Home · High-value · NH + CT
By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO, Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance · Reviewed by Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO
Published October 2026 · Updated October 4, 2026
- One independent agent licensed in both states can insure your New Hampshire and Connecticut homes and keep the two policies lined up.
- Each home still gets its own policy, written to its own state rules, so details like hurricane deductibles and total-loss settlement can differ.
- Flood is excluded on homeowners policies in both states. Each home needs its own flood policy, and NFIP coverage usually starts 30 days after purchase.
- One umbrella policy can usually sit over both homes and your cars, which is one of the biggest gaps we close for two-state families.
- Rebuilding costs have climbed fast, so review the dwelling limit on both homes every year.
Can you use one insurance agent for homes in two states? Yes. If you own a house on the New Hampshire Seacoast and another along the Connecticut shoreline, one independent agent who is licensed in both states can insure both. Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance is licensed in New Hampshire and Connecticut, among 10 states, and has offices in Portsmouth, NH and Stratford, CT. Each home keeps its own policy, but one team sees both, so the deductibles, liability limits, flood coverage and renewal reviews actually fit together instead of being handled by two agents who never talk.
Can one agent really handle homes in both states?
Agents are licensed state by state, so the first question is whether your agent is licensed where each house sits. We’ve been an independent agency since 2005, and many of our clients split time between the two states: a home in Rye or Portsmouth and a place near the water in Fairfield County, or a Metro-North commute from Stratford during the week and a Seacoast house on weekends. Because we compare 40+ carriers, the answer might be one carrier for both houses or two different ones. Either way, you have one place to call.
What actually changes from New Hampshire to Connecticut?
Your two policies may look alike, but a few things work differently by state. Here’s what we check most often.
| Topic | New Hampshire home | Connecticut home | Ask your agent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total loss from fire or lightning | NH is a “stated value” state under RSA 407:22. For a total loss by fire or lightning, insurers must pay the full insured amount, according to the NH Insurance Department. | Settlement follows the policy terms, so read how replacement cost is paid if you rebuild, and what happens if you decide not to. | How would each policy settle a total loss? |
| Hurricane and wind deductibles | Check whether a separate wind or hurricane deductible applies. It will be listed on the declarations page. | A hurricane deductible can only apply during a window tied to a National Hurricane Center hurricane warning for the state, per the CT Insurance Department. | Is it a flat amount or a percentage of the dwelling limit? |
| Flood | Excluded from homeowners policies. Separate NFIP or private flood policy needed. | Excluded from homeowners policies. Separate NFIP or private flood policy needed. | Does each home need flood, and when would coverage start? |
| Local weather we plan for | Nor’easters, heavy snow, ice dams and frozen pipes, especially in homes heated with oil. | Tropical storms off Long Island Sound, storm surge on the shoreline and tree damage inland. | What mitigation credits or requirements apply? |
One point from Connecticut’s Bulletin PC-33 is worth repeating for every two-state owner: a percentage deductible is a percentage of the dwelling limit, not a percentage of the loss. On a high-value home, that difference can be large, so read the number on the declarations page, not just the percentage.
Which home is your primary residence, and why does it matter?
The home you live in most of the year is usually written as your primary residence. The other is a secondary or seasonal home, and the carrier will ask how many months it sits empty, whether it’s heated in winter, who checks on it, and whether you rent it out.
Getting this wrong is a quiet way for a claim to go sideways. A Connecticut beach house written as a primary home but closed from November to May, or a New Hampshire house rented each summer without the carrier knowing, can raise coverage questions after a loss. Our guide to second and seasonal home insurance covers vacancy rules and rentals in more detail.
If one home sits empty for part of the year
- Keep the heat on and consider a low-temperature alert and a water-leak sensor with automatic shutoff.
- Have someone check the house on a set schedule, especially after a nor’easter or a hard freeze.
- Tell us if the house will be empty longer than usual, if you start renting it, or if a family member moves in.
“Inflation keeps moving the goalposts on what it costs to rebuild a home. A lot of the houses we review need much more dwelling coverage than they carried a few years ago. The good news is that carriers are widening their appetite for higher-value homes, so owners with a house in each state have more strong options than they used to.”— Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO, Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance
How much dwelling coverage do both homes need now?
Your dwelling limit should match what it would cost to rebuild each house today, not what you paid or what it would sell for. That number has moved a lot. The chart below uses a federal producer price index that tracks the goods that go into building homes. It shows how far those costs have climbed since early 2020.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, series WPUIP2311001, via FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. As of October 4, 2026, the latest month available is August 2026; recent months are preliminary and may be revised.
From January 2020 to August 2026, that index rose about 53 percent, and labor, code upgrades and custom finishes can push a real rebuild higher still. The New Hampshire Insurance Department notes that replacement cost settlement generally depends on insuring at least 80 percent of the replacement cost at the time of loss. Fall short and a partial claim can pay less than you expect.
With two homes, it’s easy to update the one you live in and forget the other. We review both at the same time. Our pages on New Hampshire homeowners insurance and Connecticut homeowners insurance explain the state-specific details.
We’ll compare carriers for your New Hampshire and Connecticut homes and line up deductibles, flood and liability.
Talk to our Portsmouth team or our Stratford office: (603) 431-4020 · Start a two-home insurance review
Can one umbrella policy cover both homes?
Usually, yes, and it’s one of the best reasons to keep both homes with one agent. One umbrella can sit over both houses and every car in the household, but only if each underlying policy carries the liability limits the umbrella carrier requires. When two agents set up the two homes, those limits often don’t match. See our umbrella insurance page for how the layers fit.
Which carriers can insure higher-value homes in both states?
For higher-value homes in New Hampshire and Connecticut, the carriers we compare include Chubb, Cincinnati, Hanover, Openly, National General and Andover. For larger homes, Openly and National General write up to about $5 million, Cincinnati is our go-to over about $3 million, and Chubb, which focuses on high-value homes, joins it above $5 million. For homes of $10 million and up, we use Chubb and Cincinnati.
For standalone high-value auto, we look at Hagerty, Hanover and Progressive. Chubb and Cincinnati write auto only when it’s packaged with that carrier’s home or other policies, so placing both homes with one of them can open up the auto side too.
What should two-state homeowners ask their agent?
- The declarations pages for both homes, so we can compare dwelling limits and deductibles side by side.
- Which home you live in most of the year, and how many months the other one sits empty.
- Renovations or upgrades since the last review, like a new kitchen, roof, generator or finished basement.
- Flood zone, elevation information and any existing flood policy for each home.
- Your current umbrella limit and the liability limits on each home and car.
Frequently asked questions
Can one insurance agent insure homes in New Hampshire and Connecticut?
Yes, as long as the agent is licensed in both states. Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance is licensed in New Hampshire and Connecticut, among 10 states, with offices in Portsmouth, NH and Stratford, CT, so one team can handle both homes.
Do I need a separate homeowners policy for each home?
Usually, yes. Each house gets its own policy written for that address and that state’s rules. What one agent adds is coordination: matching renewal reviews, deductibles and liability limits so the two policies work together.
Can one umbrella policy cover both of my homes?
In most cases, yes. A personal umbrella can sit over the liability coverage on both homes and your cars, as long as each underlying policy carries the liability limits the umbrella carrier requires.
Does my homeowners policy cover flooding at either home?
No. Standard homeowners policies in both states exclude flood. You need a separate NFIP or private flood policy for each home, and an NFIP policy generally takes effect 30 days after purchase unless an exception applies, such as a policy bought in connection with a mortgage.
How do hurricane deductibles differ between my New Hampshire and Connecticut homes?
The rules and policy wording differ by state and carrier. In Connecticut, the Insurance Department says a hurricane deductible can only apply during a window tied to a National Hurricane Center hurricane warning for the state, and the percentage and dollar amount must be shown on the declarations page. For both homes, check the declarations page and ask your agent to walk you through it.
Sources
- New Hampshire Insurance Department, “New Hampshire Insurance Department Issues Guidance to Help Granite Staters Understand Homeowners Insurance Coverage Levels” (April 2, 2025)
- Connecticut Insurance Department, “Homeowners Storm Claims”
- Connecticut Insurance Department, Bulletin PC-33, “Homeowners Insurance Wind and Hurricane Deductibles”
- Connecticut Insurance Department, “Homeowners Insurance – FAQs”
- FEMA FloodSmart, “Buy a Flood Insurance Policy”
- Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), “Producer Price Index by Commodity: Inputs to Industries: Net Inputs to Residential Construction, Goods” (BLS series WPUIP2311001)
This page is general information, not a policy. Coverage, forms and availability vary by state, carrier and property, and every policy is subject to underwriting. Your policy documents control.
One review, two homes, one team that knows both states.
Talk to our Portsmouth team (our Stratford office uses the same number): (603) 431-4020 · Request a quote for both homes
Reviewed by Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO
Portsmouth Atlantic has been an independent agency since 2005, is licensed in 10 states, works with 40+ carriers and has earned over 2,000 testimonials. Meet our team.
For more on coverage across the state, visit our Connecticut insurance agency page, or call our Stratford office at (603) 431-4020.