By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO, Licensed Insurance Advisor
Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance
Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance is a family-owned independent agency, founded in 2005 and licensed in Vermont. We help Vermont households insure ski homes, second homes, year-round houses and cars, comparing coverage from carriers among the 40+ we work with. We don’t charge additional fees.
We work for you, not one insurance company. Our office is at 601 Islington St, Unit 206, Portsmouth, NH, and Vermont clients work with us by phone, email and online. Families across New England have given us 1,000+ Google reviews and over 2,000 testimonials, and we’re New Hampshire’s highest-rated agency on Google.
Key takeaways
- Licensed in Vermont, with no Vermont office; most clients work with us remotely from our Portsmouth, NH office.
- Ski homes and second homes need a clear story on occupancy, heat and winter access, plus a close look at snow load and ice dams.
- For Vermont homes we compare Vermont Mutual, Liberty Mutual, Concord Group, Hanover and Foremost, plus Chubb and Cincinnati for high-value houses.
Why use an independent agency in Vermont?
A captive agent can show you one company’s price. We put several carriers’ offers next to each other for the same house and the same cars, explain the differences in plain language, and let you choose. A ski house that sits empty from Monday to Thursday, a dirt-road address, or a barn converted to living space can all change which carriers will write the home. If one market steps back at renewal, we can re-shop the policy without you starting over somewhere else.
Ski homes, second homes and seasonal occupancy
A lot of the Vermont work we see is a second home: a ski house in Stowe, a village place in Woodstock, or a rural house used on weekends. Carriers want to know whether the house is occupied year-round, how it is heated when no one is there, who checks on it after a storm, and whether it is rented. A vacant house without a plan for heat and inspections can be a problem at claim time. We rate the dwelling to the cost to rebuild, not the sale price, and we look at roof age, wood stoves, winter access and fire-department distance.
If you rent the house by the week during ski season, a standard homeowners policy may limit or exclude that use. See short-term rental insurance in Vermont, Vermont second home and ski house insurance, Stowe and Woodstock.
Snow load, ice dams and rural winters
Vermont winters decide many of the coverage questions. Heavy snow can test an older roof, and ice dams form when heat escaping through the roof melts snow that refreezes at the eaves and backs water under the shingles. Many homeowners policies cover collapse from the weight of ice, snow or sleet, and sudden interior water damage from an ice dam. Worn shingles, poor insulation and slow leaks are maintenance, not something to transfer to a policy. Frozen pipes are often covered only if the heat was maintained or the water was drained.
Flood is separate. River-valley and mountain homes near streams were a reminder of that in 2023, when severe storms and flooding reached houses well away from some mapped flood zones. We quote new NFIP flood through Selective and compare private flood. See flood insurance.
High-value homes and other Vermont coverage
High-value Vermont homes, including larger ski houses and Champlain-shore properties, often need a carrier comfortable with higher dwelling limits. Chubb and Cincinnati write homes at any dwelling limit. For other Vermont homes and rentals we compare Vermont Mutual, Liberty Mutual, Concord Group, Hanover and Foremost. We cannot write Andover in Vermont. See Vermont high-value home insurance and Vermont homeowners and second-home insurance.
We also write landlord insurance, condex insurance, umbrella insurance, boat insurance and RV insurance in Vermont. Vermont Mutual and Progressive write auto in Vermont; Progressive also writes renters. We do not write Progressive condo or HO-6 coverage.
Disclosure: Coverage, eligibility and price depend on each carrier’s underwriting and your details. Nothing on this page is a quote or a promise of coverage.
Vermont auto insurance
Vermont requires liability coverage of at least $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident and $10,000 for property damage. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage must be at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident, which is higher than the liability minimum. If your liability limits are higher than 50/100, your uninsured-motorist limits usually match them unless you direct otherwise. For Vermont auto we compare carriers including Vermont Mutual and Progressive. See Vermont auto insurance.
Vermont areas we serve
Town pages already on the site:
Statewide Vermont guides:
- Auto insurance
- Boat insurance
- Condex insurance
- Landlord insurance
- RV insurance
- Short-term rental insurance
- Umbrella insurance
- High-value homes
- Homeowners and second homes
- Second homes and ski houses
- Vermont Mutual (carrier page)
Also licensed nearby: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have an office in Vermont?
No. Our office is at 601 Islington St, Unit 206, Portsmouth, NH. We’re licensed in Vermont and work with Vermont clients by phone, email and online. You can also start a quote online.
Can you insure a ski house or second home in Stowe or Woodstock?
Yes. We compare coverage for ski homes and second homes, including houses that sit empty part of the winter, and we ask about heat, winter access and who checks on the property. See Vermont second home and ski house insurance, Stowe high-value and ski homes and high-value homes in Woodstock.
What auto insurance does Vermont require?
Vermont requires liability coverage of at least $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident and $10,000 for property damage, plus uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage of at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident. Those uninsured-motorist minimums are higher than the liability minimums. For Vermont auto we compare carriers including Vermont Mutual and Progressive. See Vermont auto insurance.
Does homeowners insurance cover ice dams and snow load in Vermont?
Often, for sudden damage. Many homeowners policies cover collapse caused by the weight of ice, snow or sleet, and sudden interior water damage from an ice dam. Wear and tear, poor insulation and gradual leaks are the owner’s responsibility, not a substitute for maintenance.
Does a Vermont homeowners policy cover flood?
No. Homeowners insurance does not cover flood, including river and flash flooding. Vermont’s 2023 flooding showed how far water can reach in the river valleys, including homes outside mapped flood zones. We quote new NFIP flood policies through Selective and compare private flood. See our flood insurance page.
Which carriers do you compare for Vermont homes?
For Vermont homes and rentals, the carriers we compare include Vermont Mutual, Liberty Mutual, Concord Group, Hanover and Foremost, plus Chubb and Cincinnati for high-value homes. We cannot write Andover in Vermont. See Vermont homeowners and second-home insurance and Vermont high-value home insurance.
Get a Vermont insurance quote
Have your current declarations pages handy, plus each driver’s license number and each car’s VIN. For a ski house or second home, note how the house is heated when it is empty and who checks on it after a storm. We’ll compare options from multiple carriers and explain the differences in plain language. Call (603) 431-4020, email insure@portsmouthatlanticins.com or start a quote online.