How to Buy Flood Insurance in 2026: A Step-by-Step Guide

Flood insurance covers damage to your home caused by flooding. It’s essential for homes at risk of flooding, as standard homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flood damage. You can get flood insurance either through a private insurer or through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Flood insurance is typically more expensive through private companies.^[1]

Before buying flood insurance, you should first learn your home’s flood risk by using the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) flood maps. Then, you can compare options to find a policy that suits your needs.

Don’t underestimate the importance of flood insurance, especially if you have a finished basement. Flood damage can cost tens of thousands of dollars to repair.

Here’s what you should know about buying flood insurance.

How to buy flood insurance

Buying flood insurance is straightforward. You can follow these simple steps.

1. Determine if you need flood insurance

2. Estimate how much coverage you need

3. Understand your flood insurance options

4. Buy your coverage

5. Pay your premium

1: Determine if you need flood insurance

Most standard homeowners insurance policies won’t cover flood damage, so you’ll need to buy special flood coverage if your home is at risk of flooding.

You can search your address in FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center to find its designated risk.^[2] You can also ask your insurance agent or mortgage lender if they have or can produce flood risk reports for the property or area.

Keep in mind that the FEMA flood maps change annually, so you’ll want to check every year at policy renewal that your flood insurance is still adequate or necessary. Even if your home isn’t in a flood zone, it can still be at risk, especially during heavy rainfall or snowmelt.

Here’s a list of common flooding risk indicators:

• Previous flooding in the area

• Proximity to rivers, creeks, lakes, or coastlines

• Local rainfall trends

• Drainage issues

Find Affordable Home Insurance

Check quotes from 120+ top insurance companies

Enter your ZIP codeView My Quotes

Excellent

4.7 out of 5 based on 13,082 reviews

Secure. Free. Easy-to-use.

2. Estimate how much coverage you need

The two main coverage types in a typical flood insurance policy are dwelling coverage and contents coverage.

Dwelling coverage protects the structure of your home, including its walls, foundation, and built-in appliances and systems, like plumbing and electrical. It pays for the cost to repair or replace your home in the event of flood damage. Your coverage amount should be the total cost to rebuild your home after flood damage considering current construction costs.

Contents coverage pays for flood damage to personal belongings in your home, such as furniture, electronics, and clothing. It’s a good idea to purchase enough coverage to either replace these belongings or to replace their current value.

When choosing coverage, you’ll need to decide whether you want full replacement cost or actual cash value. Replacement cost will fully replace the item, regardless of cost, while actual cash value will only pay for the item’s current market value.^[3]

Below, you can see how private flood insurance stacks up against NFIP policies.

Policy Type	Dwelling Coverage Limit	Contents Coverage Limit	Loss of Use Coverage
NFIP	$250,000	$100,000	N/A
Private	$1 million or more	$1 million or more	$1 million or more

3. Understand your flood insurance options

Homeowners can buy flood insurance either through the government-backed NFIP or through a private insurance company. The NFIP offers standard coverage limits, while private insurers offer higher limits and often add-on coverages that the NFIP doesn’t offer, like loss of use coverage.

If you’re in a flood zone, your mortgage lender will likely require you to carry flood insurance. Even if you’re not in a flood zone, it’s worth understanding your home’s risk of flooding and buying flood insurance if it makes sense. Understanding what type of policy you should buy is key before making a decision.

When to select an NFIP policy

• Best for: Homeowners in moderate to high-risk flood zones who want standard coverage limits and affordable rates

• Key limitations: Lower coverage limits, no loss of use coverage, longer waiting periods

NFIP policies provide standard flood insurance coverage limits of up to $250,000 for dwelling coverage and $100,000 for contents coverage for homeowners and renters, but coverage limits are higher for businesses.^[4]

NFIP policies are typically more affordable than private insurance. But these policies have a longer 30-day waiting period, often have slower claims processing, and don’t offer loss of use coverage.

When to select a private flood insurance policy

• Best for: Homeowners who want higher limits for flood coverage and add-on benefits like loss of use coverage

• Key limitations: Often more expensive than NFIP policies and have stricter criteria

You can purchase private flood insurance as a separate policy or add it to an existing home insurance policy. Private flood insurance is typically more expensive than NFIP policies. But it typically offers shorter waiting periods, faster claims processing, and the option to add loss of use coverage, unlike the NFIP. While many insurance companies sell NFIP-backed policies, private insurance has much higher coverage limits.

Some private flood insurance companies to consider are Neptune, Chubb, Aon Edge, Beyond Floods, Wright Flood, and Palomar. Make sure to consider all your options before buying a policy.

4. Buy your coverage

Before you buy a policy, you’ll need to decide what type of coverage you want.

If you choose an NFIP policy, you’ll need to go through the FEMA website or work with an authorized insurance agent. If you want a private flood insurance policy, research flood insurance companies and standard home insurers that offer flood coverage and contact them directly or through an agent.

How to apply for an NFIP policy

You can use the FloodSmart Agent Locator Tool or get in touch with your home insurance agent to apply for an NFIP policy, .^[5] Your home insurance agent will likely be able to write an NFIP policy for you or refer you to another local agent.

You’ll need to fill out an application, select coverage levels, and begin paying premiums before your coverage kicks in. You’ll also have a 30-day waiting period before your policy is effective, so don’t hesitate to purchase once you’re ready.

How to apply for private flood insurance

Check out private flood insurance if your community doesn’t participate in the NFIP, you need to purchase additional coverage, or if an NFIP policy isn’t a good fit. Your state may have a resource to help you find private insurers, or you can research and compare companies to find your ideal coverage.

Just like with NFIP policies, you’ll need to apply, select coverage levels, and pay premiums before your coverage kicks in. Private insurers typically have shorter waiting periods of up to 15 days.

5. Pay your premium

Once you pick your policy, you’ll need to pay your premium for your coverage to become effective. If you don’t pay your premiums, your flood coverage won’t be active, and you won’t have protection. You can set up automatic payments if you’re worried about forgetting to pay.

When do waiting periods go into effect?

Waiting periods take effect once you complete your application and make your initial premium payment. For NFIP policies, you’ll need to wait 30 days in most cases. For private flood insurance, the waiting period is typically between one and 15 days, depending on the insurance company. Make sure you understand your policy’s waiting period before purchasing it.

Average cost of flood insurance in high-risk areas

The average annual cost of an NFIP policy varies based on risk level, but 37% of policies cost between $0 and $1,000, and 43% cost between $1,000 and $2,000.^[6] For private flood insurance, you’ll likely pay more, especially if you have higher limits or additional benefits like loss of use coverage.

Check out the table below to see the average annual cost  for an NFIP flood insurance policy in states with high risks of flooding.

State	Average Annual Cost
California	$779
Florida	$776
Louisiana	$786
New Jersey	$953
New York	$943
North Carolina	$780
Mississippi	$801
Missouri	$827
South Carolina	$714
Texas	$779

Find Cheap Home Insurance

Insurify partners with top insurers for real quotes

Enter your ZIP codeGet My Quotes

Excellent

4.7 out of 5 based on 13,082 reviews

Secure. Free. Easy-to-use.

6. File a flood insurance claim if needed

Flood insurance only covers damage caused by flooding, not leaks or plumbing issues. You should only file a claim if flooding caused your water damage. It’s a good idea to keep your policy documents handy and photograph rooms or possessions before any damage occurs. This will help make the claims process easier.

Follow these steps to file a flood insurance claim:

• Document damage with photos. Take photos of everything that the flooding damages immediately after the damage occurs.

• Contact your insurer or NFIP representative. Get in touch with your insurance company as soon as you can to start the claims process.

• Schedule an adjuster inspection. Find a time for an insurance adjuster to come to your home and determine the payout.

• Submit proof of loss within 60 days. Most insurers require you to submit proof of loss within 60 days of the damage, so be sure to fill out the form as soon as you can.

Flood insurance policies typically exclude mold, landscaping, and temporary housing damage. Your insurer may have other exclusions as well, so make sure you understand what your policy doesn’t cover before filing a claim.

Flood insurance FAQs