What is Homeowners Insurance?
Homeowner’s insurance is a standard policy set up when you purchase a home. Home insurance is designed to protect you in the event of a covered loss, like a storm or break in. Depending on the coverage options you choose, your homeowners policy will pay to repair or replace damage to your home and personal property and protect you from liability if someone else is injured on your property.
But how does homeowners insurance work? Homeowners insurance is a policy you can purchase from an independent insurance agency. Our team of licensed insurance professionals at Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance can help you purchase a home insurance policy that is tailored to your specific insurance needs.
How much does home insurance cost in New Hampshire?
Your home insurance rates will be based on a variety of different factors related to you and your home, including:
- Insurance score
- Where you live
- Size of the home
- Age of your home
- Your claims history
- Your policy deductible amount
- Number of endorsements/coverage add-ons
- Your home’s value
- The materials used to build your home
- The number (and cost) of covered items in your home
Here are some important steps in calculating your policy needs.
- Begin by conducting a full inventory of your personal possessions.
- Go room by room and create a list of items you have inside.
- If possible, take photos of each room and update them at least once a year or after major purchases.
- Try to estimate how much each item is worth and write that value down.
- Hold onto receipts for large electronics or expensive appliances for future reference.
- Extra coverage may be required for certain items like expensive jewelry, art or electronics.
- Evaluate the types of liability risks you face as a homeowner.
- Provide our team at Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance with this information.
- Discuss the best options for you and your home.
Here’s the six standard coverages in a standard home insurance policy:
| Coverage | What it covers |
| Dwelling | This covers the cost of repairs to the home itself, including the exterior and interior features of the house. This also includes any rebuilding costs to your home. |
| Other Structures | This covers any storage buildings, guest houses, fences, detached garages and other structures on the property. |
| Personal Property | Property insurance covers the personal items in your home including clothing, artwork, food, utensils, appliances and any other items deemed necessary to maintain your quality of life. The amount of coverage provided will vary from policy to policy and some items in your home may be excluded from the standard coverage. |
| Loss of Use | If your property gets damaged and you’re unable to live in your home while a contractor makes repairs, additional living expense insurance will help pay for lodging expenses. Some insurance companies refer to this coverage as “loss of use” insurance. |
| Personal Liability | This helps pay for the cost of legal fees, damages and medical expenses if someone is injured on your property. |
| Medical Payments | If someone gets hurt on your property, medical expense coverage will help pay for the cost of their treatments up to the limits specified by your policy. |
What Does Dwelling Insurance Cover?
Dwelling insurance is designed to help cover the costs for repairing or rebuilding your home if it’s damaged by certain hazards, including materials, labor and built-ins. An independent insurance agent will know the local area and can help you calculate a fair estimate of replacement costs. It’s important to reevaluate your policy from time to time, especially after renovations, to ensure you have the proper coverage in place. Most homeowners insurance policies cover damage or loss caused by events including:
- Fire and smoke
- Windstorms or lightning
- Damage caused by a vehicle
- Vandalism and theft
- Ice, snow or sleet
- Water damage caused by burst pipes
- Frozen plumbing, heating or air conditioning
New Hampshire Flood Insurance
Your normal home insurance policy does protect against water damage caused by things like frozen pipes or severe storms. However, it won’t protect you against damage resulting from floods, even if those floods are the result of a severe storm. A supplemental flood insurance policy can give you peace of mind knowing your home and property are protected.
What are some of the best home insurance companies in New Hampshire?
Below are our top picks of insurance companies that specialize in home insurance in New Hampshire & many other states.
At Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance, we represent all of the carriers below (and more) & are able to find the most competitive home insurance options for our clients:
- The Andover Companies
- Concord Group
- The Hanover Insurance Group
- Main Street America
- National General
- Openly
- Patriot
- Plymouth Rock Assurance
- Progressive
- Safeco
- Safety
- Vermont Mutual
These are the top five insurance carriers in New Hampshire in our experience:
The Andover Companies is one of the largest and longest-standing mutual insurance groups in the Northeast. They specialize in personal & business property coverage. They’re made up of three distinct subsidiaries, Merrimack Mutual, Cambridge Mutual, and Bay State Insurance and they only work with independent agencies (like us at Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance).
Why is Andover one of the best insurance companies in NH?
- We love working with Andover Companies because they specialize in home & umbrella insurance – they do not write auto insurance in New Hampshire but they do give an auto/home credit if you carry your auto insurance within the same agency.
- Andover also offers an “Account Credit” – meaning if you happen to carry an umbrella policy with Andover as well (which we always recommend), you’ll actually receive an additional discount on your home insurance.
- Andover offers great coverage options like Guaranteed Dwelling Coverage, Water Backup, Service Line Coverage, Ordinance or Law, Personal Injury, Equipment Breakdown, and many more.
- We’re able to write home, umbrella & business insurance with Andover in NH, ME & MA.
- Andover will consider Secondary/Seasonal Homes and Rented Condos.
- Andover will also write homes in New Hampshire with netted trampolines, homes with professionally installed woodstoves and inground pools with a fence & locking gate.
How to get a quote
Andover works exclusively with select independent insurance agencies like ours at Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance. Just reach out to our team at Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance & we’ll see if Andover is a good fit for you & your home.
Hanover has been in business since 1852, making them one of the oldest insurance companies in the country. They’re based out of Worcester, MA which is great for our clients located in New Hampshire & New England, however they write insurance in almost all states across the country. Hanover has an “A” Financial Strength Rating by AM Best.
Why is Hanover one of the best insurance companies in NH?
- Hanover has been a great partner of ours for many years now & they insure a large number of our clients, for good reason.
- Hanover is very competitive in almost all of the states where we do business, including NH, ME, MA, NY & CT.
- Hanover provides a very compelling home & auto package policy called “Platinum” – where there are several coverage & discount benefits provided.
Hanover also has a high value client program called “Prestige” that is competitive with Chubb & Pure. Prestige offers the following elite coverage options:- Guaranteed Dwelling Replacement Cost
- Ordinance or Law at 100% of Coverage A
- Service Line Coverage at $20,000
- Water Backup & Sump Pump Overflow at $25,000
- Deductible Waiver for Large Loss (over $50,000)
- With the Prestige product, we’re able to write homes up to $2 Million + in Dwelling Coverage & can write umbrella policies up to $10,000, truly catering to the more affluent clients in New Hampshire and beyond.
How to get a Homeowners Insurance quote for your house in New Hampshire
Hanover works exclusively with select independent insurance agencies like ours at Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance. Just reach out to our team at Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance & we’ll see if Andover is a good fit for you & your home.
Safeco has been one of the premier property & casualty insurance companies across the country since 1923. They work exclusively with local independent agents (like us) & specialize in home, auto, umbrella & specialty lines (boat, motorcycle, personal watercraft, etc.). Safeco is now part of the Liberty Mutual Insurance Group which has allowed them to expand their network with better coverage and pricing across the country. The company has financial strength ratings of A (Excellent) from the A.M. Best Company
Why is Safeco one of the best insurance companies in NH?
- We’ve been working with Safeco for almost 20 years now & they’ve consistently been one of our top insurance carriers for all those years.
- Safeco offers many tailored home insurance coverage options like Ultra, Optimum, New Quality-Plus & Essential.
- Safeco also offers some great discounts on the auto side including their RightTrack Telematics Program which allows you to:
- Earn a 5% initial discount for enrolling in the programEarn up to a 30% final discount boused on how much and how well you drive during a 90 day period.
- There’s no cost to you and no risk. Your premium will never increase by enrolling in RightTrack.
- Safeco has a reputation for having the best claims service in the industry, especially in New Hampshire where we’ve seen first hand how they service & settle claims in a professional manner.
- We have also partnered with Safeco’s Gold Service Center – this provides our Safeco clients with live customer service 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The Gold Service Center can help with the following:
- Process policy changes.
- Billing questions.
- Claims questions.
- Quote & write new policies
How to get a quote
Safeco works exclusively with select independent insurance agencies like ours at Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance. Just reach out to our team at Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance & we’ll see if Safety is a good fit for you & your home.
Safety Insurance was founded in 1979 with a belief that they would succeed as a company if customers were given the best possible service. Over the years they’ve grown and expanded their product line to include a full range of property and casualty insurance products including home, auto, umbrella & business. Today, Safety is one of the leading providers of Home & Auto Insurance in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. Safety has an “A” Financial Strength Rating by AM Best.
Why is Safety one of the best insurance companies in NH?
- Safety is one of the most competitive insurance companies in New Hampshire when it comes to home, auto & umbrella.
- Safety has a unique endorsement called “Safety Shield” on their auto policies that includes the following:
- Collision Waiver of Deductible
- Guaranteed Replacement Cost
- Lock and Key Service
- Supplemental Towing & Labor
- Emergency Road Travel Expenses
- Rental Vehicle Loss of Income
- Air Bag Coverage
- Full Glass Coverage
- Safety also has a number of discounts available on the auto including multi-policy, e-Customer, multi-vehicle, safe driving, student away at school
- One of Safety’s best discount in our opinion is the “Renewal Discount” – Safety provides a discount for the number of years you’re insured with them. Most insurance companies don’t offer this type of discount, whereas Safety seems to appreciate & reward loyalty – we love that!
- Safety also has many competitive options when it comes to home insurance. They have several coverage packages available but the one we quote most often is the “Safety Supreme Plus” endorsement, which includes the following:
- Guaranteed Replacement Cost for home & contents
- All Risk Contents Coverage
- Special increased limits for jewelry, and silverware
- Personal Injury Coverage
- Additional $100,000 of Liability Coverage
- 100% Ordinance or Law Coverage
- Water and Sewer Back Up Coverage of $5,000
- Service Line Coverage up to $10,000
- Most insurance companies will charge per coverage endorsement above whereas Safety groups the coverages together in one endorsement, making their home policies much more competitive on price for the same level of coverage.
How to get a quote
Safety works exclusively with select independent insurance agencies like ours at Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance. Just reach out to our team at Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance & we’ll see if Safety is a good fit for you & your home.
Vermont Mutual’s roots go all the way back in 1828, making it one of the oldest property and casualty insurers in the country. Today, Vermont Mutual has over 300,000 policyholders & is a Ward’s Top 50 performing property & casualty insurance carrier for the past 13 consecutive years. Vermont Mutual has an “A+” Superior Financial Strength Rating by AM Best.
Why is Vermont Mutual one of the best insurance companies in NH?
Vermont Mutual has a great reputation throughout New England as being one of the best home & auto insurance companies to work with – and we agree!
Not only are the competitive on home & auto, they also offer a wide range of business insurance options including condo associations (Master Condo Policies), dwelling fire (landlord policies), multi-family homes, umbrella, secondary/seasonal home insurance, short-term rental and much more.
Vermont Mutual offers some great coverage options on their home policies – our favorite coverage package is called the “Elite” endorsement, which includes:
- 100% Extended Dwelling Replacement Cost
- All Risk Contents Coverage
- Special increased limits for jewelry, and silverware
- Personal Injury Coverage
- 50% Ordinance or Law Coverage
- Water and Sewer Back Up Coverage of $7,500
- Home Systems Protection Coverage
- Service Line Coverage up to $10,000
How to get a quote
Vermont Mutual works exclusively with select independent insurance agencies like ours at Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance. Just reach out to our team at Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance & we’ll see if Safety is a good fit for you & your home.
Home insurance companies in New Hampshire for dog owners
Finding home insurance in New Hampshire can pose challenges if you own a dog breed that is considered “prohibited” or “high-risk” by insurance companies, such as Pit Bulls, Dobermans, Rottweilers, and others. Many insurance providers have specific policies and guidelines regarding dog breeds due to liability concerns and the perceived risk associated with certain breeds. As a result, homeowners with these breeds may face limited options or higher premiums when seeking home insurance coverage.
The restrictions on insuring homes with prohibited dog breeds stem from the potential for dog-related incidents, including bites or attacks, which can result in costly liability claims. Insurance companies typically assess the risk associated with a dog breed based on historical data, breed reputation, and their own underwriting guidelines.
While it can be more challenging to find coverage, it’s not impossible. Working with an experienced independent insurance agency like Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance can be beneficial in this situation. We have access to carriers such as Openly, Plymouth Rock Assurance, and Safeco Insurance – three carriers that will accept any dog breed as long as there is no bite history.
Top 10 States by Estimated Number and Cost of Dog Bite Claims, 2022
It’s important for homeowners with prohibited dog breeds to disclose this information to insurance agents accurately. Transparency helps insurance professionals assess the situation accurately and find carriers that specialize in insuring homes with these breeds. While premiums may be higher due to the perceived risks, having proper coverage is crucial to protect both the homeowner and others who may come in contact with the dog.
FAQ’s:
Is obtaining insurance for a home challenging?
Obtaining insurance for a home doesn’t have to be challenging. By working with an independent insurance agency like Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance, you can access a variety of insurance companies and policies tailored to your needs. Our experienced team can guide you through the process and help you find the right coverage.
What is the average price of home insurance?
The average price of home insurance can vary depending on factors such as the location, size, and value of your home, as well as your coverage needs and personal circumstances. It’s best to get a personalized quote from an insurance agent to determine the cost specific to your situation.
Why choose Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance for your home insurance needs?
At Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance, we’ve been helping our clients insure their homes in NH and throughout New England for close to 20 years. We represent many different insurance companies when it comes to these specialized policies. Not only do we help and support our clients when it comes to home insurance, we also help our Realtor & Loan Officer Partners who trust us to help their clients when purchasing a new home.
Contact Us today for Auto and Home solutions and learn more about how we can help. Give us a call at 603-431-4020, email at insure@portsmouthatlanticins.com or fill out the form on this page to get started.
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