Flood insurance

Flood insurance: NFIP and private policies

Most homeowners policies do not cover flood. Send us your address: we check the FEMA flood zone and the price, compare NFIP with private options and send you the choices. Service in Russian and English.

Get flood options Call (315) 871-0833

Who it is for

  • Homes and condos on the Florida coast
  • Sunny Isles and Miami
  • Jersey Shore homes
  • Homes with a basement
  • Your lender requires flood
  • Just bought in zone AE or VE
  • Need more than the NFIP limit
  • Rental and business buildings

What you get

  • A check of your FEMA flood zone and what it means for your lender and your price
  • NFIP and private flood side by side: limits, deductibles, waiting period, what is excluded
  • Excess flood on top when the house costs more than $250,000 to rebuild
  • The declarations page for your lender, for the closing or for escrow
  • A licensed producer in 22 states, including Florida, New Jersey and New York, who places the policy and stays on it at renewal

Send your address, we check the zone

We check the FEMA flood zone and the price and send you NFIP and private options. No documents needed to start.

By sending, you agree that we may contact you about this request by phone, text or email.

Three kinds of flood policies

The right one depends on the flood zone, the building, your lender and the amount you need. Often it is a combination: a primary policy plus excess on top.

NFIP policy

The federal flood program run by FEMA, available wherever the local community takes part in it. Rates follow FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0 method and are the same with every company that sells NFIP policies.

  • Home: up to $250,000 for the building and up to $100,000 for belongings
  • Business building: up to $500,000 for the building and up to $500,000 for contents
  • Starts 30 days after purchase, right away when bought with a new, increased, extended or renewed mortgage
  • Belongings are paid at actual cash value, that is with depreciation
  • Does not pay for temporary housing during repairs or for most belongings kept in a basement
Get flood options

Private flood policy

Written by an insurance company outside the federal program. The company sets the limits, the waiting period and what is covered, so we compare it with NFIP point by point.

  • Not bound by the NFIP limits
  • Federally regulated lenders must accept private flood that meets the criteria of the law (rule in effect since July 1, 2019)
  • We check temporary housing, basement contents and whether belongings are paid as new or with depreciation
  • Can come out cheaper or more expensive than NFIP: it depends on the address
Get flood options

Excess flood

A second layer on top of your primary flood policy, for homes and condos that cost more to rebuild than NFIP pays.

  • Starts paying where the primary policy's limit ends
  • For coastal homes, large houses and expensive interiors
  • Works together with a primary policy: NFIP or private
Get flood options

How it works

  1. 1

    Send the address

    Address or ZIP, type of building and whether there is a mortgage. If you have an elevation certificate, attach it: FEMA says it can lower the price.

  2. 2

    We check the zone and the price

    We look up the zone on FEMA's flood map, get NFIP and private quotes and send you the options with limits, deductibles and the waiting period.

  3. 3

    You choose, we place the policy

    A licensed producer places the policy with the insurance company. You pay the company directly or through escrow, and we send the declarations page to your lender.

NFIP limits and rules

NFIP home: buildingUp to $250,000
NFIP home: belongingsUp to $100,000, paid at actual cash value (with depreciation)
NFIP business buildingUp to $500,000 building, up to $500,000 contents
NFIP waiting period30 days; no wait when bought while making, increasing, extending or renewing a mortgage
Who must require flood insuranceFederally regulated or insured lenders, for buildings in a Special Flood Hazard Area (zones A and V, including AE and VE)
High-risk zone over a 30-year mortgageAt least a 26% chance of flooding
NFIP claims from outside high-risk areasAlmost one-third

Source: FEMA and floodsmart.gov. Building and belongings are separate coverages with separate deductibles. Private and excess policies follow the insurance company's own terms.

Questions about flood insurance

Does my homeowners policy cover flooding?

Usually not: FEMA notes that most homeowners and renters policies do not cover flood damage. Flood needs its own policy, from NFIP or from a private insurance company.

Why does my lender require flood insurance?

If the building is in a Special Flood Hazard Area (zones starting with A or V, such as AE and VE) and the mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, federal law requires flood insurance. Some lenders ask for it outside these zones too.

When does a new flood policy start?

NFIP coverage starts 30 days after purchase. There is no wait if you buy it while making, increasing, extending or renewing a mortgage, and only a one-day wait if a new FEMA map moves the house into a high-risk zone and you buy within 12 months.

Does flood insurance cover hurricane damage?

It covers the water: storm surge, heavy rain or an overflowing river or lake coming into the house from the ground up. Wind damage, like a torn roof or broken windows, goes to your homeowners or windstorm policy, and each insurer sends its own adjuster.

Is private flood insurance cheaper than NFIP?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no: it depends on the address, the building and the insurance company. That is why we quote both and show you the difference in coverage, not only in price.

What does NFIP cover in a basement?

Mostly equipment: furnace, water heater, central air, electrical panel, sump pump, plus a washer, dryer and freezer if you have contents coverage and they are plugged in. Finished walls and floors and most belongings kept in a basement are not covered.

I own a condo in Sunny Isles. Isn't the building insured by the association?

The association's flood policy covers the building and common areas. The inside of your unit and your belongings are usually your part, and you can insure them with your own flood policy.

Do Citizens policyholders in Florida need flood insurance?

Yes, if it is a personal residential policy with wind coverage (Florida Statute 627.715). In a Special Flood Hazard Area flood is required already; outside it, policies with dwelling coverage of $400,000 or more need it since January 1, 2026, and all such policies by January 1, 2027. Condo unit-owner and renters policies are exempt.

The 30-day wait starts when you buy

A policy bought when a storm is already in the forecast is usually not in force when it hits. Send the address now and have the options ready.

Get flood options Call (315) 871-0833

Flood policies are issued by insurance companies, under the NFIP or privately: coverage and price follow the insurer's rules, and you pay the premium to the insurer, directly or through escrow. Placed by Dmitry Borovoy, licensed property and casualty insurance producer (NPN 22313558), whose commission is paid by the insurance company. About the license