Fremont, NH Home Insurance

By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO

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

Fremont at a glance

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 4,923 Fremont residents as of July 1, 2025 (4,738 in the April 2020 estimates base). The town’s 2022 Hazard Mitigation Plan, prepared with the Rockingham Planning Commission, describes Fremont as a rural community of about 17 square miles (11,142 acres), with 0.2 square miles of surface water, characterized by winding roads, fields and forest, and the Exeter River.

The plan places about 73% of the town in the Exeter River watershed, which flows west to east across southern Fremont, and the rest in the Piscassic River watershed to the north. It counts about 2,033 acres of wetland, including Spruce Swamp, which it calls the largest wetland complex in Rockingham County at 827 acres.

Future development, the plan says, will stay mostly residential and scattered through town, with limited commercial and industrial use, mainly along Route 107 and Shirkin Road. For insurance, that means mostly single-family homes on larger lots, many on private wells, with brooks, wetlands and river crossings close by.

Where you live in Fremont changes the policy

• The Exeter River and Riverside Drive. The plan says major floods have occurred on the Exeter River in the spring, fall and winter. Riverside Drive, which abuts the river, is on its flood list, and the plan notes dug wells in that neighborhood are especially vulnerable in a drought.
• Route 107, Sandown Road and Route 111A. The committee listed Route 107 near Sandown Road, Sandown Road itself, and Route 111A at Red Brook Road as areas of chronic flooding or high potential for future flooding. The town has raised Red Brook Road and Sandown Road and replaced a catch basin there.
• Scribner Road and Turner’s Dam. Scribner Road is on the list, and the plan describes extensive repairs at the Turner’s Dam bridge. It lists two active dams on the Exeter River, a non-menace dam and the low-hazard Scribner Road/Turner’s Dam, and says the town has not experienced a dam failure.
• Rural roads across town. The list also includes Tibbetts Road, Shirkin Road, Squire Road, Beede Hill Road, Cavil Mill Road, Clough Crossing, Martin Road and North Road. If your driveway or basement sits near one of these, flood and water backup are worth a look.

Flood coverage in Fremont

Fremont joined the Regular Program of the NFIP on April 21, 1988. The plan’s FEMA figures (October 2021) showed 26 policies in force, all on residential properties, with about $25.1 million of coverage, and 39 paid losses since 1978 totaling about $1.1 million. The plan estimates about 19.5% of the town’s land lies in the floodplain.

The plan also notes the town has restricted building in and next to wetlands and floodplains, and has conserved hundreds of acres of riverside land for flood storage. Still, 26 policies in a town of nearly 5,000 suggests many homes near the river, the swamp and the listed roads have 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 Fremont plan

The committee rated severe winter weather high, extreme temperatures and infectious disease moderate, and wildfire, earthquake and drought low. It still flags wildfire risk along the power lines in the southeast corner, along Shirkin and Squire roads, and in the town forests, and drought risk to private wells.

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

Winter, trees and wind in Fremont

The plan says Hurricanes Irene and Sandy caused localized flooding and power loss in Fremont, high-wind events in 2010, 2014 and 2016 brought extensive outages and downed trees, and the October 2011 “Halloween storm” caused widespread outages and closed roads. For homeowners, that means ice dams, frozen pipes, 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.

Newer homes on large Fremont 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 Fremont, 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, carriers will ask about the roof, heating, wiring, plumbing, well and septic, and about barns and outbuildings.

Renters and tenants in Fremont

If you rent in Fremont, 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 Fremont households also need auto insurance, and many add a personal umbrella. Fremont commuters rely on Routes 107 and 111A, and the plan lists both among its flood 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 Fremont

• 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 Exeter River, Spruce Swamp or a listed road
• Barns, sheds and outbuildings missing from the policy
• A dug well with no plan for a dry summer

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 Fremont

• 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 Riverside Drive, Scribner Road or another listed flood spot, keep sump-pump and elevation records handy
• Know how you will run your well pump and heat in a long power outage

Buying a home in Fremont

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 Exeter River, a wetland or a plan-listed road, ask for any elevation certificate and the seller’s flood history, and ask what kind of well the house has. We line up the homeowners binder, and a flood binder if you need one, so both are ready for your lender.

How a Fremont 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 Fremont from Portsmouth

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

Sources

• Town of Fremont, 2022 Hazard Mitigation Plan (Rockingham 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 Fremont, NH?

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

Does Fremont flood?

In documented spots. The town’s 2022 hazard mitigation plan lists Route 107 near Sandown Road, Riverside Drive, Route 111A at Red Brook Road, Scribner Road and North Road among its chronic flood areas, and puts about 19.5% of the town in the floodplain. 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.