Maine Second Home and Vacation Home Insurance

By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO, Licensed Insurance Advisor

A second home in Maine can be a lot of different things. It might be a family camp on a pond in Oxford County that has been passed down for three generations, a shingled cottage near the beach in York County, a ski-season house near the western mountains, or a summer place on a Hancock County point that only gets used in July and August. What these homes have in common is that nobody lives in them full time, and that one fact changes how an insurer looks at them.

This page is about that part of the picture: how carriers sort out seasonal and secondary homes, what winter does to a closed-up camp, how camp roads and Maine’s shoreland rules can shape a claim, and what changes once you start renting the place out. For year-round Maine homes and the basics of a homeowners policy there, see our Maine homeowners insurance page, and for second homes in general, our secondary and seasonal home insurance overview.

Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance is an independent, family-owned agency founded in 2005 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a short drive from Kittery. We’re licensed in Maine and in 10 states in all, our team brings 200+ years of combined experience, and we shop 40+ carriers for each home. We’re New Hampshire’s highest-rated agency on Google, and our clients have left 1,000+ Google reviews and over 2,000 testimonials. Maine owners work with us by phone and email: call (603) 431-4020.

Where Maine’s second homes are

Census figures show how unusual Maine is. Seasonal homes make up a bigger slice of the housing stock than anywhere else in the country, and in parts of the state they’re a third of all homes or more. The highest shares are inland lake and mountain counties: Piscataquis (38.4%), Franklin (34.6%) and Oxford (28.7%). On the coast, Hancock (30.6%), Lincoln (26.4%), Washington (23.6%) and Knox (19.4%) all run well above the state average (ACS table B25004).

In sheer numbers, York County leads, with roughly 18,703 seasonal units, followed by Cumberland at about 15,786 and Hancock at about 12,485. Those are survey estimates with margins of error (plus or minus 788 for York), but the pattern is clear: southern Maine’s beach towns and the lakes region hold the most seasonal homes, while the share is highest in the north and west. For towns near us, see our pages on Kittery, York and Kennebunk and Kennebunkport.

Seasonal, secondary or rented: why the label matters

Carriers don’t all use the same words, but most sort a home that isn’t your main residence into one of a few groups. A secondary home is used through much of the year, a long-weekend place where someone is around fairly often. A seasonal home is used for part of the year and closed up the rest. A rental property is one you let other people stay in for money, even for a few weeks. Some carriers write all three on a homeowners form, some only write a second home if they also insure your primary house, and some move seasonal or rented homes to a dwelling policy, which usually has narrower coverage for belongings and theft.

The answers that sort a home into one group or another are practical ones. How many months a year is someone there? Is the heat left on all winter, or is the water drained and the power shut off? Do family members and friends use it on their own? Is it listed on a rental site? A Maine camp that the family uses from Memorial Day to Columbus Day, with nobody there in between, is a very different risk from a ski house that gets used every other weekend from December through March.

Getting those answers right on the application matters more than any single coverage choice. If the policy describes the home as something it isn’t, a claim can turn into a dispute about how the place was actually used. Our guide to insuring a second home covers the policy types in more detail.

Winter: outages, heat and the empty camp

Most second-home claims we see in northern New England start the same way: a cold snap or a power failure while nobody is there. Water from a split pipe can run for days before anyone notices. Maine outages can also be long and widespread. After the storm of December 18, 2023, Central Maine Power reported outages at more than 400,000 accounts, and Versant reported 89,000 at its peak, while flooding hit Waterville, Skowhegan, Rumford and Farmington (Mainebiz). A camp at the end of a dirt road in the western mountains is usually near the end of the line for repairs.

Carriers ask what you do about that, and good answers can widen the choice of companies willing to write the house:

• A plan for the water. Either the system is drained and winterized each fall by a plumber, or the heat stays on and an automatic shutoff valve closes the main if it senses a leak.
• Temperature and power alerts. A sensor that texts you, a caretaker or a monitoring company when the inside temperature drops or the power goes out.
• A standby generator that starts on its own, installed with a transfer switch and serviced on schedule.
• Someone who checks in. A neighbor, caretaker or property manager who visits on a set schedule and after big storms, and who knows where the main shutoff is.
• Snow and ice. A plan for clearing heavy snow off low-slope roofs and decks, since ice dams push meltwater into walls and ceilings even when the roof never fails.

Policies also have rules about homes left empty for long stretches, and the wording differs a lot from one company to the next. We go over that language with you before you choose a policy; our article on vacant home insurance explains the terms carriers use.

Camp roads and getting there in winter

Thousands of Maine camps sit on private gravel roads that the town doesn’t maintain. Maine has a law for exactly this situation. When four or more parcels share a private road, the owners of three of them can ask a notary public to call a meeting of everyone on the road. The owners can then choose a commissioner or board, vote on a budget, and assess each parcel a share of the cost of repairs and maintenance, which the statute says includes snowplowing, sanding, grading, culverts and ditches (23 M.R.S. §3101). The share for repairs can’t exceed 1% of an owner’s municipal valuation in a year, and an owner who won’t pay can be taken to court for it (§3102).

Why does that matter for insurance? Because underwriters care a great deal about how a fire engine, an ambulance or a repair crew gets to the house. Expect to be asked:

• Whether the road is plowed all winter, and by whom
• How far the house is from the nearest fire station, and whether there’s a dry hydrant, pond or other water source nearby
• Whether the road and any bridges or culverts can carry a fire truck
• Whether the camp can only be reached by boat, by snowmobile or over the ice for part of the year

A camp that can’t be reached by road in winter isn’t uninsurable, but fewer carriers will write it, so it’s best to tell us up front. A well-kept road also protects the lake: the Maine DEP notes that a poorly maintained camp road sends sediment into nearby water (Maine DEP, Camp Roads).

Shoreland zoning and rebuilding near the water

Most Maine camps and many coastal cottages were built long before today’s setbacks. Under the Mandatory Shoreland Zoning Act, every town regulates land within 250 feet of a great pond, a river or the upland edge of a coastal wetland, which includes tidal areas, and within 75 feet of certain streams. Each town writes and enforces its own ordinance, so the local code enforcement officer is the first person to ask (Maine DEP, Shoreland Zoning).

The state’s model ordinance, which many towns follow closely, shows how a big loss can change a waterfront property. Under it, if a structure that sits closer to the water than the setback allows is damaged or destroyed by more than 50% of its market value, it can be rebuilt only with a permit obtained within 18 months, and the new building has to meet the setback “to the greatest practical extent,” as the planning board decides. It can’t become more nonconforming, and if it still ends up inside the setback, it can’t be larger than the original. Damage of 50% or less can usually be repaired in place with a permit obtained within a year (Chapter 1000, Section 12).

For insurance, that means a camp that burns or is crushed by a fallen tree may have to be rebuilt farther from the water, on a new foundation, possibly with a new septic system, and with replanting along the shore. A standard policy pays to rebuild the house, but the extra cost of meeting current rules falls under ordinance or law coverage, and a basic limit may not go far. We look closely at that limit, at the dwelling limit itself, and at additional living expense, since a planning board review adds time.

Flood on the coast and on the lakes

The January 2024 storms were a reminder that Maine’s coast floods too. On January 13, the Portland tide gauge recorded 14.57 feet, beating the 14.17-foot record from 1978, in a series of records going back to 1912 (National Weather Service, Gray). Inland, spring snowmelt, ice jams and heavy rain push rivers and lakes over their banks, as they did in December 2023.

A homeowners policy doesn’t cover flooding from any of those sources. We write new NFIP policies with Selective, and we compare private and excess flood from Neptune Flood, Beyond Floods, Flow Flood, The Flood Insurance Agency, CatCoverage and Aon Edge. An NFIP policy covers up to $250,000 on the building and $100,000 on belongings (FloodSmart), and coverage generally begins 30 days after purchase, so buy it well ahead of storm season. Look up a property with our flood zone lookup or on FEMA’s flood map site, and see flood insurance in Maine for the state’s seller disclosure rules and more on coastal and river flooding.

Renting it out for part of the summer

Many Maine families rent the cottage or camp for a few weeks to help carry the cost. Before the first booking, call your insurer. A homeowners policy written for family use may limit or exclude coverage while paying guests are there, and each new group of renters adds liability. Depending on how often you rent, the fix may be an endorsement, a different policy type, or a carrier that’s comfortable with short-term rentals. Our Maine landlord insurance page covers longer-term and full-time rentals.

Renting also has a tax side in Maine. Maine Revenue Services applies its 9% tax on lodging to rentals of a camp, cottage or condo. Someone with only one unit who rents it for fewer than 15 days in a calendar year generally doesn’t have to register or collect it, but a property manager, real estate agent or rental platform handling the booking has to collect it regardless, and an owner renting 15 days or more has to register (Maine Revenue Services, Instructional Bulletin 32; 36 M.R.S. §1764). Ask a tax professional how this applies to you; for insurance, what matters is that your carrier knows about the rentals.

Boats, docks, sleds and liability

A lake camp usually comes with a dock, a boat or two, and often snowmobiles or ATVs in the shed. A homeowners policy covers little or none of that. Boats and personal watercraft need their own policy (Maine boat insurance), and so do snowmobiles and ATVs (ATV and snowmobile insurance in Maine). Docks and floats are a separate question: one policy may count them under other structures, another may cap them, and a third may leave out ice and wave damage entirely, which is why we compare the actual language.

A second home also adds to your liability. Guests, renters, a swim float, a boat and a snowmobile all create ways someone can get hurt. A personal umbrella can sit over your primary home, the Maine place, your cars and your boat at once, as long as each underlying policy carries the limits the umbrella requires. If you keep a classic car at the camp for summer drives, see collector car insurance in Maine.

Carriers for Maine second homes

For Maine homes we work with companies including Vermont Mutual, Andover, Concord Group, Patriot, Safety, Hanover, Openly (homes up to $5 million), Chubb and Cincinnati. Not every one of them writes every seasonal or rented home, and each looks at occupancy, winter access, heating, distance from the coast and a fire department in its own way, so the right fit for a pond camp in Rangeley may be a different company from the right fit for a cottage in Kennebunkport. For larger and more valuable homes, Chubb and Cincinnati are often our first calls, since neither caps the dwelling limit.

If you own your main home in New Hampshire or Massachusetts, it can help to look at both houses together, since some carriers prefer to write the primary and the second home as a pair. See our pages on second home insurance in New Hampshire, second and vacation homes in Massachusetts and Vermont second homes and ski houses.

How we quote a Maine second home

Start with your current declarations page, the address and some photos. Then we ask how many months the place is used, whether it’s heated or winterized, how the road is maintained in winter, how far it is from the water, what heats it (oil, propane, a heat pump or wood), the age of the roof, wiring and plumbing, and whether you rent it. With that, we go to the companies whose appetite matches the property and lay their offers next to each other, deductibles, vacancy terms and flood choices included.

Request a quote on a Maine second home

Prefer a conversation? Phone us and we’ll go over your Maine place with you.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a different policy for a second home in Maine?

Often, yes. Many carriers write a second home on a homeowners form only when it’s used regularly or when they also insure your main home. A camp that’s closed for the winter or rented out may need a dwelling policy or a rental endorsement instead. The right choice depends on how many months it’s used, whether it’s winterized and whether it’s ever rented.

Can I insure a Maine camp that isn’t reachable by road in winter?

Usually, though fewer carriers will write it. Underwriters ask whether the road is plowed, how far the camp is from a fire station, whether there’s a water source for firefighting, and whether it can only be reached by boat, snowmobile or over the ice part of the year. Tell us up front so we approach the right companies.

What happens if my waterfront camp is destroyed and it’s too close to the lake?

Under Maine’s model shoreland zoning ordinance, a structure inside the setback that loses more than 50% of its market value can be rebuilt with a permit obtained within 18 months, but it has to meet the setback to the greatest practical extent, which can mean moving it back. Check your town’s ordinance, and make sure your ordinance or law coverage is high enough to help with the extra cost.

Does my homeowners policy cover flooding at my Maine cottage or camp?

No. Flooding from storm surge, a lake or a river is excluded from homeowners policies. It needs a separate flood policy. We write new NFIP policies with Selective and compare private flood options, and keep in mind that NFIP coverage generally begins 30 days after purchase.

I rent my camp for two weeks a summer. Does my insurer need to know?

Yes. A policy written for family use may limit or exclude coverage while paying guests are staying there. Depending on how often you rent, an endorsement or a different policy may be needed. Maine also has a 9% tax on lodging; a single unit rented fewer than 15 days a year is generally exempt unless a manager or platform handles the booking.

What do you need for a quote?

Your current declarations page, the address, how many months the home is used, whether it’s heated or winterized in the off-season, how the road is maintained, the heating type, the roof age and whether you rent it. We don’t charge additional fees. Call (603) 431-4020 or use the quote form on this page.

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024, table B25004 (vacancy status), Maine and counties
• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024, table B25001 (housing units)
• Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Mandatory Shoreland Zoning
• 06-096 C.M.R. ch. 1000, Section 12, Non-conformance (Guidelines for Municipal Shoreland Zoning Ordinances)
• Maine DEP, “Lake or Pond?” (great pond definition)
• 23 M.R.S. §3101, private ways: meetings, maintenance and repairs
• 23 M.R.S. §3102, commissioner’s duties and owners who don’t pay
• Maine DEP, Camp Roads
• Maine Revenue Services, Instructional Bulletin No. 32, Rental of Living Quarters
• 36 M.R.S. §1764, casual rentals
• National Weather Service Gray, record water level at the Portland tide gauge (January 13, 2024)
• Mainebiz, storm aftermath and outages (December 2023)
• FloodSmart (NFIP coverage limits)
• FEMA flood maps

General information for Maine second-home owners, not a quote, a contract, or legal or tax advice. Coverage always comes down to the specific policy form, any endorsements and each carrier’s underwriting. Town ordinances, flood maps, tax rules and census figures change, so check them against your own property.