Goffstown, NH Home Insurance

By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO

Home · Condo · Flood · Auto · Umbrella · 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 Goffstown home across 40+ carriers. Start with New Hampshire homeowners insurance, or read on.

Goffstown at a glance

The town’s 2020 Emergency Operations Plan describes Goffstown as about 37.1 square miles of land and 0.5 square miles of water, bordered by Dunbarton to the north, Manchester to the east, Bedford to the south, and New Boston and Weare to the west. Its population grew about 56% from 1980 to 2010 and was estimated at 18,106 in 2018. The plan counts 6,473 housing units: 4,913 single-family, 1,391 in multi-family buildings and 169 mobile homes and other units. Goffstown is also home to Saint Anselm College.

The plan says the town is dominated by the forests and hills of southern New Hampshire. Its high point is the north peak of the Uncanoonuc Mountains at 1,324 feet, and its low point is 308 feet. Its notable waters are the Piscataquog River, Glen Lake, Uncanoonuc Lake and Tirrell Pond. NH Routes 13, 114 and 114A are the main roads.

Where you live in Goffstown changes the policy

• Along the Piscataquog River. The plan lists flooding from the Piscataquog, flooded structures, road washouts, ice jams and impassable roads as the biggest threats to the town’s infrastructure. It notes that Town Hall and the Police Station are at slight risk of inland flooding. Homes near the river, Glen Lake or the village need a flood check.
• Near brooks and bridges. The plan rates the Henry Bridge Road bridges over the Piscataquog River and Harry Brook among the most flood-exposed on its evacuation routes. Several crossings over Black Brook and culverts on Mountain Road and Route 114A are also rated at risk. If your road crosses water, ask how your policy treats a basement or yard that floods when the culvert backs up.
• On the Uncanoonucs and the hills. The plan notes that some of the community is above 1,000 feet, which leaves it vulnerable to ice storms. On a wooded hillside lot, tree damage, long outages and long driveways shape the policy, and the roof matters most.
• Near Uncanoonuc Lake and Tirrell Pond. Waterfront homes can be seasonal or year-round. Insure a converted camp on a year-round homeowners form, with the rebuild cost set to match.
• Near Saint Anselm College. If you rent a house to students, you need a dwelling or landlord policy, and your tenants need renters insurance. A homeowners form won’t cover it.

The plan ranks severe winter weather, high wind, inland flooding and extreme temperatures as the four natural hazards most likely to affect Goffstown. It also rates dam failure as a high relative threat.

Flood coverage in Goffstown

A homeowners policy will not pay for a river over its banks, an ice jam or surface water. Flood is its own policy. Lenders require flood insurance for federally backed mortgages in a special flood hazard area, but the plan’s focus on road washouts and ice jams is a reminder that flooding is not limited to mapped zones. The town keeps its hazard plans on its Emergency Management page. Check your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.

• 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.

See our flood insurance overview. 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.

Ice, wind and power outages

Homeowners policies generally cover a tree that falls on the house, and many cover some debris removal. Ask us how your policy handles a tree that falls in the yard without hitting anything, food spoilage after a long outage, and ice dams on the roof. On the hillsides, ask about a generator and keep your heat on when you travel.

Winter, trees and wind in Goffstown

New Hampshire winters bring ice dams, frozen pipes and heavy snow loads, and storms bring down trees and limbs. 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 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.

See high-value home insurance in New Hampshire.

Condos and rentals

Your HO-6 condo policy covers what the association’s master policy does not: usually your interior, improvements, belongings, liability and loss assessments. Get the master policy and its deductible first. If you rent out a home or unit, you need a dwelling or landlord policy, and we don’t charge fees on those either.

Renters and tenants in Goffstown

If you rent in Goffstown, 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 Goffstown households also need auto insurance, and many add a personal umbrella. 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 Goffstown

• 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 Piscataquog River
• A student rental near Saint Anselm insured on a homeowners form

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 Goffstown

• 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
• On a hillside lot, trim trees that overhang the roof and driveway before ice season

Buying a home in Goffstown

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 river, a brook or a pond, ask for any elevation certificate and the seller’s flood policy. Ask whether the basement has taken on water. We line up the homeowners binder, and a flood binder if you need one, so both are ready for your lender.

How a Goffstown 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 Goffstown from Portsmouth

Our office is at 601 Islington St, Unit 206, Portsmouth, NH 03801, and we work with Goffstown clients by phone, email and online. Call (603) 431-4020. Nearby, see our Manchester, Hooksett, Bedford and Weare pages. Just north, see high-value home insurance in Dunbarton.

Sources

• Town of Goffstown, Emergency Operations Plan (2020)
• Town of Goffstown, Emergency Management
• 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 Goffstown, NH?

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

Does Goffstown flood?

Parts of it can. The town’s 2020 Emergency Operations Plan names flooding from the Piscataquog River, including road washouts and ice jams, as the most significant hazard to its infrastructure, and rates several bridges and culverts as at risk. 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.