Farmington, NH Home Insurance

By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO

Home · Flood · Condo · Renters · Umbrella · Farmington, 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 and over 2,000 testimonials across our two offices. We shop each Farmington home across 40+ carriers, and we charge no fees. Start with New Hampshire homeowners insurance, or read on.

Farmington at a glance

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 6,781 Farmington residents as of July 1, 2025 (6,715 in the April 2020 estimates base). The town’s Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2018, prepared with the Strafford Regional Planning Commission, says Farmington covers 36.9 square miles (36.2 of land and 0.7 of water), bordered by Middleton, Barrington, Milton, Rochester, New Durham, Barnstead and Strafford, and crossed by Routes 11, 75 and 153.

Its rivers include the Cocheco, Ela, Mad and Berrys, with Dames and Pokamoonshine brooks. Blue Job Mountain, at 1,350 feet, is the highest point. The plan describes concentrated mixed-use development downtown, a highway commercial corridor on Route 11, scattered rural homes and working landscapes, with residential growth the main development pressure.

The plan’s ACS housing data put occupied homes at roughly 65% owner-occupied and 35% renter-occupied. For insurance, that means village homes and multi-family buildings downtown, rural houses on well and septic, and a large share of renters.

Where you live in Farmington changes the policy

• Cocheco Road, Ten Rod Road, Bay Road and River Road. The plan says portions of these roads were impassable in the 2006 and 2007 floods. It also notes a 2018 ice-jam concern near River Road.
• Route 11, Civic Street, Cross Road, Sheepboro Road and Water Street. All flooded to varying degrees in 2006 and 2007.
• Bunker and Elm streets and Yonder Ridge. Several homes near Bunker and Elm streets were evacuated, and the Yonder Ridge development was underwater in places. The plan estimates roughly 60% of the town was affected, and the high school opened as a shelter.
• Water, Green, Pleasant and Summer streets. These sit in the inundation zone for the Farmington Levee, which the plan classifies as a high-hazard dam, along with the municipal offices. The plan lists work with the Army Corps on levee deficiencies.
• The Mad River at St. Peter Church. The plan describes a restoration project on a failing embankment west of the Tappan Street Bridge, out toward Route 11.
• Along the rivers and ponds. Mapped 100-year floodplain follows the Cocheco, Rattlesnake, Berrys and Mad rivers and Pokamoonshine Brook, and surrounds Rochester Reservoir, Baxter Lake and Oxbow and Nubble ponds.

Flood coverage in Farmington

Farmington has been in the NFIP since May 17, 1988. The plan’s FEMA Community Overview (as of March 30, 2017) listed 11 policies, nine on single-family homes and two non-residential, and two repetitive-loss properties, both single-family homes; one had flood insurance and one did not. Of the 11 policies, three were in lower-risk zones and not required by a lender.

Eleven policies is a very small number for a town where the plan estimates roughly 60% of the community was affected by the 2006 and 2007 floods. The town has replaced many failing culverts and worked on the levee; those projects protect roads and the village, and they do not decide whether your house needs a flood policy.

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 the plan ranks high

The 2018 plan rates five hazards high overall risk: public health threats, riverine flooding, severe winter storms, severe thunderstorms and wildfire. Drought, hurricanes and tropical storms, and tornadoes and downbursts rate moderate; extreme temperatures, hazardous materials, dam-failure flooding, and earthquake and landslide rate low.

The planning committee reported trees and wires down from summer thunderstorm winds each year, and small brush fires of one to two acres handled annually by the fire department. We review wind, winter, water backup and well coverage on every Farmington homeowners quote.

Winter, trees and wind in Farmington

The plan records the 2008 ice storm, with significant outages and the old Town Hall opened as a daytime shelter for two days, and a March 2018 storm that dropped roughly 25 inches of snow. For homeowners, that means ice dams, frozen pipes, heavy snow loads and trees on roofs. 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.

Larger rural homes in Farmington can carry rebuild costs well above market value, so we start with a replacement-cost estimate rather than the assessment. 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 Farmington, 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, carriers will ask about the roof, heating, wiring and plumbing; for a rural house, the well and septic too. Barns and outbuildings should be listed and valued separately.

Renters and tenants in Farmington

If you rent in Farmington, 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 Farmington households also need auto insurance, and many add a personal umbrella. The plan notes that Route 11 makes Farmington a key commuter and tourist corridor. 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 Farmington

• 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 Cocheco, Mad or Ela rivers, or in the Farmington Levee inundation zone
• A two- to four-family building insured on a homeowners form instead of a dwelling or landlord policy
• A barn, garage or outbuilding left off the policy or underinsured

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 Farmington

• 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 Water, Green, Pleasant or Summer Street, or another plan-listed flood spot, keep sump-pump and elevation records handy
• Know where your well pump and heat stand in a long power outage

Buying a home in Farmington

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. Downtown or near the rivers, ask for any elevation certificate and the seller’s flood history, and check whether the house is in the levee inundation zone. For a rural home, get well, septic and outbuilding details into the file early. We line up the homeowners binder, and a flood binder if you need one, so both are ready for your lender.

How a Farmington 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 Farmington from Portsmouth

Our office is at 601 Islington St, Unit 206, Portsmouth, NH 03801, and we work with Farmington clients by phone, email and online. Call (603) 431-4020. Nearby, see our Strafford, Milton, Rochester, Dover, Somersworth, New Durham, Middleton and Portsmouth pages.

Sources

• Town of Farmington, Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2018 (Strafford Regional 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 Farmington, NH?

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

Does Farmington flood?

Yes, in documented spots. The town’s 2018 hazard mitigation plan rates riverine flooding a high overall risk and records that parts of Cocheco Road, Ten Rod Road, Bay Road and River Road were impassable in the 2006 and 2007 floods, with Route 11, Civic Street and Water Street also flooded. 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.