By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO
Our Portsmouth office is close to the Maine border. We’re licensed in Maine and can insure year-round houses, lake camps and summer cottages there, including homes for families whose main house is in Massachusetts or New Hampshire. Own one unit of a two-unit condo? See our Maine condex insurance guide. We’ve been insuring homes since 2005.
As an independent agency with a team of 15, we compare 40+ carriers instead of selling one company’s policy. That matters most for second homes, where the right carrier depends on how often you’re there, who else uses the place, and how far it is from the coast.
Year-round homes in Maine
The Maine Bureau of Insurance’s Consumer’s Guide to Homeowners Insurance is a good read before you buy. A few points from it that come up with almost every Maine home we quote:
- Insure the rebuild cost. The Bureau notes that coverage is based on the estimated cost to rebuild your home, not its market value or tax assessment.
- Distance from the coast changes the price. Homes closer to the coast have more windstorm exposure, which can mean a higher premium, a higher windstorm deductible, or both.
- How you heat matters. Heating mainly with wood can raise the premium, and updated roofs, heating, plumbing and electrical can help.
- Check your agent and insurer are licensed. The Bureau runs a public licensee search for exactly that.
What drives home insurance costs in Maine
A statewide average won’t tell you much about your own premium. Two similar houses a few miles apart can price very differently. These are the factors that move Maine quotes the most:
- Distance to the coast. Wind exposure rises near the water, and carriers may charge more, apply a separate windstorm deductible, or both.
- Fire protection. How far the home is from a fire station and whether there’s a hydrant nearby both affect the rate. This matters a lot for lake camps and rural homes at the end of a long road.
- Heating. Oil, propane, heat pumps and wood stoves are all common in Maine. Heating mainly with wood can raise the premium, and carriers will ask about the stove, the chimney and how it was installed.
- Age and condition. Roof age and updates to the electrical, plumbing and heating systems carry real weight, especially in older farmhouses and capes.
- How the home is used. A year-round house, a seasonal camp and a summer rental are rated differently, and some need a different type of policy.
- Rebuild cost. Your dwelling limit should reflect what it would cost to rebuild, which can run higher for island or remote properties, where getting materials and crews to the site costs more.
- Claims history and deductible. Recent claims on you or the property, and the deductible you choose, both affect the price.
The Maine Bureau of Insurance also lists the factors affecting your premium. When we quote a Maine home, we show you how each carrier treats these factors for your property.
Second homes, camps and seasonal cottages
This is where a lot of policies quietly fall short. Before you sign, we look at:
- Vacancy and unoccupancy rules. Many policies limit coverage if a home sits empty for a stretch, especially for freezing pipes. Closing up a camp for the winter has to match what the policy expects. Our article on leaving a home empty explains what to watch for.
- Renting it out. If you rent the place for a few weeks each summer, the carrier needs to know. Some homeowners policies handle occasional rentals; others need a different policy. See landlord insurance.
- Flood. Homeowners policies exclude flood, whether it comes from the ocean or a lake. We write NFIP policies through Selective, a write-your-own carrier, and quote private flood through Flow Flood, Neptune Flood, Beyond Floods, The Flood Insurance Agency, CatCoverage and Aon Edge. Private flood often has a shorter waiting period than the NFIP. More on our flood insurance page.
- Liability across both homes. An umbrella policy can sit over both your primary home and the Maine property, as long as the underlying limits line up.
For more detail, read our second and seasonal home insurance page and homeowners insurance for a second home.
Closing up a camp or leaving a Maine home empty
A camp that’s closed from October to May is a different risk from a house someone lives in every day. Policies treat it differently, and the wording matters:
- Unoccupied vs. vacant. Policies usually call a home unoccupied when your furniture and belongings are there but no one is living in it, and vacant when it’s been emptied out. Definitions vary by carrier, so we check the actual policy language.
- Time limits. Many homeowners policies limit coverage for things like vandalism and broken glass once a home has been vacant for a set period, often 60 consecutive days.
- Freezing. Policies commonly exclude freeze damage to plumbing unless you took reasonable care to keep the heat on or to shut off the water and drain the system. A winterized camp needs to be closed up the way the policy expects.
- Someone checking in. Have a neighbor or caretaker look in regularly, especially after storms and power outages, and consider a low-temperature alarm. Carriers may ask about this for seasonal homes.
- Long stretches empty. If a home will sit empty for months, for example during an estate settlement or a sale, a standard homeowners policy may not fit. A specialty dwelling policy may be the better match.
- Access. Island camps and properties without year-round road access can be harder to place, so tell us up front how you get there in winter.
Coastal homes and flood insurance in Maine
From Kittery and York up through Casco Bay and Down East, coastal homes deal with wind, storm surge and erosion. A homeowners policy covers wind damage subject to its deductible, but it does not cover flooding, whether it’s storm surge, a high tide or a lake or river over its banks. Inland, spring snowmelt and ice jams can flood homes along rivers.
For town-by-town advice on the southern Maine coast, see our pages for Kittery, York, Ogunquit and Wells, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, and Eliot and South Berwick.
Start by looking up the property on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center. Being outside a high-risk zone doesn’t mean a home can’t flood.
We write NFIP flood policies through Selective, a write-your-own carrier that issues and services NFIP policies under its own name. NFIP policies generally take effect 30 days after purchase, with some exceptions. Depending on the property, we also compare private flood options, including Flow Flood, Neptune Flood, Beyond Floods, The Flood Insurance Agency, CatCoverage and Aon Edge. A private policy can help when a home is worth more than NFIP limits or when you want different terms.
Winter claims: ice dams, frozen pipes and snow load
Maine winters bring a familiar set of claims. Here is how a homeowners policy generally handles them. Exact terms vary by policy.
- Ice dams. Heat escaping through the roof melts snow, which refreezes at the colder eaves and backs water up under the shingles. A homeowners policy generally covers the sudden water damage inside, such as stained ceilings and wet insulation, subject to your deductible. It generally doesn’t pay to remove the ice or to fix the insulation and ventilation problems that caused it.
- Frozen and burst pipes. Sudden water damage from a burst pipe is usually covered, but freeze damage can be excluded if the heat wasn’t maintained or the water wasn’t shut off and drained. That’s why heat settings and winterizing matter so much at camps and second homes.
- Weight of snow and ice. Damage from the weight of ice, snow or sleet is a covered cause of loss on many homeowners policies. Clearing heavy snow from flat or low-pitched roofs, when it’s safe, helps prevent the claim in the first place.
- Prevention. Low-temperature alarms, water-leak sensors and automatic water shutoff valves are worth a look, especially in a home that sits empty for part of the winter. Some carriers ask about them when writing seasonal homes.
Massachusetts and New Hampshire owners
If your main house is in Massachusetts or New Hampshire, we can usually insure both homes, since we’re licensed in all three states (and in CT, RI, VT, NY, FL, IL and OH). One agent, one set of renewal dates, and liability limits that match. For higher-value homes we work with carriers including Chubb, Cincinnati, Hanover, Openly, National General and Andover. See our high-value home insurance page.
Ask about Maine group discounts too. Hanover offers group discounts on Maine home and auto policies for several groups, and they may be combined. See our pages on Maine teacher and educator insurance discounts, discounts for nurses and medical professionals, discounts for police and firefighters and discounts for military members and veterans. College graduates can also ask about alumni insurance discounts, including for graduates of USM, UNE and UMaine. We confirm eligibility when we quote.
Maine carriers we work with
In Maine, the carriers we write with include Hanover, Cincinnati, Vermont Mutual, Concord Group, Andover, Openly, Safety, National General, Progressive and Hagerty, plus Chubb for high-value homes. Which one fits depends on where the home is, its age and heating, how you use it and what else you want to insure alongside it. If you own a two-unit condo, see our guide to condex insurance in Maine.
Getting a quote
Have your current declarations page handy, plus roof age, heating type and how many weeks a year the home is used. Request a quote or call (603) 431-4020.
Maine homeowners and second-home insurance FAQ
Can a New Hampshire agency insure my home in Maine?
Yes. Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance is licensed in Maine. Our Portsmouth, NH office is close to the Maine border, and we can insure year-round homes, camps and seasonal cottages there.
Is a seasonal camp insured the same way as a year-round home?
Not always. Carriers look at how often the home is occupied, how it’s heated and closed up for winter, and whether it’s rented. Vacancy and unoccupancy wording can limit coverage, so we match the policy to how you actually use the place.
Why is my Maine home insurance higher near the coast?
The Maine Bureau of Insurance notes that homes closer to the coast face greater windstorm exposure, which can mean a higher premium, a higher windstorm deductible, or both.
Does my homeowners policy cover flooding at a lake or coastal home in Maine?
No. Flood is excluded from standard homeowners policies. You need a separate NFIP or private flood policy. NFIP policies generally take effect 30 days after purchase.
Can I insure my Massachusetts home and Maine second home with the same agent?
Yes. We’re licensed in Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire, among 10 states, so we can coordinate both policies and your liability coverage.
How much is homeowners insurance in Maine?
It depends on the home more than the state. Distance to the coast, how far you are from a fire station, how the home is heated, the age of the roof and systems, whether it’s lived in year-round, your claims history and your deductible all move the price. We compare 40+ carriers and show you how those factors play out for your property.
Which insurance companies do you use for Maine homes?
In Maine we write with Hanover, Cincinnati, Vermont Mutual, Concord Group, Andover, Openly, Safety, National General, Progressive and Hagerty, plus Chubb for high-value homes. Which one fits depends on the home, its location and how you use it.
Does homeowners insurance cover ice dams and frozen pipes in Maine?
Usually it covers sudden water damage inside the home from an ice dam or a burst pipe, subject to your deductible and the policy terms. It generally won’t pay to remove ice or fix the underlying problem, and freeze damage can be excluded if the heat wasn’t kept on or the water wasn’t shut off and drained.
Sources: Maine Bureau of Insurance, A Consumer’s Guide to Homeowners Insurance and Factors Affecting Your Premium; FEMA, FloodSmart.gov.
Questions about a Maine property? Call (603) 431-4020, email insure@portsmouthatlanticins.com, or stop by our Portsmouth, NH office. See every town we serve on our service areas page.