Effingham, NH Home Insurance

By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO

Home · Flood · Condo · Renters · Umbrella · Effingham, New Hampshire

Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance is an independent agency founded in 2005 and licensed in 10 states. We are the most-reviewed independent insurance agency in New Hampshire, with 1,000+ Google reviews across our two offices and over 2,000 testimonials. We shop each Effingham home across 40+ carriers, and we charge no fees. Start with New Hampshire homeowners insurance, or read on.

Effingham at a glance

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 1,819 Effingham residents as of July 1, 2025 (1,697 in the April 2020 estimates base). The town’s Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2019, prepared with the Lakes Region Planning Commission, is dated August 2019.

The plan describes 38.9 square miles of land, with Green Mountain rising to 1,881 feet across the northern half of town, the Ossipee River along the Freedom line, and Province Lake at the southern tip. It says more than a fifth of the land is steep, and that homes are scattered across town.

For insurance, that means rural homes on wells and septic, often on long gravel roads, plus lake homes on Province Lake.

Where you live in Effingham changes the policy

• Along the Ossipee and South rivers. The plan says the 2013 flood maps show 100-year flood areas backing up to the Ossipee River, Heath Pond Bog (Pine River) and the South River, and near parts of Drake Road, Huntress Bridge Road, Granite Road and the south end of NH 153.
• Roads that flood most years. The plan lists seasonal flooding on Drake, Green Mountain, High Watch, Jones, Snow, Hobbs and Symmes Roads, and flooding or washouts on Pine River Road, Bailey, Clough, Wilkinson Swamp and Huntress Bridge Roads.
• Green Mountain. The plan says the steep, remote sides of Green Mountain are the most susceptible to wildfire, with very few roads for access. A house far from a hydrant or fire station is rated differently by some carriers.
• Province Lake. Lake homes and former camps raise flood, water backup and seasonal-occupancy questions. The plan lists the Province Lake dam among the town’s smaller, low-risk dams.

Flood coverage in Effingham

Effingham joined the NFIP on August 1, 2009, with flood maps dated March 19, 2013. The plan counted three NFIP policies, all on single-family homes, with $480,000 of coverage and no paid losses since 2009.

Three policies town-wide means nearly every home near the rivers or the lake has no flood coverage.

A homeowners policy will not pay for a river or pond over its banks, or for surface water. Flood is its own policy. Check your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and ask us to compare NFIP and private flood.

• 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.

Other hazards in the Effingham plan

The plan rates high wind events as highly likely, and lists wildfire among the likely hazards. It notes a state forester’s concern that rising ATV use in the Pine River Forest could lead to more fires.

For a homeowner, most Effingham losses start with trees, wind and water: roofs, basements, wells and outbuildings. We review wind, water backup and flood on every Effingham homeowners quote.

Winter, trees and wind in Effingham

The plan recalls the 1998 and 2008 ice storms and the March 2017 snowstorm, and says the July 2008 tornado flipped a shed, caused heavy timber damage and left Effingham without power for a week. For homeowners, that means ice dams, frozen pipes, snow loads and trees on roofs, and a plan for heat and water in a long outage. 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 homeowners 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.

Newer and renovated homes on Province Lake and on large rural lots can cost far more to rebuild than their assessment suggests, so we start with a replacement-cost estimate. See high-value home insurance in New Hampshire.

Condos, rentals and older homes

Your HO-6 condo policy covers what the association’s master policy does not. See condo insurance in New Hampshire. If you rent out a house in Effingham, you need a dwelling or landlord policy; for New Hampshire landlord and habitational placements we work with Vermont Mutual, Andover, Safety, Concord Group and Providence Mutual. For an older farmhouse or a lake camp, carriers will ask about the roof, heating (including wood stoves), wiring, plumbing, well and septic, and whether the house is lived in year-round.

Renters and tenants in Effingham

If you rent in Effingham, 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.

Auto, umbrella and the rest of the household

Most Effingham households also need auto insurance, and many add a personal umbrella. Effingham drivers rely on NH 25 and NH 153, and the plan lists stretches of NH 153 among its tornado and flood trouble spots, so a good auto policy and roadside coverage are worth a look. 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 Effingham

• 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 Ossipee River, South River or Province Lake
• A wood stove that the current carrier does not know about
• A seasonal camp that is now used year-round, or a year-round home left empty all winter

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 Effingham

• 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 on one of the roads that floods most years, know your way out in a washout
• Know how you will heat the house and run your well pump in a week-long power outage

Buying a home in Effingham

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 the Ossipee or South river or on Province Lake, ask for any elevation certificate and the seller’s flood history. Ask about road access in mud season too. We line up the homeowners binder, and a flood binder if you need one, so both are ready for your lender.

How a Effingham 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 Effingham from Portsmouth

Our office is at 601 Islington St, Unit 206, Portsmouth, NH 03801, and we work with Effingham clients by phone, email and online. Call (603) 431-4020. Nearby, see our Brookfield, Wakefield and Middleton pages.

Sources

• Town of Effingham, Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2019 (Lakes Region Planning Commission)
• U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 subcounty population estimates
• 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 Effingham, NH?

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

Does Effingham flood?

Along the Ossipee and South rivers and on some roads, yes. The 2019 hazard mitigation plan lists seasonal flooding on Drake, Green Mountain, High Watch, Jones, Snow, Hobbs and Symmes Roads. 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 don’t charge fees on any policy we write, including homeowners, condo, renters, landlord, dwelling and auto.