Concord, NH Home Insurance

By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO

Home · Condo · Auto · Flood · Umbrella · New Hampshire

Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance is an independent agency in Portsmouth, and we insure homes across New Hampshire, including the capital city, by phone, email and online. We shop your Concord home across 40+ carriers and tell you which ones want to write it. We are the most-reviewed independent insurance agency in New Hampshire, with 1,000+ Google reviews and over 2,000 testimonials across our two offices. Start with our New Hampshire homeowners insurance overview, or keep reading.

Concord at a glance

The city’s Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2024, approved by FEMA on May 6, 2024 according to the city’s emergency management page, describes a geographically large city of about 67 square miles including water. It is bordered by Webster, Boscawen and Canterbury to the north, Loudon, Chichester and Pembroke to the east, Bow to the south and Hopkinton to the west. It reports a 2020 Census population of 43,976 and 19,085 housing units, about 54.6% owner-occupied and 45.4% renter-occupied in 2020.

The plan says the wide, slow, meandering Merrimack River bisects the city into western and eastern sections. The Soucook River forms the eastern border with Pembroke, the Contoocook River flows through the northwestern corner from Hopkinton to Boscawen and meets the Merrimack at Penacook, and the Turkey River flows from south Concord into Bow.

Where flood and storm risk shows up

• Along the rivers and brooks. The plan’s flood goals name the Merrimack, Contoocook, Turkey and Soucook rivers; Rattlesnake, Beaver Meadow, Mill Stream, Woods, Bela and Bow brooks; ponds including Snow Pond, Penacook Lake, Turkey Ponds, Horseshoe Pond and Turtletown Pond; and Hoit Marsh. Its hazard map notes that flood damage occurs all along the Merrimack River and throughout the city.
• Ice jams, washouts and storm drains. The plan also targets damage from snowmelt and heavy rain: flooded roads, river scouring and ice jams, culvert washouts, dam failures, undersized stormwater systems, debris and beaver dam failures.
• Neighborhoods residents named. In the plan’s public survey, residents recalled flooding, winter storms, high winds, ice storms and downed trees all over the city, with West Concord/West End, Concord Heights and Downtown mentioned multiple times.
• Older homes downtown and in the villages. Carriers ask about roof age, electrical panels, plumbing and heating in older houses, and documented updates widen your options.

Flood coverage in Concord

The plan’s flood insurance table shows 120 NFIP policies in force in March 2011, after the 2005–2008 severe flooding events, falling to 82 policies by April 2023, with 33 paid losses totaling $193,845. It says about 720 parcels with buildings may be at least partly in the special flood hazard area, and that only 82 of the city’s 14,938 parcels were insured against flooding. It lists the assumption that flood insurance is unnecessary outside the floodplain as one reason policy counts fall. Any Concord property owner can buy flood insurance. Check your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.

• NFIP through Selective. We write National Flood Insurance Program policies through Selective, a Write Your Own carrier. The NFIP covers up to $250,000 for the building and $100,000 for contents. New policies generally have a 30-day waiting period (see FloodSmart), so buy before storm season, not during it.
• Private flood. When a home costs more than the NFIP building limit to rebuild, or you want coverage the NFIP leaves out, we compare Flow Flood, Neptune Flood, Beyond Floods, The Flood Insurance Agency, CatCoverage and Aon Edge. Each one decides address by address.
• Elevation certificates. If you have one, send it. If the house has been raised or has flood vents, it can make a real difference in how flood carriers rate it.

Water backup (sewer, drain or sump pump failure) is an add-on to homeowners; flood is separate. If your basement is finished, ask about both. See basement flooding coverage and our flood insurance overview.

Winter, trees and wind in Concord

New Hampshire winters bring ice dams, frozen pipes and heavy snow loads, and storms bring down trees and limbs. These are generally homeowners claims, subject to your deductible and policy terms. A properly sized wind and all-perils deductible, and a roof in good shape, do more for most homeowners than any single add-on. Water damage from a burst pipe is usually covered when the home is heated and occupied; long vacancies can change that, so tell us if the house will sit empty.

Larger homes

Under about $2 million, most of our 40+ carriers are in play. In New Hampshire, Andover generally writes up to about $1.5 million, or closer to $1 million for homes far from a hydrant or fire station. Around $2 million to $3 million, Hanover is often a fit; above $3 million, Cincinnati; and at $5 million and up, Chubb. Each carrier underwrites the specific house, so these are starting points, not promises.

For larger homes, see high-value home insurance in New Hampshire.

Condos

If you own a condo, your HO-6 covers what the association master policy leaves out, often interior finishes, improvements, belongings, liability and loss assessment. See our New Hampshire condo insurance guide.

Renters and tenants in Concord

If you rent in Concord, your landlord’s policy covers the building, not your belongings or your liability. A renters policy covers both, plus extra living costs after a covered loss. We shop renters coverage across our carriers, and Progressive Home is one of them; we use Progressive Home for renters policies only. Landlords who own two- to four-family buildings can see landlord insurance.

If you own a rental in Concord, see landlord insurance. We do not charge fees on landlord or dwelling policies either.

Auto, umbrella and the rest of the household

Most Concord households also need auto insurance, and many add a personal umbrella. We quote them with the home so the liability limits line up, and we put rentals, second homes, boats and valuables under the same review. One agent, one renewal conversation.

Common coverage gaps we see in Concord

• A dwelling limit based on the purchase price or assessed value instead of the cost to rebuild
• No water backup coverage on a house with a finished basement
• Personal property limits that have not kept up with what the household actually owns
• Liability limits on the home and auto that do not line up with an umbrella, or no umbrella at all
• No ordinance or law coverage on an older home that would need code upgrades after a loss
• No flood policy on a home near the Merrimack, Contoocook, Soucook or Turkey River
• Assuming a home outside the mapped floodplain cannot flood

Most of these are straightforward to fix once someone reads the declarations pages side by side, and that is the first thing we do in a review.

Before storm season in Concord

• Know your hurricane or named storm deductible in dollars, not just as a percentage
• Photograph or video each room so a contents claim is easier to document
• Keep your declarations pages, flood policy and any elevation certificate somewhere you can reach from your phone
• If you are thinking about flood coverage, buy it well ahead of a storm because of the waiting period
• Watch for ice jams on nearby rivers and brooks in late winter and early spring

Buying a home in Concord

Start the insurance conversation before you are under contract, not the week of closing. Send us the listing and the inspection report when you have it. The report answers most of what carriers ask: roof age, electrical panel, heating, plumbing and any water in the basement. Near a river or brook, ask the seller about any flooding or ice jam history and request any elevation certificate. We line up the homeowners binder, and a flood binder if you need one, so both are ready for your lender.

How a Concord home quote works

• Tell us about the house: address, year built, square footage, roof age and updates to wiring, plumbing and heating.
• Send your current declarations page so we can compare like for like and point out limits that look short.
• We shop the carriers that fit and lay the options out side by side, with the differences in coverage, deductibles and storm terms, not just price.
• You choose, and we handle the switch, including your mortgage company and the effective date, so there is no gap.

Serving Concord from Portsmouth

We do not have a Concord office. We insure Concord homes from Portsmouth by phone, email and online. Call (603) 431-4020. Nearby, see our Manchester, Northwood, Bow, Pembroke, Bedford and Warner pages, or our New Hampshire insurance agency page.

Sources

• City of Concord, Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2024
• City of Concord, Emergency Management
• FEMA Flood Map Service Center
• FloodSmart, buying a flood policy

Get a quote

Tell us about the property and we will compare carriers and follow up with options. Prefer to talk? Call (603) 431-4020.

Frequently asked questions

Do you insure homes in Concord, NH?

Yes. We insure Concord homes from our Portsmouth office at 601 Islington St, and by phone, email and online. Call (603) 431-4020.

Does Concord flood?

The city’s 2024 hazard plan says flood damage occurs all along the Merrimack River and throughout the city, and names the Contoocook, Soucook and Turkey rivers and many brooks. Only 82 of the city’s 14,938 parcels had NFIP flood insurance in 2023. Check your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.

Does homeowners insurance cover a flooded basement?

Not from flood. Water backup from sewers, drains or a sump pump is an add-on, and rising or surface water needs a flood policy.

Who writes your NFIP flood policies?

We write NFIP policies through Selective, and we compare private flood from Flow Flood, Neptune Flood, Beyond Floods, The Flood Insurance Agency, CatCoverage and Aon Edge.

Do you charge fees?

No. We do not charge any fees, including on home, condo, renters, auto, flood, umbrella, landlord and dwelling policies.