By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO, Licensed Insurance Advisor
Flooding in Massachusetts is not only a Cape and Islands problem. The Commonwealth has storm-surge exposure from Salisbury and Newburyport down through Boston Harbor, the South Shore, Buzzards Bay and the Vineyard, and inland river and rainfall flooding along the Charles, the Neponset, the Shawsheen, the Aberjona and the Connecticut, plus the cellars of older houses almost everywhere. Homeowners insurance excludes all of it, so a separate flood policy is the only thing that pays when the water comes in.
Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance is a family-owned independent agency based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and licensed in Massachusetts. We work with Massachusetts owners by phone and email, with access to 40+ carriers, and we are New Hampshire’s highest-rated agency on Google. Phone (603) 431-4020.
Key takeaways
- Massachusetts does not require flood insurance, but lenders do for homes in FEMA high-risk zones, and many flood claims come from outside them.
- Boston Harbor set its highest tide on record on January 4, 2018, topping the Blizzard of 1978; the 2023 Leominster rainstorm showed inland towns are exposed too.
- New NFIP policies usually take 30 days to start; we write them through Selective and compare six private flood carriers.
- A flood-risk disclosure requirement for buyers and tenants is part of the House version of the Mass Ready Act, which was still in conference committee in 2026.
- Cost depends on elevation, foundation, distance from water, rebuild cost, deductible and the town’s standing in FEMA’s CRS program, not on a statewide average.
Where Massachusetts flood policies are concentrated
About 340 Massachusetts communities take part in the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA’s community counts (policy data as of July 2021, from the most recent Massachusetts map published for FEMA’s CRS program) show how coastal the demand is, and also how many inland towns appear on the list (CRS Massachusetts map).
| Community | NFIP policies in force (July 2021) | What drives the risk |
|---|---|---|
| Boston | 4,932 | Harbor surge, filled land in the Seaport, Back Bay and East Boston |
| Quincy | 3,447 | Wollaston, Houghs Neck and Germantown shorefront |
| Hull | 1,868 | A narrow peninsula with ocean on one side and Hingham Bay on the other |
| Falmouth | 1,735 | Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound shorelines and coastal ponds |
| Scituate | 1,441 | Exposed beaches, seawalls and repeat nor’easter losses |
| Marshfield | 1,366 | Barrier beaches and the North and South River marshes |
| Edgartown | 514 | Harbor, Katama and Chappaquiddick waterfront |
| Chatham | 460 | Shifting barrier beaches and an exposed elbow of the Cape |
| Andover | 428 | The Shawsheen River, an inland example |
| Newton | 380 | Charles River villages and low-lying neighborhoods |
| Marblehead | 309 | Rocky harbor frontage, the Neck and low causeways |
| Winchester | 295 | The Aberjona River and Mystic Lakes, another inland example |
These are policies, not risk. Plenty of exposed homes carry no flood coverage at all, which is the gap that matters after a storm. FEMA also counts repeat claims: Scituate’s 2016 hazard mitigation plan listed 520 repetitive-loss structures, most of them single-family homes (Scituate hazard mitigation plan).
Two storms that changed how Massachusetts thinks about water
The Blizzard of 1978 set the benchmark tide at Boston Harbor for four decades. On January 4, 2018, a winter nor’easter arriving with an astronomical high tide pushed the Boston tide gauge to its highest level since records began there in 1921 (about 15.16 feet above mean lower low water, a hair above the 1978 mark, by the National Weather Service’s count). Seawater poured into the Aquarium subway station, and USGS crews later flagged high-water marks in Revere, Winthrop, Boston, Quincy, Hull, Scituate and Marshfield (USGS on the January 2018 storm).
Inland flooding gets less attention until it happens. On September 11, 2023, Leominster received about nine and a half inches of rain in a few hours, and the Governor declared a state of emergency for the flooding there and in North Attleborough the next day (Mass.gov). FEMA later approved a major disaster declaration, DR-4780, for those September storms (FEMA DR-4780). Neither city is on the list of top flood-policy towns, which is the point: rainfall flooding does not follow the flood map.
How a Massachusetts flood policy works
| Question | NFIP policy (through Selective) | Private flood (varies by carrier) |
|---|---|---|
| Building limit | Up to $250,000 for a home | Often higher; useful for shoreline houses that cost more to rebuild |
| Belongings | Up to $100,000, usually actual cash value | Some offer replacement cost on contents |
| Basement | Limited to items such as furnaces, water heaters, electrical panels and cleanup | Some broaden basement coverage; read the form |
| Living elsewhere after a flood | Not included for homeowners | Some include additional living expense |
| Waiting period | Usually 30 days, with a loan-closing exception | Carrier-specific |
| Lender acceptance | Accepted | Must meet the lender’s requirements; we check first |
NFIP terms are on FEMA’s FloodSmart site. Condo owners should know the association’s master flood policy covers the building up to its own limit; your unit’s improvements and belongings need your own flood policy, which our Massachusetts condo guide explains.
Higher-value shoreline homes need more than the NFIP limit
On the South Shore, the North Shore and the Cape, many houses cost far more to rebuild than the NFIP building cap. Owners in Cohasset, Hingham, Duxbury, Marblehead and Manchester-by-the-Sea typically look at one of two setups: a private flood policy written to the home’s full rebuild cost, or an NFIP policy with excess flood above it. The Census Bureau’s 2024 estimates put the median owner-occupied home value in Cohasset at about $1.32 million and in Hingham at about $1.13 million, against about $562,000 statewide (ACS 2024, B25077).
Flood is only one piece. For the house itself, wind deductibles and the carrier list matter as much; our coastal Massachusetts high-value home page covers that side, and second and vacation homes have their own issues, such as long vacancies and winterizing.
What drives the cost of flood insurance here
- Elevation. How high the first finished floor (or basement floor) sits relative to expected flood levels. An elevation certificate from a surveyor is the single most useful document.
- Foundation and basement. A finished basement in a river town can matter as much as distance from the ocean.
- Distance and flood type. Wave action in a coastal V zone is treated very differently from shallow ponding inland.
- Rebuild cost. A larger or custom-finished house costs more to insure for the same water.
- Deductible. Higher deductibles lower the yearly cost but leave more of a claim to you.
- Your town. Communities that earn credit in FEMA’s CRS program for floodplain management lower NFIP costs for residents; Scituate, Hull and Marshfield are Class 7 towns on the 2021 map (CRS map).
- Claims history. Prior flood claims on the building can follow it to the next owner.
Buying or renting near water: the disclosure question
Buyers often ask whether Massachusetts sellers must tell them about flooding. As of this writing there is no stand-alone flood-disclosure statute. A standing bill, H.1345, would add one (H.1345), and the House passed its version of the Mass Ready Act on June 17, 2026 with flood-risk disclosures for prospective homebuyers and tenants among its provisions (House press release). The House and Senate versions then went to a conference committee (MMA, July 2026). Check the bill’s status before relying on it.
Whatever the law ends up saying, a buyer can protect themselves today: ask for the seller’s current flood declarations page and any elevation certificate, ask whether there have been flood claims, look up the zone on the FEMA map, and get a flood quote before the inspection contingency runs out, not after.
Who handles flood planning in Massachusetts
The Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Flood Hazard Management Program is the state coordinator for the NFIP; it works with FEMA and local officials and provides technical help rather than regulating (Mass.gov floodplain management). The state’s ResilientCoasts plan, finalized in late 2025, groups the shoreline into 15 Coastal Resilience Districts for planning and project work (ResilientCoasts). None of that changes your policy, but it shapes local projects such as seawall repairs and marsh restoration that affect your street.
Massachusetts town pages
For local detail, see our pages for Hull, Scituate, Marshfield, Plymouth, Falmouth, Chatham, Edgartown, Gloucester, Newburyport and Salisbury on the coast, and Winchester, Andover and Milton inland. Our main flood insurance page covers the basics for every state we serve.
How we place flood insurance for Massachusetts owners
We start with the address and the map, then put a new NFIP policy through Selective side by side with private quotes from Flow Flood, Neptune Flood and the other private flood markets we use, and we line the flood policy up with your homeowners policy so the deductibles and limits make sense together. We don’t charge any fees. After a storm, we help you report the claim and stay with it until it is settled. You can read our agency’s story or Jon Merwin’s background.
Request a Massachusetts flood quote
Request a quote. There’s no obligation to buy. Our 1,000+ Google reviews and over 2,000 testimonials come in part from coastal owners who wanted someone to read the flood form with them. Phone (603) 431-4020, email insure@portsmouthatlanticins.com, or start on the form below or our quotes page. We answer the phone Monday through Thursday from 9 AM to 5 PM and Friday from 8 AM to 4 PM (Eastern).
Frequently asked questions
Is flood insurance required in Massachusetts?
State law does not require it. Your lender will, though, if the building sits in a FEMA high-risk zone (A or V on the flood map) and the loan is from a federally regulated or insured lender, which covers most Massachusetts mortgages. Condo associations in mapped zones usually carry a master flood policy for the building. Outside those zones it is your choice, and many claims come from homes that were never required to carry it. You can look up a zone on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center.
How much does flood insurance cost in Massachusetts?
There is no statewide figure worth quoting, because NFIP and private carriers now look at each building on its own characteristics. The main drivers are how high the home’s floors sit compared with expected flood levels, the foundation (slab, crawlspace, basement, piers), distance from the ocean, a river or a pond, the cost to rebuild, the deductible you pick, prior flood claims, and whether your town earns credit in FEMA’s CRS program for local floodplain management. An elevation certificate often helps.
Does homeowners insurance cover flooding in Massachusetts?
No. Standard homeowners, condo and renters forms exclude flood, which includes storm surge, overflowing rivers and surface water. Wind damage in a nor’easter is usually a homeowners claim; the seawater that comes in behind it is a flood claim. That is why coastal owners often end up with two adjusters after the same storm.
Can I buy private flood insurance in Massachusetts?
Yes. Besides new NFIP policies through Selective, we compare private flood from Neptune Flood, Aon Edge, Flow Flood, CatCoverage, Beyond Floods and The Flood Insurance Agency. Private options can offer higher building limits, replacement cost on belongings or extra living expenses, but each carrier decides which addresses it will write and lenders must accept the policy, so we check both before you switch.
Is there a waiting period for flood insurance?
Most new NFIP policies take effect 30 days after purchase. The main exception is a policy bought in connection with making, increasing, extending or renewing a loan, which can start at closing. Private flood waiting periods vary by carrier. Either way, buying once a storm is in the forecast is usually too late.
Do Massachusetts sellers have to disclose past flooding?
Not under a specific flood-disclosure statute yet. Lawmakers have been working on one: the House version of the Mass Ready Act, passed in June 2026, would require flood-risk disclosures to buyers and tenants, and the bill was in a House-Senate conference committee over the summer (MMA). Until a law is in place, ask the seller directly about past water, claims and any elevation certificate, and check the flood map yourself.
What do you need to quote flood insurance in Massachusetts?
The address, year built, foundation type and whether there is a finished basement, square footage, any elevation certificate, the lender’s requirement if there is one, current flood policy details, and whether the home is a primary residence, second home or rental. Request a quote. There’s no obligation to buy. We take these details by phone at (603) 431-4020 or through the quote form.
Sources
- FEMA CRS program, Massachusetts top 50 NFIP policy communities (policy data July 31, 2021; CRS classes Oct 1, 2021)
- Town of Scituate, Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (2016)
- USGS, Blizzard of January 2018 in New England
- Mass.gov, state of emergency over flood damage (September 2023)
- FEMA, DR-4780-MA
- Massachusetts House, environmental bond bill (Mass Ready Act) passage, June 17, 2026
- Massachusetts Municipal Association, conference committee on the environmental bond bill, July 9, 2026
- H.1345, flood zone notice to purchasers (194th General Court)
- Mass.gov, floodplain management (DCR Flood Hazard Management Program)
- Mass.gov, ResilientCoasts initiative
- FEMA flood maps (Map Service Center)
- NFIP consumer site, FloodSmart
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024, table B25077 (median value), state and town estimates
This page is general background for Massachusetts owners and buyers. It is not legal advice and does not describe or change any particular policy; the flood form you buy and the carrier’s underwriting control what is covered, and state law and FEMA rules change. For your own address, call (603) 431-4020.