Durham, NH Home Insurance

By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO

Home · Auto · Flood · Umbrella · New Hampshire

We insure Durham homes from our Portsmouth office and homes across the Seacoast. Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance is an independent agency, so we shop your Durham 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 read on for what matters in Durham.

Durham at a glance

The town’s 2017 Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan, prepared with the Strafford Regional Planning Commission, describes Durham as 22.4 square miles of land and 2.4 square miles of inland water, with large stretches of shoreline along Great Bay and Little Bay. It borders Madbury and Dover to the north, Newmarket to the south and Lee to the west. Elevations run from sea level along tidal areas to more than 290 feet on Beech Hill on the northern border. The plan says the University of New Hampshire occupies about 12% of the town, and that residential uses are predominantly single-family detached homes found throughout Durham, with some concentrations near UNH. As of 2010, it reports, occupied housing was roughly 55% owner-occupied and 45% renter-occupied.

Where you live in Durham changes the policy

• Great Bay, Little Bay and the tidal Oyster River. The plan says a significant amount of coastal floodplain lies along the Great Bay/Oyster River estuary shoreline, that many high-value private residences have been built in this shoreline area and could be susceptible to coastal flooding, and that the shore is susceptible to storm surge from hurricanes.
• The Lamprey River and “the flats.” The hazard plan identifies significant flooding potential along the Lamprey River and its tributaries in the southeast of town. It describes chronic road flooding on Route 108 where the road runs close to the river, and a low-lying area locally called “the flats,” where Longmarsh Road and Bennett Road meet Newmarket Road/Route 108. In the May 2006 “Mother’s Day” floods, it says, about 120 people were stranded when Bennett Road closed, and a bridge on Wiswall Road partially collapsed.
• The Oyster River above Mill Pond Dam. The plan also flags flooding potential along the Oyster River and its tributaries in the northwest of town, above the Mill Pond Dam, and notes that areas of downtown near Pette Brook have flooded in the past.
• Neighborhoods near UNH. Older single-family homes near campus, and homes converted to or used as rentals, raise questions about occupancy, roommates and liability. Tell us exactly how the house is used.

Flood coverage in Durham

The 2017 plan reports that only 28 flood insurance policies were in force in Durham at the time, with 12 losses paid and two repetitive loss structures, both residential. It also shows that most of those policies were on properties outside the special flood hazard area. Flood is never part of a homeowners policy, and water can reach homes outside the mapped zones. 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 Durham

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 on the bays

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 shoreline and larger homes, see high-value home insurance in New Hampshire and coastal home insurance in New Hampshire.

Renters and tenants in Durham

If you rent in Durham, 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 Durham, see landlord insurance. We do not charge fees on landlord or dwelling policies either.

Parents of UNH students should check whether a student’s belongings in a dorm are covered under the family’s homeowners policy; many policies cover them at a reduced limit, and off-campus apartments often need a separate renters policy.

Auto, umbrella and the rest of the household

Most Durham 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 Durham

• 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 shoreline home on Great Bay or Little Bay, or near the Lamprey River
• A rental near UNH insured on a standard homeowners form

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 Durham

• 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
• If you live near the flats on Route 108, plan for the road closing in a heavy rain

Buying a home in Durham

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. For a shoreline home, ask for any elevation certificate and the seller’s flood policy, which can sometimes be assigned to a buyer. We line up the homeowners binder, and a flood binder if you need one, so both are ready for your lender.

How a Durham 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 Durham from Portsmouth

Our office is at 601 Islington St, Unit 206, Portsmouth, NH 03801, and we also work by phone, email and online. Call (603) 431-4020. Nearby, see our Dover, Portsmouth and Exeter pages, or our New Hampshire insurance agency page.

Sources

• Town of Durham, Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2017 (Strafford Regional Planning Commission)
• 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 Durham, NH?

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

Which parts of Durham flood?

The town’s hazard mitigation plan points to the Lamprey River in the southeast (including Route 108 and the area called the flats), the Oyster River above the Mill Pond Dam, and the tidal shoreline along Great Bay, Little Bay and the Oyster River estuary. 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.