Lee, NH Home Insurance

By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO

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

Lee at a glance

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 4,563 Lee residents as of July 1, 2025 (4,529 in the 2020 census). The town’s Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2019, prepared with the Strafford Regional Planning Commission, adopted January 2, 2019 and FEMA-approved January 7, 2019, used ACS figures of about 4,388 residents. It says Lee covers 20.2 square miles (19.7 of land and 0.5 of water).

The plan lists six principal watersheds: the Piscassic, North, Lamprey, Oyster, Little and Bellamy. Primary rivers include the Oyster, North, Little and Lamprey; smaller tributaries include Rollins Brook and Chelsey Brook. It describes Lee as a rural town with an agricultural heritage that became primarily a bedroom community, with many residents working at nearby UNH. Growth in the 1970s and 1980s converted large parcels into single-family and multi-family housing.

For insurance, that usually means detached homes on septic and well, some multi-family near the traffic circle and Route 125 / Route 4 corridor, and houses close enough to a river or mill pond that flood maps matter.

Where you live in Lee changes the policy

• Along the Lamprey and Oyster. The plan cites fluvial-erosion work and a 100-year flood study on the Lamprey watershed. Homes near those rivers need a flood-zone check even when the house itself looks high and dry.
• Route 152 / Wadleigh Falls corridor. The plan names portions of Route 152 at the Newmarket line (the “s-curves”), Wadleigh Falls Road (Route 152), West Mill Pond Road, Harvey Mill Road at the Nottingham line, and Route 152 by West Mill Pond Road as flood problem spots from the 2006 and 2007 storms.
• Osprey Lane and nearby roads. The plan’s two repetitive-loss properties were single-family homes on Osprey Lane. It also lists Jan Lane, Tuttle Road near Route 152, Kelsey Road and Gile Road among 2006/2007 flood locations.
• Calef Highway and the traffic circle. Commercial and residential properties along Calef Highway (Route 125) and Concord Road see different underwriting questions than a back-road farmhouse. Tell us about use, renovations and any rental exposure.

Flood coverage in Lee

Lee participates in the NFIP. The plan’s FEMA Community Overview snapshot (as of October 4, 2018) listed 14 single-family policies with $3,650,000 of coverage, 12 closed paid losses totaling $291,311, and two repetitive-loss claims totaling $165,053.97 on Osprey Lane. Of those 14 policies, 11 were standard or preferred-risk policies in moderate-to-low risk B, C or X zones, so many Lee flood claims and policies are not limited to mapped AE zones.

The High Road Bridge over the North River overtopped and failed in one of the mid-2000s storms; the town obtained FEMA funding and replaced it in 2012. Culvert work on Lamprey Lane and Thompson Mill Road is noted as completed; embankment issues on Tuttle Road were still ongoing when the plan was written.

A homeowners policy will not pay for a river 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.

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.

Other hazards the plan ranks high

The 2019 plan rates drought, public health threats, earthquake and landslide, wildfire, and flooding from dam failure as high overall risk. Hurricane and tropical storms, tornado and downburst, and extreme temperatures rate moderate; severe winter storms and riverine flooding rate low on that particular scoring table even though the narrative documents serious 2006/2007 flood damage. We still review winter, wind and water-backup coverage on every Lee homeowners quote.

Winter, trees and wind in Lee

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, 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 Lee, 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, carriers will ask about the roof, heating, wiring, plumbing, well and septic.

Renters and tenants in Lee

If you rent in Lee, 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 Lee 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 Lee

• 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 Lamprey, Oyster or North rivers, or on Osprey Lane or Route 152 flood spots
• A multi-family or rented house insured on a homeowners form
• 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 Lee

• 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 on Osprey Lane, Wadleigh Falls Road, Tuttle Road or another plan-listed flood spot, keep sump-pump and elevation records handy
• Know your named-storm deductible in dollars before hurricane season

Buying a home in Lee

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 Lamprey or Oyster, ask for any elevation certificate and the seller’s flood history (especially on Osprey Lane). For a rural lot, get well and septic details into the file before closing. We line up the homeowners binder, and a flood binder if you need one, so both are ready for your lender.

How a Lee 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 Lee from Portsmouth

Our office is at 601 Islington St, Unit 206, Portsmouth, NH 03801, and we work with Lee clients by phone, email and online. Call (603) 431-4020. Nearby, see our Nottingham, Durham, Newmarket, Dover, Portsmouth, Newington, Madbury, Barrington, Epping and Northwood pages.

Sources

• Town of Lee, Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2019 (Strafford Regional 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 Lee, NH?

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

Does Lee flood?

Yes, in documented spots. The town’s 2019 hazard mitigation plan lists 2006/2007 flooding on Osprey Lane, Wadleigh Falls Road (Route 152), Tuttle Road, West Mill Pond Road and other roads, and two repetitive-loss homes on Osprey Lane. Its 2018 NFIP snapshot showed 14 policies and $291,311 in paid claims. 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.