Weare, NH Home Insurance

By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO, Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance

Home · Flood · Condo · Renters · Umbrella · Weare, 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 Weare home across 40+ carriers. Start with New Hampshire homeowners insurance, or read on.

Weare at a glance

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 9,291 Weare residents as of July 1, 2025. The town’s Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2018 describes about 60.1 square miles, bordered by Henniker and Hopkinton to the north, Dunbarton and Goffstown to the east, New Boston to the south, and Francestown and Deering to the west. NH 77, 114 and 149 are the main roads, and Manchester is about 20 miles southeast.

The town’s 2026 Emergency Operations Plan counts about 3,987 housing units, most of them single-family homes (3,488), along with 374 multi-family units and 125 mobile homes. The hazard plan notes that Weare lacks extensive public water and sewer systems.

Where you live in Weare changes the policy

• The village swath along NH 77 and NH 114. The plan says Weare’s villages run from the northwest corner to the southeast corner of town along these two roads, and that this swath carries the highest potential for river flooding because most streams flow south through town. North Weare and Chase Village lie in the inundation area the state mapped for a breach of the Weare Reservoir dam.
• Riverdale and River Road. Debris from fallen trees near the Riverdale bridge and dam on the Piscataquog has caused past flooding that approached several homes on River Road, the plan says. In or next to the Everett Dam inundation area, it lists 13 bridges over the Piscataquog, the Kuncanowet Hills mobile home park and more than 15 occupied homes.
• Peacock Brook and the southern end of town. The plan lists the Lull Road and Old Francestown Road culverts on Peacock Brook, both severely damaged in the May 2006 flood, and the Peacock Hill Road culvert among recurring problem spots. Because Weare’s watercourses flow south, it says, the southern end of town faces greater risk from ice jams and debris-blocked culverts.
• Beaver dams and back roads. Beaver dams have caused minor flooding on Colby Road, Etta Lane, Shady Hill Road, Buckley, Boyce Road and East Road, and a washed-out beaver dam once took out the road near Dunlop Pond in two places. Tell us how the house is reached.
• Near Everett Lake and Lake Horace. Everett Lake, part of the Hopkinton-Everett flood control system, sits in Clough State Park, and Lake Horace (the Weare Reservoir) is on the west side of town. Fields south of Everett Lake flood in heavy rain and snowmelt, the plan notes.

Flood coverage in Weare

Weare has participated in the NFIP since 1993. Its digital FIRMs are dated September 25, 2009, the plan says; we check the current map for each address.

At the time of the 2018 plan, Weare had 37 NFIP policies. Seven claims had been filed since 1993, totaling $109,690.83, and the town had one residential repetitive loss property. The plan calls the potential for river flooding generally low since the Hopkinton-Everett system and the Weare Reservoir dam were built. Runoff and blocked culverts are another story.

In the May 2006 storm, the plan says, nearly nine inches of rain fell over four days; 95 of the town’s 129 roads or road segments needed repairs, and two families were evacuated from Newman Wilson Road near Daniels Lake. Much of the damage came from fast runoff, not the rivers. 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.

Dams in Weare

The Everett Dam, built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is about 2,000 feet long and 115 feet high. The plan says the reservoir has never reached capacity; it came closest in 1987, at 95%. The Weare Reservoir dam at the east end of Lake Horace is a 34-foot concrete gravity dam owned by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, and the state’s breach analysis puts numerous homes, NH 77 and 114, eight bridges and the North Weare and Chase village centers in its inundation area. Weare also has five low-hazard and 11 non-menace dams. Water from a breach is a flood loss, not a homeowners claim.

Ice, wind and winter

The plan’s threat table scores nor’easters 9 out of 10, the only hazard it rates high, followed by heavy snowstorms (6), dam breach (5.3), rapid snowpack melt (5), and ice storms, downbursts, extreme cold and road washouts (4 each). It says the January 1998 ice storm cut power to all of Weare for four days, and the December 2008 ice storm hit the town as well. The plan also flags Colby Road, where trees frequently fall on power lines in wind storms. Fallen trees, wind, ice dams and frozen pipes are generally homeowners claims, subject to your deductible and policy terms.

Winter, trees and wind in Weare

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

If you own a condo or townhouse in Weare, your HO-6 policy covers what the association’s master policy does not; see condo insurance in New Hampshire. Manufactured homes, including those in parks such as Kuncanowet Hills, need a policy written for that kind of home.

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 Weare

If you rent in Weare, 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 Weare 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 Weare

• 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 Piscataquog River, River Road or brook-side property
• A well, septic system or long driveway the carrier knows nothing about
• An ADU or in-law 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 Weare

• 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 the plan rates nor’easters and heavy snowstorms as the town’s top threats
• If your road is long, wooded or has only one way out, plan for a few days without power or plowing

Buying a home in Weare

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 well-and-septic, gravel-road or riverside property, get those 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 Weare 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 Weare from Portsmouth

Our office is at 601 Islington St, Unit 206, Portsmouth, NH 03801, and we work with Weare clients by phone, email and online. Call (603) 431-4020. Nearby, see our Goffstown, Dunbarton, Hopkinton and Henniker pages. For larger homes next door, see high-value home insurance in Dunbarton.

Sources

• Town of Weare, Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2018 (Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission; Board of Selectmen adopted November 5, 2018)
• Town of Weare, Emergency Operations Plan 2026 (final April 1, 2026)
• 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 Weare, NH?

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

Does Weare flood?

Parts of it can. The town’s 2018 hazard mitigation plan says river flooding is less likely since the Hopkinton-Everett flood control system and the Weare Reservoir dam were built, but the May 2006 storm damaged 95 of the town’s 129 roads or road segments, mostly through runoff and failed culverts. At the time of the plan there were 37 NFIP policies in town. 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.