Homeowners Insurance in Massachusetts
Checked against official sources · Last reviewed October 13, 2026
If your Massachusetts insurer won't renew your home policy, it must send written notice at least 45 days before the policy ends, with the specific reasons. Once a policy has been in force 60 days, it can be cancelled only for a short list of reasons, such as nonpayment or fraud. If regular companies won't insure you, the Massachusetts FAIR Plan is the state's insurer of last resort; it writes 39.6% of home insurance on Cape Cod and the Islands. The Division of Insurance takes complaints at (877) 563-4467. [1][2][3][4][5]
At a glance
- Notice before your insurer won't renew
- At least 45 days, in writing, with the specific reasons (to you or your agent) [1]
- Cancellation after 60 days
- Only for nonpayment, a related crime, fraud or material misrepresentation, willful or reckless acts raising the hazard, the property becoming uninsurable, or a Commissioner's ruling [2]
- Last-resort insurer
- Massachusetts FAIR Plan (MPIUA), statewide, up to $1,000,000 per single interest [3][4][6]
- Complaints
- Division of Insurance, (877) 563-4467 toll-free or (617) 521-7794 [5]
What homeowners insurance costs in Massachusetts: average premium, 2023 $2,134 a year in Massachusetts vs. $1,737 countrywide · 8th highest of 51 · All states (HO-3 policies; NAIC)
On this page
The Massachusetts market right now
The Division of Insurance's annual home insurance report, for calendar year 2024 (the newest we found as of Oct. 13, 2026), shows:
- Insurers reported 2,124,812 home insurance policies for 2024 (counted in "house-years"), down 19,808 from 2023, mostly because of fewer renters policies. - The Massachusetts FAIR Plan wrote 8.7% of home insurance premium in 2024, below its 16.1% share in 2007. - On Cape Cod and the Islands (Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket counties), the FAIR Plan wrote 39.6% of home insurance. In every other county it wrote under 12%. - Seven catastrophe events in 2024 caused about $157.1 million in property losses in Massachusetts, mostly wind and thunderstorms. - In the urban and coastal ZIP codes the Division tracks, the 25 largest insurers and the FAIR Plan nonrenewed 13,352 policies in 2024. Of the insurers' 10,457 nonrenewals, 269 resulted from insurers withdrawing from certain areas. - Among those 25 insurers' urban and coastal policies, nonrenewed policies averaged 177 claims per 1,000, against 52 per 1,000 for renewed ones. Most policyholders with claims were renewed (95.1% in urban areas and 91.9% in coastal areas).
Wind deductibles are common near the coast. All but four of the companies surveyed (the 25 largest insurers and the FAIR Plan) reported mandatory wind deductibles, up to 5% of the coverage on the house, and 58.0% of coastal policyholders in the survey had one in 2024. The Division says it requires insurers to disclose these deductibles clearly before you buy. Our hurricane deductible guide explains how a percentage deductible works. [3]
If your insurer won't renew or cancels
Nonrenewal (not renewing at the end of the term). Massachusetts law requires dwelling fire and homeowners policies to promise written notice of nonrenewal "at least forty-five days prior to the expiration of the policy," stating "the specific reasons for such decision." The notice can go to you or to the agent or broker who placed the policy; an agent who gets it must send you a copy within 15 days unless the agent has already replaced your insurance. No notice is needed when a company in the same group renews you on the same terms. The Division's 2024 report says "There are no Massachusetts statutes that limit the reasons for the nonrenewal of coverage by an insurer."
Cancellation (ending a policy mid-term). In the first 60 days of a policy, the reasons are not limited: the Division says an insurer may then cancel "without reason." After a policy has been in effect 60 days (or 60 days after an anniversary date), state law allows cancellation only for:
- nonpayment of premium;
- conviction of a crime arising out of acts increasing the hazard insured against;
- fraud or material misrepresentation in getting the policy;
- willful or reckless acts or omissions that increase the hazard;
- physical changes that make the property uninsurable; or
- a ruling by the Commissioner that continuing the policy would violate the law.
Any cancellation notice, even in the first 60 days, must state the specific reasons. How much notice: the standard fire policy written into the statute says "five days written notice" to you (10 days for nonpayment) and 20 days to your mortgage lender. Separately, the FAIR Plan's Plan of Operation, approved by the Commissioner, requires every insurer that cancels or nonrenews a property eligible for the FAIR Plan to give you 30 days' notice and explain how to apply to the FAIR Plan (except for arson by an owner or occupant, material misrepresentation or nonpayment). The two sources differ; check the notice periods in your own policy and ask the Division if your notice came late.
Protected reasons. Insurers and the FAIR Plan may not consider race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, ancestry, sexual orientation, children, marital status, veteran status, receipt of public assistance or disability when deciding to issue, renew or cancel homeowners insurance.
Pending bill. House Bill 1344 (2025-2026 session) would give a homeowner 180 days after a nonrenewal notice to meet the insurer's requirements for continuing coverage. On March 9, 2026, it was sent to a study order, so as of Oct. 13, 2026 the rules above have not changed. [1][2][3][6][7][8]
Massachusetts's FEMA disaster record since 2000
Federal disaster declarations for Massachusetts, counted from FEMA's official declarations data. A "major disaster" declaration brings federal recovery aid; a "fire management" declaration helps pay to fight a wildfire that threatens homes.
Most recent
- Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm Winter Storm · Major disaster · declared 2026-06-30
- Severe Storms And Flooding Flood · Major disaster · declared 2024-05-15
- Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm Snowstorm · Major disaster · declared 2022-04-18
- Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm Snowstorm · Major disaster · declared 2018-07-19
- Severe Winter Storm And Flooding Severe Storm · Major disaster · declared 2018-06-25
- Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding Severe Storm · Major disaster · declared 2015-04-13
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, downloaded 2026-10-14. Each declaration counted once, however many counties it covers. Flood history and flood insurance: FloodHawk.
Hail, wind and wildfire in Massachusetts
Hail, thunderstorm wind and tornado reports
Severe weather reports logged by the National Weather Service in NOAA's Storm Events Database, July 2025 to June 2026 (the latest 12 months NOAA has published), next to the yearly average for 2016 to 2025.
Largest hail in those 12 months: 1.5 inches, Plymouth County, August 14, 2025 (1 other report was the same size).
Most reports of 1-inch-plus hail, 2016–2025: Hampden (27), Worcester (24), Hampshire (17), Franklin (12), Plymouth (11).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, downloaded October 14, 2026. NOAA adds each month about 75 to 90 days after it ends. Tornadoes are counted in NOAA's segments: one that crosses a county line counts once per county, and one that briefly lifts and touches down again can count twice. Reports depend on people seeing and reporting storms, so busier areas log more of them: these counts show how often storms are reported, not the risk to any one home.
Wildfire
Homes in Massachusetts have, on average, greater wildfire risk than 16% of states, and greater wildfire likelihood (the chance of a wildfire burning in any given year) than 16% of states, according to the USDA Forest Service.
Of Massachusetts's 2,354,942 buildings, 32% are in the Forest Service's direct exposure zone (they may be ignited by flammable vegetation next to them, as well as by embers), 23% in the indirect exposure zone (embers or a neighboring burning building), and 44% have minimal exposure.
Source: USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities (state data table updated April 15, 2026). The Forest Service says its ratings describe communities, not individual homes; they don't reflect work owners have done to lower their risk, and the tool isn't designed for insurance companies, which do their own wildfire assessments.
| Year | Fires | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 588 | 1,439 |
| 2022 | 1,192 | 1,756 |
| 2023 | 1,079 | 1,468 |
| 2024 | 1,299 | 4,622 |
| 2025 | 1,158 | 928 |
Source: National Interagency Coordination Center annual reports (table "Wildland Fires and Acres Burned by State and Agency", from the SIT/209 reporting system). Each year counts only the agencies listed for Massachusetts in that year's table, so a big change between years can come from which agencies reported.
2026 so far: 817 acres burned in wildfires reported to the national interagency fire-incident system (IRWIN) for Massachusetts, as of October 14, 2026. Preliminary: from NIFC's year-to-date wildfire locations (WFIGS), which doesn't include every state and local fire and isn't comparable to the annual totals above.
Last resort: the Massachusetts FAIR Plan
The Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association (MPIUA), known as the Massachusetts FAIR Plan, "provides basic property insurance on eligible property for applicants who have been unable to gain insurance through the voluntary market." The Commissioner designated the whole state an "urban area" in 1970, so it is available everywhere in Massachusetts.
Things to know:
- You qualify by showing a reasonable effort to get insurance, for example a written statement from a company, agent or broker that coverage isn't available, or an application through the Massachusetts Market Assistance Plan. - The plan says it insures "without consideration to environmental conditions associated with the property's location," but it inspects every home and can turn down or cancel homes in poor condition. - The most it will insure is $1,000,000 for a single interest at one location. If you can't get an admitted (licensed) company and your home is worth more, the Division says you can look to the surplus lines market. - Its homeowners policies carry a mandatory named storm deductible of 1% to 5% on the Cape and Islands and within half a mile of the coast. - Since February 1, 2025, new homeowners policies on homes in high-risk flood zones in the 78 coastal communities served by the Office of Coastal Zone Management must also carry flood insurance. - The Division's 2024 report says there have been no FAIR Plan filings to change average rates since 2013. The plan was reorganized as a stand-alone association in April 2024.
Massachusetts Market Assistance Plan (MA-MAP). Before or alongside the FAIR Plan, MA-MAP is "a voluntary network for participating homeowners insurance companies and established insurance brokers" that helps residents find coverage in the regular market. Ask an agent, or call (800) 392-6108.
Full details, deductible tables and links are on our Massachusetts FAIR Plan page. [3][4][6][9][10][11]
Discounts for protecting your home
The Division of Insurance says it "encourages insurance companies to allow consumers to reduce or eliminate their wind deductibles" when homeowners take steps such as hurricane shutters, shatterproof glass and roof or foundation anchor bolts.
In its survey of the 25 largest home insurance groups and the FAIR Plan for 2024, 19 reported premium credits or lower rates for measures such as hurricane shutters, hurricane-resistant glass, roof and foundation tie-downs, wind-resistant roof shapes and backup power. Several gave credits for homes meeting IBHS certification requirements or specific building codes. Only five reduced or eliminated wind deductibles for mitigation. Credits differ by company, so ask your agent or insurer which ones it offers and what proof it needs. [3]
Surplus lines
Surplus lines insurers are not licensed ("admitted") in Massachusetts, though they are licensed in another state or country, and they can sell only through specially licensed surplus lines brokers. The Division points owners of homes worth more than the FAIR Plan's $1 million limit, who can't get an admitted company, to this market. See our surplus lines guide. [3]
Flood is separate
The Division's report says home insurance policies "have not traditionally covered damage associated with floods," and it reminds consumers that flooding can happen anywhere, not just near water. If you are insured by the FAIR Plan near the coast, it may require a flood policy (see above). For flood zones and flood insurance, see our sister site FloodHawk. [3][10]
Where to get help
The Division of Insurance asks you to contact your agent and your insurance company first. If that doesn't resolve it:
- Call the Division at (877) 563-4467 (toll-free) or (617) 521-7794, Monday to Friday, 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. - File a complaint online through the Division's complaint page, or print the form and mail it to Division of Insurance, Consumer Services Unit, 1 Federal Street, Suite 700, Boston, MA 02110, or fax it to (617) 753-6830. - What happens next: within two weeks you get a written acknowledgement (or a request for missing information). The insurer or agent gets a copy and has 30 days to respond in writing, and an examiner reviews it. The Division can require corrective action if a company didn't meet its legal obligations, but it can't help if you have an attorney on the matter. - FAIR Plan decisions have their own appeal route: to the plan's board within 15 days, then to the Commissioner. See Massachusetts FAIR Plan. [5][9][12]
Questions people ask
How much notice does a Massachusetts insurer have to give before not renewing my home insurance?
At least 45 days before the policy expires, in writing, with the specific reasons. The notice may go to your agent, who must send you a copy within 15 days. [1]
Can my Massachusetts insurer cancel my homeowners policy in the middle of the term?
In the first 60 days, the reasons are not limited (the Division says an insurer may cancel 'without reason'), though the notice must still state the reason. After 60 days, only for nonpayment, a related crime, fraud or material misrepresentation, willful or reckless acts that raise the hazard, physical changes that make the home uninsurable, or a Commissioner's ruling. The notice must give the reasons. [2][3]
Can a Massachusetts insurer drop me for filing claims?
The Division says no Massachusetts statute limits the reasons for nonrenewal. In the Division's 2024 data, nonrenewed policies had far more claims (177 per 1,000) than renewed ones (52 per 1,000), but most policyholders with claims were renewed. [3]
Where do I go if no company will insure my Cape Cod home?
The Massachusetts FAIR Plan, which wrote 39.6% of home insurance on the Cape and Islands in 2024. An agent can submit the application. FAIR Plan homeowners (HO 2, 3 and 5) policies in Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket counties carry a mandatory named storm deductible of 2% to 5%. [3][6][9]
Who regulates homeowners insurance in Massachusetts?
The Massachusetts Division of Insurance. Its toll-free number is (877) 563-4467. [5]
Sources (12)
- M.G.L. c. 175, Section 193P: Fire insurance policies; nonrenewal notice provision; requisites of notice, The General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Accessed October 13, 2026.
- M.G.L. c. 175, Section 99: Standard form and content of policies or contracts insuring against loss or damage by fire, The General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Accessed October 13, 2026.
- Annual Home Insurance Report for Calendar Year 2024, Massachusetts Division of Insurance. Accessed October 13, 2026.
- MPIUA | The Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association, Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association. Accessed October 13, 2026.
- Division of Insurance, Massachusetts Division of Insurance. Accessed October 13, 2026.
- Amended Plan of Operation of Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association (effective April 1, 2024), Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association. Accessed October 13, 2026.
- M.G.L. c. 175, Section 4C: Nondiscrimination in provision, renewal, or cancellation of homeowners insurance, The General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Accessed October 13, 2026.
- Bill H.1344 (194th General Court): An Act relative to homeowner's insurance, The General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Accessed October 13, 2026.
- Producers' Operations Manual (4/2025), Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association. Accessed October 13, 2026.
- Letter to Producers: Homeowners Flood Insurance and Amount of Insurance Requirements (December 26, 2024), Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association. Accessed October 13, 2026.
- Contact Us, Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association. Accessed October 13, 2026.
- Filing An Insurance Complaint, Massachusetts Division of Insurance. Accessed October 13, 2026.