Fairfield County, Connecticut Home, Flood and Auto Insurance

By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO

Home · Flood · Auto · High-Value · Condo · Fairfield County, CT

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Fairfield County homeowners do not all have the same insurance problem. A raised beach house near Fairfield Beach Road, a shingle-style home in Old Greenwich, a farmhouse on six wooded acres in Redding and a two-family in Bridgeport’s Black Rock each need a different conversation. Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance is a family-owned independent agency founded in 2005 and licensed in 10 states. We compare 40+ carriers and charge no fees of any kind on any line, so we can match each home to the carriers that actually want it. We serve Connecticut by phone, email and online, with a Fairfield County office coming soon.

We are the most-reviewed independent insurance agency in New Hampshire, with 1,000+ Google reviews and over 2,000 testimonials. Call (603) 431-4020, or start with our Connecticut insurance agency page for the whole state.

Which Fairfield County towns do we serve?

All of them. These are the towns with their own pages, roughly from the Fairfield area outward:

• Fairfield. Fairfield Beach and Pine Creek, Southport, Greenfield Hill and older colonials in Stratfield and the town center.
• Southport. The historic village on Southport Harbor, with period homes that need careful rebuild estimates.
• Weston. Wooded lots, long driveways and private wells; see also Weston high-value home insurance.
• Trumbull. Established neighborhoods along the Pequonnock River valley.
• Bridgeport. Black Rock and the South End on the water, plus multi-family homes across the city.
• Stratford. Lordship and the South End near the Sound and the mouth of the Housatonic.
• Westport. Compo Beach, Saugatuck Shores, the Saugatuck River and Greens Farms on the Fairfield line.
• Easton. Rural, wooded lots around the reservoirs, with wells and long outages.
• Redding. Wooded lots, Georgetown and the Norwalk River valley.
• Greenwich. Old Greenwich, Riverside and Byram on the water and large backcountry properties.
• Darien. Noroton and Tokeneke on the shoreline and frequent rebuilds inland.
• New Canaan. Larger homes on wooded lots and many renovations.
• Norwalk. Rowayton and the harbor, the Norwalk River and a wide range of housing.
• Wilton. Wooded lots along the Norwalk River corridor.
• Ridgefield. Historic Main Street homes and larger properties to the north and west.
• Stamford. Shippan Point on the water and condos and single-family homes inland.
• Bethel. A mix of village homes and newer neighborhoods near Danbury.
• Shelton. Neighborhoods above the Housatonic River.
• Monroe. Suburban homes, wells and wooded lots.
• Brookfield. Candlewood Lake shoreline homes and the Still River corridor.
• Danbury. City neighborhoods, Candlewood Lake and the Still River.
• New Fairfield. Candlewood Lake and Squantz Pond homes on wooded lots.
• Newtown. Larger lots, Sandy Hook village and Lake Zoar.
• Sherman. Rural homes on the northern end of Candlewood Lake.

If your town is not listed, we still write there. Milford, just across the Housatonic in New Haven County, has its own page as a neighbor: Milford, CT insurance.

Which Fairfield County insurance products do we write?

• Homeowners insurance in Fairfield, CT
• Car insurance in Fairfield, CT
• Flood insurance in Fairfield, CT
• Condo insurance in Fairfield, CT
• High-value home insurance in Fairfield, CT
• Fairfield County flood insurance
• Fairfield County high-value home insurance (Nov 1 or later; contains the CT office number)
• Umbrella insurance in Fairfield County

For the core product guides, see homeowners insurance in Connecticut, high-value home insurance in Connecticut, auto insurance, umbrella insurance and landlord insurance.

What does Long Island Sound mean for shoreline homeowners?

The county’s shoreline runs from Greenwich through Stamford, Darien, Norwalk, Westport, Fairfield and Bridgeport to Stratford. Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 and Superstorm Sandy in 2012 both pushed surge into shoreline neighborhoods. The 2024 MetroCOG hazard mitigation plan, which covers Fairfield, Bridgeport and Stratford, says Sandy’s surge reached eight to nine feet along much of western Long Island Sound and that, in Fairfield, inundation reached north of I-95 along Ash Creek and the Mill River.

• Flood is a separate policy. Homeowners policies exclude flood and storm surge. We place NFIP new business through Selective as a Write Your Own carrier and compare private flood from Flow Flood, Neptune Flood, Beyond Floods, The Flood Insurance Agency, CatCoverage and Aon Edge. Higher-value homes often need limits above the NFIP building cap, through private or excess flood. New NFIP policies generally have a 30-day waiting period.
• Hurricane deductibles follow state rules. Under Connecticut law, a hurricane deductible can apply only after the National Hurricane Center issues a hurricane warning for part of the state and the storm produces sustained winds of 74 mph or more somewhere in Connecticut. It ends 24 hours after the last warning is lifted or the storm is downgraded, whichever comes first. We show you the dollar amount on every option. See hurricane deductibles in Connecticut.
• Elevation and mitigation matter. Elevation certificates, raised mechanicals and flood vents can change flood options. Many beach-area homes were raised after Sandy, and raised homes still need a careful look at wind coverage.

Inland towns flood too. The Saugatuck, Mill, Norwalk, Pequonnock and Housatonic rivers and dozens of brooks can flood low streets, and heavy rain overwhelms drainage in finished basements. Read our Fairfield County flood insurance guide, our Greenwich and Westport shoreline flood page and our article on coastal home insurance in Connecticut.

How are inland Fairfield County homes different?

In Weston, Easton, Redding, Wilton, New Canaan, Ridgefield and northern Fairfield, the biggest claims usually come from trees, wind and winter rather than the Sound. Tropical Storm Isaias in 2020 was a reminder: it was mostly a wind and tree event, with outages that lasted days in wooded towns. What we review for these homes:

• Trees near the house and the driveway, and how the policy treats debris removal
• Private wells, septic systems and sump pumps, plus water backup coverage for finished basements
• Generators, low-temperature alarms and leak shutoff valves, which prevent the largest winter losses
• Detached barns, garages, studios and pool houses, which often need higher other-structures limits
• Long response distances, which carriers ask about on larger rural properties

How do we insure high-value homes in Fairfield County?

For most homes under about 2 million dollars to rebuild, almost all of our carriers can fit, so we compare the full field. Openly can fit homes up to about 5 million dollars. For homes over about 3 million dollars we lead with Cincinnati, and Chubb, which focuses on high-value homes, is in the comparison for the larger and more complex properties. We look at guaranteed or extended replacement cost, scheduled art, jewelry, wine and collections, detached structures, generators and an umbrella sized to the household. Our blog post on luxury home insurance in Greenwich, Darien and Westport and our Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan, Wilton and Ridgefield high-value pages go deeper. Westport owners will also have Westport high-value home insurance.

What about condos, rentals and multi-family homes?

Condo owners need an HO-6 matched to the master policy, with loss assessment set to the master deductible, including any hurricane deductible. Landlords need a dwelling or landlord policy rather than a homeowners form. In Connecticut we place landlord and habitational policies, including small condo association master policies, with Vermont Mutual and Andover. See Connecticut condo association insurance and Connecticut apartment building insurance.

What about teardowns, renovations and new construction?

Teardowns and major renovations are common in Darien, Greenwich, Westport and New Canaan. A house under construction usually needs builder’s risk coverage, and a home that sits empty during work may need a vacancy endorsement or a different policy. Tell the carrier before work starts. When the project is finished, we reset the dwelling limit to the real cost of what was built. In Fairfield’s flood zone, also check the Town’s substantial improvement rules before you plan the budget.

What do Fairfield County drivers need?

Connecticut requires at least 25/50/25 liability plus uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on every registered vehicle. I-95, the Merritt Parkway, the Post Road and teen drivers are all good reasons to carry more, and to coordinate auto limits with an umbrella. See Connecticut car insurance requirements.

How does a Fairfield County quote work?

We gather the details once and compare carriers side by side. For a home that usually means the address, year built, square footage, roof age and material, heating, wiring and plumbing updates, any elevation certificate, and how the home is used: primary, second home, rental or vacant. If you are buying, send the closing date and lender so the binder is ready on time. For cars, we need each driver and vehicle. Then we explain the differences in coverage, deductibles and endorsements in plain language, including the hurricane deductible in dollars and whether flood belongs next to the homeowners policy.

We stay with you after the sale for renovations, new drivers, new purchases and renewals, and we review the whole household once a year so the limits keep up with the home.

Why Fairfield County homeowners work with us

• A family-owned independent agency since 2005, licensed in 10 states
• 40+ carriers, compared side by side in plain language
• 1,000+ Google reviews and over 2,000 testimonials
• No fees of any kind on any line
• We serve Connecticut by phone, email and online, with a Fairfield County office coming soon.

See what clients say on our client feedback page.

Get a quote

Tell us about your situation and we will compare carriers for you. Prefer to talk? Call (603) 431-4020.

Frequently asked questions

Does homeowners insurance cover storm surge from Long Island Sound?

No. Surge and rising water are flood, which homeowners policies exclude. You need an NFIP or private flood policy.

When does a hurricane deductible apply in Connecticut?

Only after the National Hurricane Center issues a hurricane warning for part of Connecticut and the storm produces sustained winds of 74 mph or more somewhere in the state. It ends 24 hours after the last warning ends or the storm is downgraded, whichever comes first.

Which carriers fit high-value homes in Fairfield County?

Under about 2 million dollars to rebuild, almost all of our carriers can fit. Above about 3 million dollars we lead with Cincinnati, with Chubb for high-value homes.

Do I need builder’s risk insurance for a renovation?

For major renovations and new construction, usually yes. Your homeowners carrier also needs to know if the house will be vacant during the work.

My Fairfield County town is not listed. Can you help?

Yes. We serve Connecticut by phone, email and online, with a Fairfield County office coming soon.

Do you charge fees?

No. We do not charge fees of any kind on any policy we write.

Sources

• MetroCOG Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan, 2024 Update
• Connecticut Insurance Department: Homeowner Before the Storm
• Connecticut Insurance Department: Auto Insurance
• FEMA Flood Map Service Center

This page is general information about insurance in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Your policy wording controls coverage. Call (603) 431-4020 with questions about your situation.