Warner, NH Home Insurance

By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO, Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance

Home · Flood · Condo · Renters · Umbrella · Warner, New Hampshire

Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance is an independent agency founded in 2005 and licensed in 10 states. 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. We shop each Warner home across 40+ carriers. Start with New Hampshire homeowners insurance, or read on.

Warner at a glance

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 2,902 Warner residents as of July 1, 2025. The town’s Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2024 describes about 55 square miles of land, bordered by Sutton, Wilmot, Andover and Salisbury to the north, Webster to the east, Bradford to the west, and Hopkinton and Henniker to the south. NH 103 crosses the town east to west alongside I-89, which serves Warner at Exits 7, 8 and 9. Concord is about 17 miles from Town Hall in a straight line.

The plan counts 1,360 housing units in the 2020 Census and 1,980 parcels in 2024, up from 1,847 in 2019. From 2019 through mid-2024 the town issued permits for 35 new single-family homes, 5 accessory dwelling units, 1 manufactured home and no multi-family buildings.

Where you live in Warner changes the policy

• Main Street and the Warner River corridor. The plan calls the low-lying Main Street area along the river the most populated part of town and the place most new development is expected. In its flood-stage notes, at 13 feet on the Davisville gauge Depot Street floods with water surrounding businesses, and Chemical Lane floods near Silver Brook, cutting off access to about a dozen properties, including those on Willey Lane.
• Davisville and the covered bridges. The plan lists the Warner River at the West Joppa Road covered bridge, the Waterloo Road covered bridge, Morse Lane and the Tom’s Pond area as places with regular winter ice jams and names them among the areas that flood when the river reaches 12 feet.
• Kearsarge Mountain Road and one-way-out roads. The plan counts about 116 homes on Mount Kearsarge, 40 on Waldron Hill Road, 16 on Collins Road, 14 on West Roby Road and 13 on Chemical Lane, all single-egress roads that trees or power lines often block. Tell us how the house is reached.
• The Mink Hills and gravel roads. Warner maintains about 63 miles of Class V roads, most of them gravel. The plan’s regular washout list includes East Joppa, West Joppa, Collins, Gore, Poverty Plains, Mason Hill, Schoodac, Burnt Hill and Red Chimney roads, among others.
• Pond and seasonal homes. The plan notes seasonal campgrounds and homes at Pleasant Lake, Latvia Lane and Lake Massasecum, and Tom’s Pond. Tell us about occupancy, heat and winter checks.

Flood coverage in Warner

Warner has been in the NFIP since June 4, 1987, the date of its first Flood Insurance Rate Maps. The plan cites current digital FIRMs and the Merrimack County Flood Insurance Study, both effective April 19, 2010. Preliminary county studies dated October 12, 2022 and May 25, 2023 had not been approved as of July 1, 2024, so maps may change; we check the current map for each address.

The plan’s NFIP history shows 9 policies in December 2002, a high of 20 in December 2012, 16 in September 2018 and 12 by February 2024, with about $2.9 million of coverage. Since 1987 the town has had 11 paid NFIP losses totaling $86,232, and as of April 2023 it had one repetitive loss property. The plan identifies 30 primary buildings by address at least partly in mapped special flood hazard areas: 20 single-family homes, 1 multi-family home and 9 non-residential buildings. It warns that runoff, blocked culverts and beaver dam breaks can flood property outside those zones too.

The USGS Warner River gauge at Davisville, under the Dustin Road/NH 127 bridge, reached its record crest of 12.8 feet in September 1938, the plan’s table shows, followed by 12.35 feet in May 2006 and 11.87 feet in April 2007. The most recent high crest was 8.63 feet in July 2021; major flood stage is 12 feet. A homeowners policy will not pay for river flooding, surface water or a washout that sends water into the house. Flood is its own policy. 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.

See our flood insurance overview. 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.

Ice, wind and winter

The plan scores inland flooding and river hazards at 10.7 out of 16, both up from the 2019 plan, followed by ice storms (9.3) and winter storms and drought (8.0 each). In the town’s community survey of 100 residents, 51% picked the area along the Warner River as the place they worry about most in storms, and high winds (55%) and ice storms (46%) ranked among the hazards that concerned them most. After the January 1998 ice storm, the plan says, residents were without power for up to seven days. Fallen trees, wind, ice dams and frozen pipes are generally homeowners claims, subject to your deductible and policy terms.

Winter, trees and wind in Warner

New Hampshire winters bring ice dams, frozen pipes and heavy snow loads, and storms bring down trees and limbs. These are generally homeowners claims, subject to your deductible and policy terms. A properly sized wind and all-perils deductible, and a roof in good shape, do more for most homeowners than any single add-on. Water damage from a burst pipe is usually covered when the home is heated and occupied; long vacancies can change that, so tell us if the house will sit empty.

Larger homes

Under about $2 million, most of our 40+ carriers are in play. In New Hampshire, Andover generally writes up to about $1.5 million, or closer to $1 million for homes far from a hydrant or fire station. Around $2 million to $3 million, Hanover is often a fit; above $3 million, Cincinnati; and at $5 million and up, Chubb. Each carrier underwrites the specific house, so these are starting points, not promises.

See high-value home insurance in New Hampshire.

Condos, rentals, ADUs and older homes

Warner has few condominiums, but the plan lists numerous apartment buildings of four or more units, North Ridge elderly housing (about 35 units) and the Pleasant Lake Estates manufactured home community (about 33 homes). If you own a condo, your HO-6 policy covers what the association’s master policy does not; see condo insurance in New Hampshire.

If you rent out a house, an apartment or an ADU, tell us, because a rental changes the coverage you need; see landlord insurance. For New Hampshire landlord and habitational placements, including buildings of five or more units, we work with Vermont Mutual, Andover, Safety, Concord Group and Providence Mutual.

Renters and tenants in Warner

If you rent in Warner, 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 Warner 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 Warner

• 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 on a Main Street, Depot Street or riverside property in a mapped flood zone
• A seasonal or pond house the carrier thinks is occupied year-round
• An ADU or apartment the carrier does not know about

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 Warner

• 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
• Line up a tree service before winter, since ice storms and high winds top residents’ worries in the town survey
• If you live on a one-way-out road such as Kearsarge Mountain, Waldron Hill or Collins Road, plan for a few days without power or plowing

Buying a home in Warner

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 whether any part of the lot is in a FEMA special flood hazard area, whether the seller has an elevation certificate, and whether the home has a flood or water-loss history. For a gravel-road, hillside or pond property, get well, septic and access details into the insurance file before closing. We line up the homeowners binder, and a flood binder if you need one, so both are ready for your lender.

How a Warner 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 Warner from Portsmouth

Our office is at 601 Islington St, Unit 206, Portsmouth, NH 03801, and we work with Warner clients by phone, email and online. Call (603) 431-4020. Nearby, see our Hopkinton, Henniker and Concord pages.

Sources

• Town of Warner, Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2024 (CNHRPC; Select Board adopted December 10, 2024; FEMA approved December 19, 2024)
• U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 subcounty population estimates
• U.S. Geological Survey, Warner River at Davisville (01086000)
• 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 Warner, NH?

Yes. We insure Warner homes from our Portsmouth office at 601 Islington St, and by phone, email and online. Call (603) 431-4020.

Does Warner flood?

Parts of it can. The town’s 2024 hazard mitigation plan identifies 30 primary buildings in mapped flood zones, says buildings are especially vulnerable to Warner River flooding, and lists ice jams at the covered bridges and many gravel roads as regular washout spots. As of February 2024 there were 12 NFIP policies in town with about $2.9 million of coverage. 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, personal or business.