for your situation. An agent can explain policy wording and help you weigh limits and deductibles. Coverage, price, and eligibility depend on the insurer, your details, and your state.
Questions people ask
Can renters buy flood insurance?
Yes. Renters can buy contents-only flood coverage. The landlord insures the building.
Does flood insurance pay for a hotel?
NFIP policies do not cover additional living expenses. Some private flood policies offer it; ask before you buy.
Talk through flood insurance with an agent
Bring your questions and the list above. We will explain the options and the wording in plain language.