Epping, NH Home Insurance

By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO

Home · Flood · Condo · Renters · Umbrella · Epping, 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 Epping home across 40+ carriers, and we charge no fees. Start with New Hampshire homeowners insurance, or read on.

Epping at a glance

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 7,973 Epping residents as of July 1, 2025 (7,132 in the April 2020 estimates base), one of the faster growth rates in the region. The town’s 2017 Natural Resources Inventory, prepared by the Epping Conservation Commission with the Rockingham Planning Commission, describes about 26 square miles of land and calls Epping a semi-rural community in one of the fastest-growing parts of the state. The town received a state grant in 2023 to update its hazard mitigation plan.

The inventory says downtown developed next to the Lamprey River, where the land is flat and close to water, and that the village of West Epping grew along the road network around it. The Lamprey from the Raymond line downstream is a federal Wild and Scenic River.

For insurance, that means older village homes near the river, newer subdivisions and condos, and rural homes on wells and septic.

Where you live in Epping changes the policy

• Along the Lamprey River. The UNH summary says the five largest floods recorded at Packers Falls came in May 2006, April 2007, April 1987, March 2010 and October 1996. Homes near the river through downtown and West Epping are where flood questions start.
• The North, Pawtuckaway, Piscassic and Little rivers. The town inventory says all of them flow into Epping from neighboring towns, and lists floodplain forest along river channels that floods periodically. A house near any of them needs a flood conversation, not just a homeowners quote.
• New subdivisions. The UNH summary warns that more pavement and building upstream push more rain and snowmelt into rivers. Newer homes can still sit in low spots, so check your address rather than assume.
• Rural homes far from a hydrant or fire station. Outlying homes on long driveways are rated differently by some carriers, so tell us how far the house is from the nearest hydrant and fire station.

Flood coverage in Epping

The UNH summary, by Cameron Wake and Julia Peterson (February 2018), estimates Epping’s 1% annual chance (100-year) flood area at about 1.5 square miles in 2005, growing to about 1.7 square miles, roughly 14%, by 2050 if current development and climate trends continue. It projects the peak 100-year flow at Packers Falls could rise more than 60% by 2050.

The same summary notes that a 100-year flood has about a 26% chance of happening at least once during a 30-year mortgage, and that disaster aid is not meant to make owners whole. That is the case for flood coverage near the Lamprey.

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 risks for Epping homes

Epping’s current hazard mitigation plan was not posted online where we could find it, so we rely on the town’s natural resources inventory, the UNH flood study and the 2025 Lamprey River Management Plan. The inventory notes that stormwater raises both flooding and water quality concerns, and that wetlands and floodplains slow and store floodwater.

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

Winter, trees and wind in Epping

Like the rest of Rockingham County, Epping gets nor’easters, heavy wet snow and ice storms that bring trees down on roofs and power lines. For homeowners, that means ice dams, frozen pipes and snow loads. 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 homes and renovated farmhouses in Epping can cost far more to rebuild than an older 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 Epping, 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 village home or farmhouse, carriers will ask about the roof, heating, wiring, plumbing, well and septic. Send what you have on recent updates.

Renters and tenants in Epping

If you rent in Epping, 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 Epping households also need auto insurance, and many add a personal umbrella. The town inventory notes most Epping residents commute to another town, many on Routes 101 and 125, 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 Epping

• 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 Lamprey, North or Pawtuckaway river
• A private well or septic system with no plan for a long power outage

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 Epping

• 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 Lamprey or one of its tributaries, keep sump-pump and elevation records handy
• Know how you will heat the house and run your well pump in a long outage

Buying a home in Epping

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 Lamprey or one of its tributaries, ask for any elevation certificate and the seller’s flood history, especially for May 2006 and April 2007. We line up the homeowners binder, and a flood binder if you need one, so both are ready for your lender.

How a Epping 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 Epping from Portsmouth

Our office is at 601 Islington St, Unit 206, Portsmouth, NH 03801, and we work with Epping clients by phone, email and online. Call (603) 431-4020. Nearby, see our Raymond, Nottingham, Brentwood, Lee, Newmarket and Fremont pages.

Sources

• Wake and Peterson, Changing Flood Risk in the Lamprey River Watershed: Epping (UNH Sustainability Institute, 2018)
• Epping Conservation Commission, Natural Resources Inventory 2017 (with Rockingham Planning Commission)
• Lamprey Rivers Advisory Committee, 2025 Lamprey River Management Plan
• NH Executive Council, May 3, 2023, Item 137: grant to update Epping’s hazard mitigation plan
• 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 Epping, NH?

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

Does Epping flood?

Along its rivers, yes. A 2018 UNH study found the five largest floods recorded on the Lamprey River have come since 1987, including May 2006 and April 2007, and estimates about 1.5 square miles of Epping is in the 100-year flood area. 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.