A personal umbrella is extra liability insurance. It pays after your home, auto, boat or recreational vehicle policy has paid its liability limit, and it can also cover some claims those policies don’t. Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance is a family-owned independent agency, founded in 2005 and licensed in Maine. From our office at 601 Islington St in Portsmouth, NH, we help Maine households set up the policies underneath first, then put the umbrella on top so there’s no gap between the layers. We don’t charge additional fees.
We work for you, not one insurance company. We compare options from carriers among the 40+ we work with, and Seacoast families have given us 1,000+ Google reviews and over 2,000 testimonials. We don’t have a Maine office, so Maine clients work with us by phone, email and online.
How a Maine umbrella sits on top of your other policies
Think of it in layers. Your auto policy pays first after a crash you cause, and your homeowners policy pays first after a guest falls on your steps. If the claim is larger than that policy’s liability limit, the umbrella pays the rest, up to its own limit. For that to work, the umbrella carrier usually wants each policy underneath set to a minimum liability limit. If one is set too low, you can end up paying the gap yourself.
| Layer | What pays first | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | Your car policy’s bodily injury and property damage liability | Liability set high enough for the umbrella carrier; every household driver listed |
| Home or condo | Personal liability on your homeowners, condo or renters policy | Liability limit, dogs, pools, trampolines, docks |
| Camp or rental | The liability on that property’s own policy | Every property you own or rent out, and how many weeks it’s rented |
| Toys | Boat, snowmobile, ATV, motorcycle or RV liability | Each vehicle has its own policy at the limit the umbrella requires |
| Umbrella | Pays after the layers above reach their limits | Limit size, exclusions, and whether it adds uninsured motorist coverage |
Maine rules that shape the size of a claim
Auto minimums and the UM rule
Maine requires every vehicle to carry at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for bodily injury, $25,000 for property damage, uninsured motorist coverage of at least $50,000/$100,000, and at least $2,000 per person in medical payments (Maine Bureau of Insurance; 29-A M.R.S. §1605). Those minimums are higher than in many states, but a serious crash with several injured people can still go far past $100,000. Maine also requires your uninsured motorist limit to match your liability limit if it’s higher than the minimum, unless you reject that in writing. Some umbrellas can add uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage on top, and some don’t, so we’ll show you which is which.
Shared fault
Under Maine’s comparative negligence law, an injured person can still recover damages as long as their share of fault is less than the other side’s (14 M.R.S. §156). In plain terms, being partly to blame doesn’t always stop a claim against you, and a jury decides how much the award is reduced.
Dogs
In Maine, when a dog injures someone who is not on the owner’s or keeper’s property, the owner or keeper is liable for the damages, and the injured person’s own fault reduces the award only if it was greater than the owner’s (7 M.R.S. §3961). If the injury happens on your own property, the injured person generally has to show negligence. Either way, a serious dog bite claim is one of the most common reasons families add an umbrella. Tell us about every dog in the household; some carriers restrict certain breeds or dogs with a bite history.
Where Maine families tend to need the extra layer
Teen drivers
A new driver in the house is the most common reason people call us about an umbrella. Teens are listed on your auto policy, and the umbrella sits over that policy. If your teen is heading to college with a car, or drives between Maine and New Hampshire for school or work, let us know so the right garaging address and drivers are on file.
Snowmobiles, ATVs and trail riding
Winter weekends on the trails, and summer ATV riding on camp roads, carry real liability if a rider or a passenger is hurt. Many umbrellas cover these vehicles only if each one has its own liability policy at the required limit. A sled or four-wheeler that’s never been insured is a common gap we find.
Boats, docks and lake camps
Whether it’s a boat on Sebago, a center console out of Kittery Point or a pontoon at a family camp, boats and docks bring guests, swimmers and towing into the picture. Some umbrellas limit boat size or horsepower, or require a separate boat policy. We’ll check before you need it.
Coastal homes, summer rentals and big gatherings
From York and Ogunquit to Kennebunkport, many families host a lot of guests in summer, and some rent out a cottage or apartment part of the year. Pools, decks, stairs down to the beach and hosted parties all add liability. If you serve alcohol at a gathering, Maine’s Liquor Liability Act can apply to hosts who serve a minor or a visibly intoxicated guest (28-A M.R.S. §2501 and following), and home and umbrella policies handle that differently. Rentals have to be disclosed to both the property carrier and the umbrella carrier.
Larger homes and higher net worth
If you own a high-value home in Maine, a second home or significant assets, a higher umbrella limit is worth a conversation. Some high-value carriers pair their umbrellas with their home and auto programs.
What a personal umbrella usually doesn’t cover
- Damage to your own home, car or belongings (that’s your property coverage)
- Business activities, professional services and most business-owned vehicles
- Intentional acts and criminal acts
- Rental properties or vehicles you didn’t tell the carrier about
- Exclusions that vary by carrier, such as some watercraft, aircraft or certain dog breeds
Every umbrella policy reads a little differently. We’ll walk through the exclusions on the options you’re comparing so there are no surprises.
How we set up a Maine umbrella
We start with the policies underneath. For a Maine home, we compare carriers such as Andover, Concord Group, Hanover, Liberty Mutual, Vermont Mutual, Patriot, Safety, Cincinnati and Chubb, and for Maine auto insurance we compare several more. Then we look at whether it makes sense to keep the umbrella with your home and auto carrier or place it with a standalone umbrella market. You see the options side by side and choose.
What to have ready
- Declarations pages for your current home, auto, boat, snowmobile, ATV and any rental or camp policies
- Every driver in the household, including teens and college students
- Any rental properties, short-term rentals or home businesses
- Dogs (breed and any bite history), pools, trampolines, docks
Also see umbrella insurance basics, umbrella insurance in New Hampshire and umbrella insurance in Massachusetts. We serve Maine households statewide, including Kittery, York and across southern Maine. Learn more on our Maine insurance agency page.
Frequently asked questions
Does Maine require me to carry a personal umbrella policy?
No. Maine requires auto liability, uninsured motorist and medical payments coverage on every registered vehicle, but no law requires a personal umbrella. People buy one because a serious claim can be larger than the limits on their home and auto policies.
Do I need higher limits on my auto policy before I can add an umbrella?
Usually yes. Most umbrella carriers want your auto liability set at a level higher than the Maine minimum of 50/100/25, often 250/500 or a combined single limit, and your homeowners liability at a set minimum too. We’ll tell you what each carrier requires before you choose, so the umbrella and the policies underneath line up.
Will my umbrella cover my snowmobile, ATV or boat in Maine?
It depends on the umbrella and the policy underneath. Many umbrellas extend over a snowmobile, ATV or boat only if that vehicle carries its own liability policy at the limit the umbrella carrier requires. Tell us everything you own that has a motor, and we’ll check each one. See ATV and snowmobile insurance in Maine and boat insurance in Maine.
I own a camp I rent out a few weeks a summer. Will my umbrella cover a renter’s injury claim?
Sometimes, but only if the rental is disclosed and the camp’s own policy includes liability at the required limit. Many umbrella carriers also limit how many rental properties they’ll sit over. Tell us about every property you own or rent out. See landlord insurance in Maine and second home insurance in Maine.
How much umbrella coverage do Maine households usually buy?
Most start at $1 million and go up in $1 million steps. The right limit depends on what you own, your income, who drives in your household and the risks you have at home, like a pool, a dog, a dock or teen drivers. Our umbrella insurance calculator is a good starting point, and we’ll go over it with you.
Can my umbrella be with a different company than my home and car insurance?
Sometimes. Some umbrella carriers require your home and auto with them, and others will write a standalone umbrella over policies with other companies. As an independent agency, we can show you both options. Many Maine families keep the umbrella with their home and auto carrier to keep things simple; see our Maine home and auto bundle page.
Get a Maine umbrella quote
Send us your current declarations pages and we’ll check the limits underneath, then compare umbrella options from multiple carriers. Call (603) 431-4020, email insure@portsmouthatlanticins.com or start a quote online.