Flood Insurance
What Are My Coverage Options?
A standard National Flood Insurance Policy applies to a home, condominium, mobile home,* rental or business property located in a Special Flood Hazard Area (A SFHA can be defined as an area having special flood, mudflow, or flood related erosion hazards as shown on a Flood Hazard Boundary Map or Flood Insurance Rate Map). It also covers properties in low to moderate risk areas that do not qualify for a Preferred Risk Policy. This includes non-residential and 5+ unit buildings. If you are eligible for a National Flood Insurance Policy, coverage is available for your building and personal property. The cost of Flood Insurance coverage depends on your flood zone risk area.
The coverages available under a standard National Flood Insurance Policy include Building Coverage, Contents Coverage and Replacement Cost Coverage.
Building Coverage protects the structure of your home or business. It includes above-ground appliances and other items of property that are considered to be part of the building:
- Central air conditioners, refrigerators, walk-in freezers
- Built-in dishwashers, built-in microwaves, ranges, cooking stoves and ovens
- Hot water heaters, furnaces and radiators, garbage disposal units
- Awnings, blinds and canopies
- Carpet permanently installed over unfinished flooring
- Permanently installed cupboards, bookcases, cabinets, paneling and wallpaper
- Elevator equipment, fire sprinkler systems, light fixtures, plumbing fixtures
- Outdoor antennas and aerials fastened to buildings
In a basement,* which is defined as any room where the floor is below ground on all sides, coverage is limited to the following:
- Furnaces, hot water heaters, water softeners, central air conditioners, heat pumps
- Utility connections, sump pumps, fuel and water tanks
- Supports and anchors required to hold up building, fiberglass insulation, dry wall or sheet rock walls, unfinished, unfloated and not taped
- Electrical wiring and circuit breaker boxes
- Clean-up after a flood
Clothes washers, dryers and food freezers located below ground, in a basement,* are not covered under Building Coverage. Contents Coverage can be purchased separately for these items.
- Residential homes can be insured up to a maximum of $250,000 under Building Coverage.
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Non-residential buildings can be insured up to a maximum of $500,000 under Building Coverage.
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Replacement Cost Coverage applies to single-family dwellings and residential condominium building associations. To qualify, the building must be your principal residence, it must be owner occupied, and it must be insured at the time of the loss for at least 80 percent of the building’s replacement cost or the maximum coverage available, whichever is less. Condominium unit owners need to purchase Contents Coverage to cover personal property.
Contact your
Allstate agent for a complete list of what's included under Building Coverage.
Flood claims data confirms that a foot of water can destroy 60 of a building's personal property contents. Flash flooding usually causes more damage to a building's contents than damage to the building itself.
You'll want to think about coverage for your personal property items as well as the structure of your building. Your personal belongings help make your house, apartment, condominium, mobile home, or co-op unit a home. You don't want to risk losing them in the event of a flood.
For some policies, contents coverage is not included. Talk to your
Allstate agent to make sure you have the coverage you need.
- Clothing and furniture
- Portable or window-type air conditioning units
- Portable microwaves and portable dishwashers
- Carpets over finished flooring located above ground
- Carpets, not permanently installed, over unfinished flooring
- “Cook-out” grills
- Food freezers (other than walk-ins which are covered under Building Coverage)
- Clothes washers and dryers
Clothes washers, dryers and food freezers are only covered by Contents Coverage, whether they are located above ground, or below ground in a basement.*
- Up to $100,000 for contents with a Standard Flood Insurance Policy
- Up to $100,000 for contents with a Preferred Risk Policy
Personal property contents are covered on an actual cash value basis. Replacement cost coverage is not available for contents. Please see your
Allstate agent for details.
The base insurance plan also includes up to $1,000 for reasonable expenses, such as sandbagging, incurred to protect your property from the imminent danger of a flood.
A Preferred Risk Flood Policy is designed for homeowners and tenants of eligible buildings in low to moderate flood hazard areas who want to help protect their home and contents in the event of a flood. In order to qualify for a Preferred Risk Flood Policy, you need to own a one-to-four family dwelling or non-residential propertyin a low to moderate flood hazard area that meets certain requirements.
If your dwelling’s flood loss history falls into any of the categories below, a Preferred Risk Policy cannot be written. These requirements apply since the date of construction and regardless of your dwelling’s prior ownership:
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Two loss payments, each more than $1,000
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Three or more loss payments, regardless of the amount
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Two Federal Disaster Relief payments, each more than $1,000
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Three Federal Disaster Relief payments, regardless of the amount
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One flood insurance claim payment and one flood disaster relief payment (including loans and grants), each more than $1,000
For homes located in low to moderate flood hazard areas, a Preferred Risk Policy provides the same coverage as a standard Flood Insurance policy:
- Your building's structural elements can be insured up to $250,000 residential, $500,000 non-residential
- Your contents can be insured up to $100,000 residential, $500,000 non-residential
- Replacement cost coverage is also available for a single-family, primary residence.
- To qualify, your dwelling must be your principal residence, it must be owner occupied, and it must be insured at the time of the loss for at least 80 percent of the building’s replacement cost or the maximum coverage available, whichever is less.2
In some states, if you purchase National Flood Insurance through Allstate and find you need more coverage than the maximum limit provided by the NFIP program, you may be eligible to purchase additional coverage through an Excess Flood Insurance* Policy from your Allstate agent.
Contact an
Allstate agent to learn more about the Flood Insurance coverage that may be available in your community.
* Please see the disclaimers below.
A Mobilehome Insurance Policy includes flood coverage in the following seven states: Alaska, Florida, Maine, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Texas. See your Allstate agent for Mobilehome Policy details and the availability of Federal Flood Insurance coverage in your state.
The National Flood Insurance Program defines a basement as any room where the floor of the room is below ground on all sides by any amount. "Walkout" and "daylight" basements may not be considered a basement for Flood Insurance purposes. Contents coverage must be purchased to cover washers, dryers, and freezers.
Excess Flood Insurance coverage may currently be available but only in the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington. In order to qualify for an Excess Flood Insurance Policy, you first need to purchase a National Flood Insurance Policy through Allstate. Excess Flood Insurance is provided by one or more insurance carriers not owned by or affiliated with Allstate Insurance Company. Excess Flood Insurance is subject to availability and qualifications. Other terms, conditions and exclusions may apply. Contact your local Allstate agent to find out whether Flood Insurance coverages are available in your area.