Kensington, NH Home Insurance

By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO

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

Kensington at a glance

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 2,092 Kensington residents as of July 1, 2025 (2,093 in the April 2020 estimates base). The town’s Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2020, prepared with Mapping and Planning Solutions and dated November 14, 2020, says Kensington covers about 12.0 square miles of land and no inland water. The high point is Indian Ground Hill at 305 feet.

Routes 107, 108 and 150 run through town; the town’s Road Manager maintains about 18.75 miles of local roads, and the state handles the numbered routes. The plan describes the vegetation as deciduous and conifer forest, open fields, swamp and riverine areas, and notes the town maintains two private dams for fire-fighting water.

For insurance, that usually means rural single-family homes and farms on larger lots, with long, wooded roads where winter storms and fallen trees are a bigger day-to-day issue than rivers.

Where you live in Kensington changes the policy

• Great Brook, Mill Brook and Winkley Brook. The plan says Kensington has a relatively small floodplain, about 1.12 square miles of land in the 100-year floodplain, mainly along these three brooks, and that the town is likely to see flooding on several roads and along most small streams.
• Routes 84 and 108. In the May 2006 Mother’s Day Storm, flooding on roadways, particularly Routes 84 and 108, isolated Kensington from surrounding towns.
• Osgood Road and Hemlock Road. The plan flags an eight-foot beaver dam at a pond off Hemlock Road; if it fails, it could wash out part of Osgood Road.
• Amos Tuck Road and Old Amesbury Road. Two aging fire-pond dams the town maintains could fail and wash out culverts, though the plan sees little or no potential for structure flooding there.
• Near the Exeter River. The plan says the Green Gate Campground is particularly vulnerable to flooding on the Exeter River just over the town line.

Flood coverage in Kensington

The plan says Kensington joined the NFIP on July 10, 2014, and that the current flood maps are dated May 17, 2005. Citing the NH Office of Strategic Initiatives, it reported no NFIP residential policies in town and no paid or repetitive losses. In summer 1998, yards and basements flooded and water ponded on roads; in March 2018, the town saw heavy rain and minor flooding but no significant damage.

In other words, almost no one in Kensington carries flood insurance, while the plan still rates inland flooding a high risk with a very high probability, driven mainly by road flooding and washouts. A brook-side home or a finished basement is worth a closer look.

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 the plan ranks high

The 2020 plan ranks severe winter weather first, followed by tropical and post-tropical cyclones, inland flooding, extreme temperatures and infectious disease, all rated high. High wind, lightning, drought and wildfire rate medium.

The plan notes that Kensington’s location means coastal storms often threaten the town, and that when snow is forecast to the north, Kensington can get sleet and freezing rain. We review wind, winter, water backup and well coverage on every Kensington homeowners quote.

Winter, trees and wind in Kensington

The plan records the December 2008 ice storm (most of the town without power for 6–7 days, some areas 11), the October 2011 early snowstorm (outages up to three days), the 2015 winter when roofs at the elementary school and fire station had to be shoveled, and the March 2017 and March 2018 snowstorms. For homeowners, that means ice dams, frozen pipes, heavy 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.

Farm properties and larger homes on big lots can carry rebuild costs well above market value, so we start with a replacement-cost estimate rather than the assessment. 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 Kensington, 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 home or farmhouse, carriers will ask about the roof, heating, wiring, plumbing, well and septic. Barns and outbuildings should be listed and valued separately.

Renters and tenants in Kensington

If you rent in Kensington, 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 Kensington households also need auto insurance, and many add a personal umbrella. The plan notes heavy traffic on Routes 107, 108 and 150 and roads that are often hit by poor weather. 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 Kensington

• 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 Great Brook, Mill Brook or Winkley Brook
• A barn, garage or outbuilding left off the policy or underinsured
• Well, septic or outbuilding details left off a rural-lot application

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 Kensington

• 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
• Plan for a multi-day power outage; the 2008 ice storm left parts of town dark for 11 days
• Know where your well pump and heat stand in a long power outage

Buying a home in Kensington

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 one of the brooks, ask for any elevation certificate and the seller’s water history. For a farmhouse or rural property, get roof, wiring, heating and outbuilding details into the file early. We line up the homeowners binder, and a flood binder if you need one, so both are ready for your lender.

How a Kensington 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 Kensington from Portsmouth

Our office is at 601 Islington St, Unit 206, Portsmouth, NH 03801, and we work with Kensington clients by phone, email and online. Call (603) 431-4020. Nearby, see our Hampton Falls, South Hampton, Seabrook, Hampton and North Hampton pages.

Sources

• Town of Kensington, Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2020 (Mapping and Planning Solutions)
• 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 Kensington, NH?

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

Does Kensington flood?

Mostly on roads. The town’s 2020 hazard mitigation plan rates inland flooding a high risk, mainly from road flooding and washouts, with about 1.12 square miles of 100-year floodplain along Great, Mill and Winkley brooks. The 2006 Mother’s Day Storm flooded Routes 84 and 108. 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.