Homeowners Insurance in New Hampshire
Checked against official sources · Last reviewed October 13, 2026
New Hampshire has no FAIR plan on the national list of state plans, and the New Hampshire Insurance Department (NHID) found in July 2026 that the homeowners market has "a reasonable degree of competition." If your insurer cancels or won't renew, state law (RSA 417-B) generally requires at least 45 days' written notice with the specific reason, and an insurer may not refuse to renew solely because you filed one valid claim. A 2026 law created a state grant program for storm-proofing homes, but it only pays out if money comes into its fund. [1][2][3][4]
At a glance
What homeowners insurance costs in New Hampshire: average premium, 2023 $1,300 a year in New Hampshire vs. $1,737 countrywide · 35th highest of 51 · All states (HO-3 policies; NAIC)
On this page
New Hampshire's market right now
NHID reviews whether the homeowners market is competitive under RSA 412:13. Its 2026 report, dated July 10, 2026, uses data for 2024 and 2025:
- 178 companies wrote at least some homeowners premium in New Hampshire in 2024 or 2025. - Premium written statewide was about $672 million in 2024 and $721 million in 2025, up 7.4%. - Rate changes filed with NHID averaged +4.7% in 2024 and +1.6% in 2025. - The estimated combined ratio (losses and expenses as a share of premium) fell from 78% in 2024 to 72% in 2025. Of the 77 companies shown, 67 made an underwriting profit in 2025. - NHID's conclusion: "there is a reasonable degree of competition in the New Hampshire homeowners insurance marketplace."
The average hides big swings. NHID says many rate filings use new predictive models that can produce large changes, "both up and down – up to 50% in some isolated cases," and that some insurers spread increases over time by temporarily capping premiums. NHID's advice: "It's more important than ever for consumers to shop for the best price and coverage." [2]
Can't find insurance? No FAIR plan in New Hampshire
A FAIR plan is a state-created pool that sells basic property insurance when regular insurers won't. The national directory of these plans, kept by the Property Insurance Plans Service Office (PIPSO), lists none for New Hampshire (checked Oct. 13, 2026). NHID's homeowners page doesn't mention one either.
State law does give the Insurance Commissioner a tool: under RSA 404-C:1, if the Commissioner finds after a hearing that property insurance "is not readily available in the voluntary market" in any part of the state, the Commissioner may adopt a plan, or call on insurers to prepare one. We found no such plan for homeowners on NHID's site.
What you can do:
- Call NHID's Consumer Services unit at (603) 271-2261 or, in state, (800) 852-3416, or email consumerservices@ins.nh.gov with questions about coverage. - Shop around. NHID's 2026 market report says rate models change often, which can make a big difference in what you pay. - Ask about surplus lines coverage. These are insurers not licensed in New Hampshire that an agent can use only after showing the Commissioner that the coverage can't be found from a licensed ("admitted") insurer. By law the policy must carry a stamp saying the rates and forms have not been approved by the Commissioner and that "the New Hampshire insurance guaranty fund shall not be liable for any claims" if that company goes broke (RSA 405:24). See our surplus lines guide.
For how FAIR plans work in other states, see our FAIR plan guide. [1][2][6][9][10][11]
New Hampshire's FEMA disaster record since 2000
Federal disaster declarations for New Hampshire, 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 Storm And Flooding Severe Storm · Major disaster · declared 2026-10-07
- Severe Storm And Flooding Severe Storm · Major disaster · declared 2024-08-20
- Severe Winter Storm And Flooding Winter Storm · Major disaster · declared 2024-07-10
- Severe Storms And Flooding Severe Storm · Major disaster · declared 2024-04-19
- Severe Storm And Flooding Severe Storm · Major disaster · declared 2024-02-27
- Severe Storms And Flooding Flood · Major disaster · declared 2023-09-14
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 New Hampshire
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: 2 inches, Merrimack County, June 26, 2026.
Most reports of 1-inch-plus hail, 2016–2025: Cheshire (44), Hillsborough (37), Carroll (33), Rockingham (30), Grafton (29).
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 New Hampshire have, on average, greater wildfire risk than 8% of states, and greater wildfire likelihood (the chance of a wildfire burning in any given year) than 6% of states, according to the USDA Forest Service.
Of New Hampshire's 635,311 buildings, 65% are in the Forest Service's direct exposure zone (they may be ignited by flammable vegetation next to them, as well as by embers), 24% in the indirect exposure zone (embers or a neighboring burning building), and 11% 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 | 280 | 96 |
| 2022 | 103 | 381 |
| 2023 | 52 | 58 |
| 2024 | 130 | 127 |
| 2025 | 157 | 146 |
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 New Hampshire in that year's table, so a big change between years can come from which agencies reported.
2026 so far: 159 acres burned in wildfires reported to the national interagency fire-incident system (IRWIN) for New Hampshire, 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.
If your insurer cancels or won't renew
RSA chapter 417-B covers homeowners and other personal, family and household property and liability policies (not auto or workers' compensation). Its main rules:
| Rule | What the law says |
|---|---|
| Notice | Written notice, mailed to the address on your policy or delivered physically or electronically |
| Notice period | At least 45 days before the cancellation or nonrenewal takes effect |
| Shorter notice | 10 days if the reason is nonpayment of premium, or if a new (not renewal) policy is cancelled within 90 days of its start |
| Reason | The notice must state the insurer's specific reason or reasons |
Cancelling in mid-term. Once a policy has been in effect 90 days, or right away for a renewal policy, the insurer may cancel only for one of these reasons (RSA 417-B:3):
- nonpayment of premium, including extra premium justified by a physical change in the property or a change in how it is used or occupied; - a conviction of the named insured for a crime that increases a hazard insured against; - fraud or material misrepresentation by the named insured in pursuing a claim; - grossly negligent acts or omissions that substantially increase a hazard; - physical changes that make the property uninsurable; - your own request.
Other protections:
- An insurer may not refuse to renew a homeowners policy based solely on your having filed a single valid claim in any one previous or current policy term. Questions about your coverage don't count as a claim (RSA 417-B:3-a). - An insurer may not cancel, refuse to write or refuse to renew solely because of your age, residence, race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, marital status or lawful occupation (including military service), or solely because another insurer turned you down or dropped you (RSA 417-B:2). - It may not do so solely on the basis of credit information, without considering other permitted underwriting factors (RSA 417-B:2-a). - An insurer that breaks these rules can be fined up to $500, or have its license suspended or revoked, or both, at the Commissioner's discretion (RSA 417-B:7).
The notice and scope sections were last amended by a 2024 law, effective Jan. 1, 2025. See our nonrenewal guide for what to do next. [3][6]
Granite State Home Mitigation and Resiliency grants
Senate Bill 562, signed into law as Chapter 265 of 2026, created the Granite State Home Mitigation and Resiliency Program (RSA 407-E), effective Aug. 31, 2026. NHID runs it. The goal is to help homeowners protect their homes from severe weather, "thereby reducing claim severity, frequency of claims, and insurance premiums."
What the law provides:
- Grants of no more than $9,500 per home per year, and no more than one grant for the same home in any 3-year period. - Grants go first come, first served, only "subject to the availability of funds." Being eligible doesn't guarantee a grant. - You must own an owner-occupied, single-family primary residence in New Hampshire. Mobile homes, condos, townhouses and multi-unit buildings are not eligible; manufactured housing on a permanent foundation is. - Your gross household income must be no more than 60% of the state median income. - IBHS grants pay to bring the home up to the FORTIFIED Home roof or silver designation (a standard from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety). You need an IBHS-certified evaluator to pre-qualify the home, bids from at least 2 IBHS-certified contractors, and an IBHS-certified contractor to do the work. The house can't sit on a dry-stack or fieldstone foundation. See our FORTIFIED roof guide. - Non-IBHS grants cover tree removal or trimming, and repair or replacement of foundations, stairs, railings, decks or porches, when the problem threatens your home's insurability. - For either kind, you must keep your homeowners policy in force unless you show the Commissioner you can't get insurance until the work is done. Grants don't cover new construction. - NHID pays the contractor directly after the work is finished and documented. You owe anything above the grant, and any taxes on it.
Funding and status (checked Oct. 13, 2026): the law itself appropriates no state money. Deposits into the fund are to come from federal money and from gifts, grants, donations or other money NHID accepts. The law says NHID's website "shall be updated at least quarterly as to the current availability of funds." When we checked on Oct. 13, 2026, NHID's homeowners page did not mention the program or an application form. Call NHID at (603) 271-2261 to ask whether applications are open. [4][6][8]
Flood is separate
NHID says: "The homeowner policy specifically excludes water damage resulting from flood." It adds that the exclusion covers surface water, overflow of a body of water, water backing up from sewers, drains or sump pumps, and water seeping through basement walls and floors. NHID's 2026 market report notes that "the state has seen significant flooding in past years." For flood insurance there may be a 30-day wait before coverage starts, NHID says. Our sister site FloodHawk covers flood zones and flood insurance. [2][6][12]
Where to get help
NHID's Consumer Services Division helps resolve problems between consumers and insurers or agents:
- Phone: (603) 271-2261, or in state toll free (800) 852-3416 - Email: consumerservices@ins.nh.gov - Complaints: NHID's complaint page has an online complaint form and a printable form you can mail or fax.
NHID says that by law (RSA 400-A:16, II) a company must respond to the department within 10 business days of receiving your complaint, though extensions can be granted. It also warns that it "is not always able to negotiate the remedy you desire." [6][7]
Questions people ask
Does New Hampshire have a FAIR plan?
No FAIR plan for New Hampshire appears on PIPSO's national list of state plans (checked Oct. 13, 2026). State law (RSA 404-C) lets the Insurance Commissioner set up a plan after a hearing if property insurance is not readily available, but we found no such homeowners plan. NHID's Consumer Services unit, (800) 852-3416 in state, answers coverage questions. [1][6][9]
How much notice must a New Hampshire insurer give before dropping my homeowners policy?
At least 45 days, in writing, stating the specific reason. The minimum is 10 days if the reason is nonpayment of premium, or if a new policy is cancelled within 90 days of its effective date (RSA 417-B:4). [3]
Can my New Hampshire insurer refuse to renew because I filed a claim?
Not solely because you filed a single valid claim within any one previous or current policy term (RSA 417-B:3-a). Asking your insurer about coverage is not a claim and can't be the basis for a nonrenewal. [3][6]
Is the Granite State home mitigation grant open?
The law creating it (RSA 407-E) took effect Aug. 31, 2026. It allows grants of up to $9,500 for lower-income owner-occupants, paid only from its fund, which the law fills with federal money and gifts, grants or other money NHID accepts; the law itself appropriates no state money. On Oct. 13, 2026, NHID's homeowners page did not mention an application. Ask NHID at (603) 271-2261. [4][6][8]
Sources (12)
- Current PIPSO Members and Links of Interest, Property Insurance Plans Service Office (PIPSO). Accessed October 13, 2026.
- Market Competition in the New Hampshire Homeowners Insurance Marketplace 2026 (July 10, 2026), New Hampshire Insurance Department. Accessed October 13, 2026.
- RSA Chapter 417-B: Cancellation, Refusal to Write, Refusal to Renew Certain Property and Liability Insurance, New Hampshire General Court. Accessed October 13, 2026.
- RSA Chapter 407-E: Granite State Home Mitigation and Resiliency Program, New Hampshire General Court. Accessed October 13, 2026.
- New Hampshire Insurance Department, New Hampshire Insurance Department. Accessed October 13, 2026.
- Homeowners and Renters Insurance, New Hampshire Insurance Department. Accessed October 13, 2026.
- Filing a Complaint, New Hampshire Insurance Department. Accessed October 13, 2026.
- SB562 (2026): relative to a home damage mitigation and resiliency program (bill status), New Hampshire General Court. Accessed October 13, 2026.
- RSA Chapter 404-C: Mandatory Risk Sharing Plans, New Hampshire General Court. Accessed October 13, 2026.
- RSA Chapter 405: Foreign Insurance Companies and Their Agents (RSA 405:24, surplus lines), New Hampshire General Court. Accessed October 13, 2026.
- RSA Chapter 404-B: New Hampshire Insurance Guaranty Association, New Hampshire General Court. Accessed October 13, 2026.
- Flood and Storm Information, New Hampshire Insurance Department. Accessed October 13, 2026.