Nottingham, NH Home Insurance

By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO

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

Nottingham at a glance

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 5,490 Nottingham residents as of July 1, 2025 (5,230 in the April 2020 estimates base). The town’s 2017 Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan, prepared with the Strafford Regional Planning Commission, describes about 48.4 square miles, roughly 7.4 of them water and wetlands, bordered by Barrington, Lee, Epping, Raymond, Deerfield and Northwood.

Most developed land is single-family residential, spread out along the roads, and the town center stays rural in scale. The plan says there is no municipal water or sewer, so homes rely on wells and septic. Pawtuckaway Lake is partly ringed by homes and camps, with smaller lake settlements elsewhere, and the major floodplains follow the Little, North, Bean and Elliot rivers.

For insurance, that means mostly owner-occupied single-family homes on well and septic, lake houses and camps that may be seasonal or year-round, and rural lots where wind, trees and the distance to a hydrant shape the quote.

Where you live in Nottingham changes the policy

• Route 152 and the North River. The plan names Route 152 at the North River and Flutter Street, and just north of Priest Road, as a significant flood spot. In the April 2007 flood, it says, Route 152 flooded badly enough that the National Guard helped evacuate children from the Nottingham School.
• Deerfield Road, McCrillis Road and Kelsey Road. The plan lists Deerfield Road at Back Creek and at the bridge, McCrillis Road (the plan’s cover photo is the Al Fernald Bridge there in the April 2007 flood) and Kelsey Road, where it proposes a culvert project. Berry Road also has a culvert and bridge project on the list.
• Pawtuckaway Lake and Route 156. Route 156 at Dolloff Dam Road is on the flood list. The plan identifies the Pawtuckaway Lake/Dolloff Dam and the Mendums Pond Dam as high hazard dams, though it says they have never breached and are in excellent condition, and it maps inundation zones touching Routes 4, 152 and 156.
• Gerrish Drive and Swan Drive. The privately owned Mill Pond Dam failed in the 2007 flood, and the plan says homes near Gerrish Drive and the low-lying Swan Drive area flooded. The rebuilt dam now regulates the water level near Swan Drive.

Flood coverage in Nottingham

Nottingham has been in the NFIP since April 2, 1986. The plan’s FEMA snapshot (August 2016) showed 15 policies in force, all on single-family homes, six in A zones and nine preferred-risk policies in lower-risk zones, plus 13 closed paid losses and four repetitive-loss claims. The plan estimates about 19% of the town’s land is in the 100-year floodplain, while noting that few structures sit inside it.

The plan also expects the mapped floodplain to grow when maps are updated, and notes that smaller, more frequent storms can still flood parts of it. Fifteen policies for a town this size suggests many owners near brooks, lakes and road crossings have no flood coverage at all.

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 in the Nottingham plan

Besides flooding, the plan rates hurricanes and tropical storms, wildfire and drought as high overall risks, and rates tornadoes and downbursts, winter storms and severe thunderstorms as moderate. Drought matters more than it sounds in a town where every house is on a private well.

For a homeowner, most Nottingham losses start with trees, wind and water: roofs, basements, wells and outbuildings. We review wind, water backup, flood and well coverage on every Nottingham homeowners quote.

Winter, trees and wind in Nottingham

The plan’s disaster history includes the January 1998 ice storm, which interrupted power for many days, the July 2008 tornado and severe storms that left some residents without power for a week, the December 2008 winter storm, and later storms that brought down trees and caused sporadic outages. For homeowners, that means ice dams, frozen pipes, 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.

Lake homes on Pawtuckaway and newer homes on large lots can cost far more to rebuild than their assessment suggests, so we start with a replacement-cost estimate. 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 Nottingham, 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. A camp converted to year-round use needs to be insured that way.

Renters and tenants in Nottingham

If you rent in Nottingham, 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 Nottingham households also need auto insurance, and many add a personal umbrella. Nottingham commuters rely on Routes 4, 152 and 156, and the plan lists several of them among its flood spots, so a good auto policy and roadside coverage are worth a look. 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 Nottingham

• 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 North River, Pawtuckaway Lake or a listed road crossing
• A lake camp that is now used year-round but still insured as seasonal
• 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 Nottingham

• 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 near Route 152, Swan Drive or another listed flood spot, keep sump-pump and elevation records handy
• Know how you will run your well pump and heat in a long power outage

Buying a home in Nottingham

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 North River, Pawtuckaway Lake or a plan-listed road, ask for any elevation certificate and the seller’s flood history. For a lake property, confirm whether it is winterized and used year-round. We line up the homeowners binder, and a flood binder if you need one, so both are ready for your lender.

How a Nottingham 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 Nottingham from Portsmouth

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

Sources

• Town of Nottingham, 2017 Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan (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 Nottingham, NH?

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

Does Nottingham flood?

In documented spots. The town’s 2017 hazard mitigation plan rates flooding a high overall threat and lists Route 152 at the North River, Deerfield Road at Back Creek, McCrillis Road, Kelsey Road and Route 156 at Dolloff Dam Road. 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.