Saugus, MA Home Insurance

By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO

Home · Condo · Multi-Family · Flood · Umbrella · Saugus, Massachusetts

Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance is an independent agency founded in 2005 and licensed in 10 states, including Massachusetts. 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. If you are shopping for home insurance in Saugus, MA, we compare each house across 40+ carriers. Start with Massachusetts homeowners insurance, or read on.

Saugus at a glance

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 29,179 residents as of July 1, 2025. The town’s 2011 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update gives its area as 10.99 square miles and places it about 13 miles from Boston.

The Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Summary of Findings (MAPC, 2020) says Saugus faces two kinds of flooding: coastal flooding, where wind and tide push water along the shore and tidal waterways, and inland flooding, where rain overwhelms brooks and drains. It says stormwater flooding is concentrated in the more densely developed eastern part of town, and lists protecting the Rumney Marsh Area of Critical Environmental Concern as a top environmental priority.

Where you live in Saugus changes the policy

• East Saugus. The 2020 report says East Saugus has chronic flooding in storms and lists flooding threats to its low-lying neighborhoods. The 2011 plan lists it for coastal flooding, and recommends updating the East Saugus drainage system, dredging the Eastern Avenue tidal canals and recalibrating the Ballard Street tide gate.
• Along the Saugus River and Route 1. The 2020 report cites the stretch of Route 1 in Saugus for flooding concerns, and notes concern about highway flooding near the Guard Street neighborhood.
• Other local flood spots (2011 plan). Elm Street at the Saville Street bridge, Route 1 from Essex Street to Walnut Street, the Spring Street area, and the Intervale Avenue and Stone Street neighborhood.

Flood coverage in Saugus

A note on dates: the flood insurance and loss figures below come from the 2011 plan, which is now 15 years old. They show where flooding has been, not today’s counts.

That plan counted 27 repetitive loss structures in Saugus, up from 12 in its 2005 plan, mostly single-family homes. The 2020 report recommends coordinating with FEMA to ease flood insurance costs, educating homeowners on the benefits of flood insurance and encouraging elevated buildings.

A homeowners policy will not pay for storm surge, tidal flooding or rising water. Flood is its own policy, and lenders require it for federally backed mortgages in a special flood hazard area. Check your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.

• 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.

Getting the dwelling limit right in Saugus

The most common gap we find is a dwelling limit set years ago and rolled forward. Rebuilding costs depend on square footage, construction, finishes and code upgrades, not on what the house would sell for. We run a fresh replacement cost estimate on every quote, look at extended or guaranteed replacement cost where a carrier offers it, and check ordinance or law coverage, which helps pay for code upgrades after a loss in an older home. We also check roof age and whether the roof is settled at replacement cost or actual cash value, because carriers differ on that.

Storms, trees and winter in Saugus

The 2020 report says power outages and damage from falling trees and limbs are the main threats from nor’easters, along with heavy snow. Wind damage, fallen trees, ice dams and frozen pipes are generally homeowners claims, subject to your deductible and policy terms. Rising water is a flood claim. The 2020 report also notes the large number of assisted living, nursing home and senior housing facilities in town; if a parent lives in one, a renters policy for their belongings and liability is worth a look.

Larger and older homes

Under about $2 million, most of our 40+ carriers are in play. Andover writes up to about $2.25 million in Massachusetts, sometimes higher with underwriting approval. Around $2 million to $3 million, Hanover is among the carriers we compare. Over about $3 million, Cincinnati is our go-to, and Chubb, which focuses on high-value homes, joins it at $5 million and up. Whatever the size, we build the dwelling limit around the cost to rebuild, not the market value, and we look at extended or guaranteed replacement cost where a carrier offers it.

Condos, multi-families and rentals

Your HO-6 condo policy covers what the association’s master policy does not: usually your interior, improvements, belongings, liability and loss assessments. If you rent out units in a two- or three-family house, tell us how many units there are and who lives in each; you may need a dwelling or landlord policy. It covers the building, lost rent and your liability.

Renters and tenants in Saugus

If you rent in Saugus, 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 Saugus 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 Saugus

• 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 in East Saugus or near the Saugus River
• No water backup endorsement on a basement
• Tree limbs over the roof and no plan for a long power outage

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 Saugus

• 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
• Keep a generator plan, and never run one indoors or in the garage

Buying a home in Saugus

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. Ask for the seller’s flood history and any elevation certificate, and check the zone on FEMA’s map. We line up the homeowners binder, and a flood binder if you need one, so both are ready for your lender.

How a Saugus 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 Saugus from Portsmouth, NH

We do not have a Massachusetts office. We insure Saugus homes from our Portsmouth, NH office, and work by phone, email and online. Call (603) 431-4020. Nearby, see our Lynnfield, Lynn, Peabody and Revere pages, or our Massachusetts homeowners insurance guide.

Sources

• MAPC, Town of Saugus Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Summary of Findings (2020)
• Town of Saugus, Hazard Mitigation Plan 2011 Update
• 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 Saugus, MA?

Yes. We’re licensed in Massachusetts and insure Saugus homes from our Portsmouth, NH office by phone, email and online. Call (603) 431-4020.

Does Saugus flood?

Yes, especially East Saugus. The town’s 2020 climate resilience report says East Saugus has chronic flooding in storms, and the 2011 hazard plan lists Route 1, Elm Street at the Saville Street bridge and other local spots. 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.