Homeowners Insurance in Fairfield, CT

By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO

Home · Coastal · Flood · Historic · High-Value · Fairfield, CT

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A cottage a block off Fairfield Beach Road, a Greek Revival house near Southport Harbor and a colonial on a big lot in Greenfield Hill all share a Fairfield address. Insurers look at them very differently. Add the older capes and colonials in Stratfield and around the town center, and the newer homes in the northern part of town toward Easton, and the range gets wider. This page walks through what matters for Fairfield, CT homeowners insurance: wind, flood, historic rebuilding, older systems and the coverage limits on higher-value homes.

Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance is a family-owned 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. We compare homeowners coverage from 40+ carriers and charge no fees of any kind on any line. We serve Connecticut by phone, email and online, with a Fairfield County office coming soon. Call (603) 431-4020, or see our Fairfield, CT insurance agency page for every line we write in town.

What do carriers look at when they insure a Fairfield home?

Underwriters start with where the house sits and how it was built. For a Fairfield home, the questions we hear most are:

• How far the house is from Long Island Sound or a tidal creek, and its FEMA flood zone
• Roof age, roof shape and how the roof is attached
• Storm shutters or impact-rated openings on shoreline homes
• Whether the house has been elevated, and whether there is an elevation certificate
• The age of the electrical panel, heating system and plumbing on older homes
• Whether it is a primary home, a second home or a rental

How do nor’easters and hurricanes affect Fairfield homeowners insurance?

Nor’easters are most common from fall through spring. The National Weather Service describes them as East Coast storms with winds from the northeast that can bring coastal flooding, and Fairfield’s shoreline gets both the wind and the water. Tropical storms matter too. The 2024 MetroCOG hazard mitigation plan describes Tropical Storm Isaias in August 2020, with gusts near hurricane force across southern Connecticut and widespread outages. A storm like that is mostly a wind and tree event, which homeowners policies generally cover, subject to your deductible.

The Connecticut Insurance Department notes that a homeowners policy covers windstorm damage whether the storm is called a hurricane, a tornado or something else. What changes is the deductible.

How do Connecticut hurricane deductibles work?

Many shoreline policies carry a separate hurricane deductible, often written as a share of your dwelling limit rather than a flat amount. Connecticut law (C.G.S. 38a-316a) and the Connecticut Insurance Department set firm limits on when it can apply:

• It can apply only once the National Hurricane Center issues a hurricane warning for any part of Connecticut, and only if the storm produces maximum sustained winds of 74 mph or more somewhere in the state.
• It ends 24 hours after the last hurricane warning for Connecticut is lifted, or 24 hours after the storm is downgraded from hurricane status, whichever comes first.
• The amount has to appear on your declarations page.
• The Department’s coastal underwriting guidelines also cap how large a hurricane deductible can be, with a lower cap for homes farther from the coast.
• A separate windstorm or hail deductible is something you can choose. Connecticut does not allow insurers to require one.

On a larger home, a hurricane deductible can be a large out-of-pocket number. We show you the dollar figure on every option we bring back, so you can compare policies on what you would actually pay after a storm. Our article on hurricane deductibles in Connecticut goes deeper.

Does homeowners insurance cover flooding in Fairfield?

No. The Connecticut Insurance Department is clear that homeowners, condo and renters policies exclude flood damage, whether the water comes from Long Island Sound or an overflowing river or stream. Flood coverage is a separate policy, and new NFIP policies normally have a 30-day waiting period. Buying it when a storm is already in the forecast is too late.

The MetroCOG plan describes the Fairfield Beach and Pine Creek neighborhoods as a coastal flood concern, and says a Category 1 hurricane would likely cause widespread flooding along the shoreline south of Old Post Road between Sasco Hill Road and Ash Creek. Inland, it names the Mill River as the stream most prone to flooding, with the Rooster River, Ash Creek, Great Brook and Sasco Brook also at risk. During Superstorm Sandy, inundation reached north of I-95 along Ash Creek and the Mill River.

Fairfield’s zoning regulations treat FEMA zones A, AE and VE as special flood hazard areas, and VE marks the coastal high hazard area where waves are part of the risk. The Town’s Plan and Zoning Department says the town has over 4,000 properties in FEMA flood zones. FEMA has been updating Fairfield’s maps through its Saugatuck River Watershed study, so look up your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and check which map is currently effective. If your zone could change, we will talk through what it means for your coverage.

NFIP or private flood

We write National Flood Insurance Program policies, placing new business through Selective as a Write Your Own carrier. Selective is our NFIP partner, not a private flood carrier. When a home costs more to rebuild than the NFIP building limit, or private flood is a better fit, we compare Flow Flood, Neptune Flood, Beyond Floods, The Flood Insurance Agency, CatCoverage and Aon Edge. See our Fairfield County flood insurance page and our article on coastal home insurance in Connecticut.

The substantial damage rule after a big loss

In Fairfield’s flood zone, if repairs or improvements cost more than half the value of the structure, the Town requires the house to be brought up to flood-safe standards. That applies to any kind of damage, including wind and fire as well as flood. Upgrades like that can push a rebuild well past the cost of the original house, so we look at ordinance or law coverage on the homeowners policy and Increased Cost of Compliance on the flood policy.

How should historic homes in Southport and Greenfield Hill be insured?

Southport and Greenfield Hill are both historic districts, and the MetroCOG plan notes that parts of them lie in the floodplain. Fairfield’s Historic District Commission generally has to approve exterior changes visible from a public way, often including reroofing, with a certificate of appropriateness before a building permit is issued. After a loss, that can mean matching original materials and details, so the dwelling limit has to reflect a rebuild done the right way, not a generic cost per square foot.

For these homes we ask about original windows, slate or wood roofs, plaster walls and millwork, and we look for extended or guaranteed replacement cost where the carrier offers it. Ordinance or law coverage matters here too.

Which carriers fit higher-value Fairfield homes?

For most Fairfield homes under about 2 million dollars to rebuild, almost every carrier we represent is an option, so we compare the full field. Openly can fit homes up to about 5 million dollars. For homes over about 3 million dollars we lead with Cincinnati, and Chubb, which focuses on high-value homes, is in the comparison for the larger and more complex properties. Whatever the size, we build the dwelling limit around the cost to rebuild, not market value or assessed value. More on our Connecticut high-value home insurance and Southport high-value home insurance pages.

A high-value review usually covers:

• The dwelling limit compared with what it would really cost to rebuild
• Jewelry, art, watches and other valuables that may need to be scheduled
• Liability limits, and whether an umbrella policy makes sense
• Second homes, boats and cars that should be coordinated with the main policy

What about older Fairfield homes away from the water?

Plenty of Fairfield homes sit well inland and will never see salt water. For those, carriers spend more time on the house itself: the age of the roof, the electrical panel, the heating system and the plumbing.

Trees are the other big inland issue. Greenfield Hill and northern Fairfield have mature trees and long driveways, and the MetroCOG plan notes that winter storms and wind regularly bring down trees and wires across town. Fallen trees, snow-load roof damage, ice dams and frozen pipes are generally homeowners claims, subject to your deductible. Water backup from a sump pump or sewer line is usually a separate coverage you have to add, and it is worth asking about on any house with a finished basement. See basement flooding coverage for the difference between water backup and flood.

What if you rent a Fairfield house to students or tenants?

Fairfield University and Sacred Heart University bring steady rental demand, especially near the beach area and the campuses. A house rented to students or other tenants needs a landlord (dwelling) policy, not a homeowners form, and carriers will ask how it is occupied. In Connecticut we place landlord and dwelling policies with Vermont Mutual and Andover. Tenants should carry their own renters insurance. See our landlord insurance page for more.

What should you have ready for a Fairfield home quote?

• Your current declarations page, if you have one
• Year built, square footage and any major updates (roof, electrical, heating, plumbing)
• An elevation certificate, if the house is near the water
• A list of valuables you would want scheduled
• Cars and drivers, if you would like a home and auto comparison

Elsewhere in Connecticut? Our Connecticut homeowners insurance page covers the rest of the state, our Connecticut insurance agency page lists every town we serve, and nearby towns include Bridgeport, Trumbull and Weston. Call (603) 431-4020 once your offer is accepted so the binder is ready for closing.

Get a quote

Tell us about your situation and we will compare carriers for you. Prefer to talk? Call (603) 431-4020.

Frequently asked questions

Does homeowners insurance cover flooding in Fairfield?

No. Homeowners, condo and renters policies exclude flood damage. You need a separate flood policy through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private flood carrier, and new NFIP policies usually have a 30-day waiting period.

When does a hurricane deductible apply in Connecticut?

Only when the National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane warning for part of Connecticut and the storm produces sustained winds of 74 mph or more somewhere in the state. It ends 24 hours after the last warning ends or the storm is downgraded, whichever comes first. The amount must be shown on your declarations page.

Do I need flood insurance if my Fairfield home is not in a high-risk flood zone?

Your lender may not require it, but it is worth considering. Homes outside high-risk zones still flood from heavy rain, creeks and storm surge. We can quote both NFIP and private flood.

How do I find my FEMA flood zone in Fairfield?

Search your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center at msc.fema.gov, or ask the Town of Fairfield Plan and Zoning Department, which is the town’s floodplain administrator. FEMA has been updating Fairfield’s maps, so check the current effective map.

Which carriers do you use for high-value homes in Fairfield?

Under about 2 million dollars to rebuild, almost all of our carriers can fit. Openly can fit homes up to about 5 million dollars, and above about 3 million dollars we lead with Cincinnati, with Chubb for high-value homes.

Do you charge fees on homeowners insurance?

No. We do not charge fees of any kind on any policy we write.

Sources

• Connecticut Insurance Department: Homeowner Before the Storm
• MetroCOG Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan, 2024 Update
• Town of Fairfield: Town Plan and Zoning Department (floodplain management)
• Town of Fairfield: Flood protection and preliminary FEMA maps
• Town of Fairfield: Historic District Commission
• FEMA Flood Map Service Center

This page is general information about homeowners insurance in Fairfield, Connecticut. Your policy wording controls coverage. Flood is a separate policy from homeowners. Call (603) 431-4020 with questions about your situation.