By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO
Greenwich covers a lot of ground, from backcountry estates on several acres to shoreline homes in Old Greenwich, Riverside and Belle Haven. A home in Cos Cob along the Mianus River and a property off Round Hill Road ask very different things of an insurance policy. We start with the house, the land around it and what is inside, then match it to carriers that fit.
Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance is a family-owned independent agency founded in 2005 and licensed in 10 states. We work with 40+ carriers, and our team serves Greenwich homeowners.
New Hampshire’s highest-rated agency on Google · 1,000+ Google reviews and over 2,000 testimonials. Request a quote. There’s no obligation to buy.
Insuring higher-value Greenwich homes
Many Greenwich homes need limits and terms beyond a standard homeowners form. For larger homes, we can quote high-value home coverage: Openly and National General write up to about $5 million. Cincinnati and Chubb both write high-value homes at any dwelling limit, so we quote both. We look at extended or guaranteed replacement cost terms where available, cash settlement options, and coverage for detached garages, guest houses, pool houses and outbuildings. See our Greenwich high-value home insurance page. For rebuild cost, flood and hurricane deductibles on any Greenwich home, see our guide to homeowners insurance in Greenwich, CT.
Own a condo or co-op unit in Greenwich, or rent out a house or apartment in town? See our Greenwich condo insurance and Greenwich landlord insurance pages.
Backcountry estates
North of the Merritt Parkway, many homes rely on private wells and sit farther from fire hydrants, often at the end of long private drives. Carriers look closely at central station fire and burglary alarms, sprinkler systems, backup generators and how a fire truck reaches the house. We gather those details up front so underwriters see the full picture.
Belle Haven, Old Greenwich and Riverside
Waterfront homes in Belle Haven, Old Greenwich and Riverside, including streets near Greenwich Point, face wind and coastal flooding from Long Island Sound. We review named-storm deductibles and pair the home policy with flood coverage sized to the property. See our Greenwich and Westport shoreline flood page for details.
Cos Cob and Byram
Cos Cob sits where the Mianus River meets the harbor, and Byram borders Port Chester along the Byram River. Homes in both can see river flooding as well as tidal water, and many are older houses with additions. We check that dwelling limits match a full rebuild and add water backup coverage where it makes sense.
Flood coverage for Greenwich shoreline and river homes
Flood is excluded from homeowners policies. We place NFIP policies through Selective as a Write Your Own carrier, and because federal limits may not reach the value of many Greenwich homes, we also compare private and excess flood from Flow Flood, Neptune Flood, Beyond Floods, The Flood Insurance Agency, CatCoverage and Aon Edge. See our flood insurance page for more.
Nor’easters and winter storms on a Greenwich property
In Greenwich, winter storm planning starts with which side of the Merritt Parkway the house sits on. Shoreline owners in Old Greenwich, Riverside, Belle Haven and Byram watch the tide. Backcountry owners watch the trees, the driveway and the well pump. And many Greenwich homes sit empty for weeks while their owners travel, which adds a third set of questions.
Surge on the Sound side
A slow-moving Nor’easter can hold water against the shoreline through more than one high tide and flood streets near Greenwich Point, Cos Cob harbor and the mouth of the Byram River. Homeowners policies exclude flood. We place new NFIP flood policies through Selective, and because many Greenwich homes cost more to rebuild than the federal building limit, we also compare private flood from Flow Flood, Neptune Flood, Beyond Floods, The Flood Insurance Agency, CatCoverage and Aon Edge. See our Greenwich and Westport shoreline flood page.
Backcountry outages, wells and old trees
North of the Merritt, a long outage can mean no heat and no water, because a private well pump needs power. A standby generator that runs the heating system, well pump and sump pump can keep an outage from turning into frozen pipes. Mature oaks over long drives and outbuildings are behind many backcountry winter claims. A tree that lands on the house or a covered outbuilding is generally a homeowners claim, while clearing one that falls in the yard often isn’t. For more, see Back Country Greenwich estate and home insurance.
Deductibles, larger homes and time away
On many Connecticut shoreline policies the hurricane deductible is a percentage of the dwelling limit, so on a large Greenwich home it can be a significant dollar figure. Know it in dollars, and know whether your policy also has a separate windstorm deductible. For high-value homes we compare carriers such as Chubb and Cincinnati alongside others, and we look at how each one treats leak detection, generators and homes left unoccupied. If you winter elsewhere, tell us. Many policies expect the heat to be maintained or the water shut off and drained.
Art, jewelry, wine and other collections
Homeowners policies cap what they pay for categories like jewelry, art and collectibles. Scheduling those items separately with agreed values usually gives broader protection. We help you list what you own and keep appraisals current.
Liability, household staff and umbrella coverage
Pools, tennis courts, horses, household employees and frequent entertaining all add liability exposure. A personal umbrella sits on top of your home and auto policies, and we line up the underlying limits so there are no gaps. If you employ household staff, ask us how your policies treat them.
Cars and collector vehicles
We can quote your family’s cars alongside the home, plus collector vehicles kept in the garage. Our Connecticut homeowners insurance page has more background.
Get your quote
Tell us about the house and we will follow up with options. Prefer to talk? Call (203) 859-6858 or use our quote page.
40+ carriers · New Hampshire’s highest-rated agency on Google · 1,000+ Google reviews and over 2,000 testimonials. Request a quote. There’s no obligation to buy.
Own rental buildings in town? See Greenwich apartment building insurance.
Frequently asked questions
Can you insure a Greenwich home worth several million dollars?
Yes. We compare Openly and National General, which write homes up to about $5 million. Cincinnati and Chubb write high-value homes at any dwelling limit, and we quote both. We compare their replacement cost terms, deductibles and coverage for outbuildings.
Does a backcountry Greenwich home cost more to insure?
Carriers look at distance to a fire hydrant and fire station, private wells, long driveways and protective devices. Monitored alarms, sprinklers and backup generators can help a backcountry home’s underwriting, so we document them when we quote.
My backcountry Greenwich home is on a private well. Why does a generator matter in winter?
When the power goes out, the well pump, heating system and sump pump all stop. A standby generator keeps them running through a long outage, which can prevent frozen pipes and water damage. Tell us about it when we quote, since carriers look closely at protective devices on backcountry homes.
Does my hurricane deductible apply to a Nor’easter in Old Greenwich or Riverside?
Generally not. In Connecticut, a hurricane deductible is tied to hurricane warnings and hurricane-force winds, so Nor’easter damage is usually handled under your policy’s other deductible terms. Some policies also carry a separate windstorm deductible. Check your declarations page, or call (203) 859-6858 and we’ll go through it with you.
Is the federal flood program enough for a home in Old Greenwich or Belle Haven?
It may not be. NFIP building coverage has a federal limit, which may fall short for many Greenwich waterfront homes. We offer NFIP through Selective and compare private and excess flood options from several carriers.
How should I insure jewelry and art in my Greenwich home?
Schedule them. Homeowners policies limit what they pay for jewelry, art and collectibles, and scheduling items separately with appraised values usually gives broader coverage.
Do you have an office in Greenwich?
Our team serves Greenwich homeowners. Call (203) 859-6858 or email insure@portsmouthatlanticins.com.
By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO
Family-owned since 2005, with 1,000+ Google reviews and over 2,000 testimonials. Meet our team.
Darien and Greenwich are both part of our Connecticut service area. See our Connecticut insurance agency page for other towns we serve.