Does my Georgia homeowner insurance cover flooding?
A typical Georgia homeowners’ policy is written through Farmers, State Farm, Allstate, and Progressive, for instance, excludes flooding as something that will be covered under their homeowner’s policy. Georgia flood zone map
In most cases, the only way to get flood coverage is by purchasing a stand-alone flood insurance policy. However, you should ask your homeowners agent if you can add an endorsement to your homeowner’s policy to cover flooding. Yet, don’t be too surprised if the answer is NO.
There are many options available in Georgia regarding flood insurance, but they basically fall into two main categories. The Government option also referred to as the NFIP or FEMA. And the Private Flood Insurance Market.
Georgia NFIP flood insurance.
1 – The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), also known as FEMA, which is the government option for flood insurance. The NFIP has enjoyed a 50-state monopoly on the flood insurance market.
Not “private flood insurance” but NFIP Resellers
If you have Nationwide Flood Insurance, State Farm Flood Insurance, Progressive Flood Insurance, or any of the of the logos below then you are buying the NFIP flood policy that is just being resold through a government program. These companies are private companies, but their flood insurance is not. Here is a list of the 70 companies that resell the NFIP policy.
The average cost for flood insurance in Georgia with the maximum set limits in these Low-risk flood zone areas is $405 – $700 per year.
If your property is in higher-risk flood zone, it is usually identified with a Flood Zone AE. Your lender will require you to have flood insurance. The cost of flood insurance in Georgia depends on many factors that are unique to the structure. We are going to try to give you an idea for the most common homes we see in Georgia with a slab on grade foundation.
We will look at the Georgia cost of flood insurance for the NFIP maximum of $250,000 for the (building only) with NO CONTENTS and our recommended deductible of $5,000.
We will be rating this example on the NFIP, as well as on a few of our private flood insurance policies, specifically Lloyds flood insurance options in Georgia.
Our example is in Chatham, but the premiums will be the same if in Savannah, Tybee Island, Cobb, Glynn, Augusta, and many other Georgia flood ones.
In our example, the Base Flood Elevation (BFE is 13) and is a home that is built before 1973
NFIP option in Georgia Flood Zone AE
NFIP – Coverage of $250,000 building coverage (no Contents coverage) and $5,000 deductible
NFIP Annual premium in High-Risk flood zone is $4,060.00
This option is what we see if the property has had a flood loss before, and either doesn’t have an Elevation Certificate applied or the Elevation certificate showing that the lowest floor is 4 feet under the BFE for the area. You can use 10% of your coverage to cover other structures on your property
Georgia Private flood insurance – Lloyd’s of London Flood Insurance (option 1)
Coverage of $250,000 building coverage (no Contents coverage) and $5,000 deductible
Lloyd’s of London (option 1) Annual premium in High-Risk flood zone is $649.76 (great price).
This option is great, and we are very happy when we can get this option. They can be a bit choosey about what risk they will accept and will not take anything that has had a flood loss. They do offer coverage for basements, about $2,000 for loss of use, $2,000 for other structures, but they can’t increase this coverage. They do not require an Elevation Certificate to rate.
Georgia Private flood insurance – Lloyd’s of London Flood Insurance (option 2)
Coverage of $250,000 building coverage (no Contents coverage) and $5,000 deductible
Lloyd’s of London (option 2) Annual premium in High-Risk flood zone is $465.83
This option is great, and we are very happy when we can get this option for our clients as well. They seem to be writing almost all risks; however, they do not write any property that is in a designated floodway or has the depth of -4 under the BFE. In our example, with our BFE being 5368, if the lowest floor is 5364, then they will not accept this risk. They will not take anything that has had a flood loss. They do offer limited coverage for basements and do not require an Elevation Certificate to rate, and as a percentage of coverage for loss of use. If you want coverage for other structures, then that will need to be added.
Private Flood insurance option (option 3) Not Lloyd’s
Coverage of $250,000 building coverage (no Contents coverage) and $5,000 deductible
Annual premium in High-Risk flood zone is $ 3,539.00
This option will take properties that have had one flood loss as long as it has been more than five years, and the payout was under $100,000 on the claim. Their coverage matches the NFIP. They will write practically all risks, don’t need an elevation certificate to rate, and are a bit lower in premium than the NFIP.
Private Flood insurance – Lloyd’s of London (option 4)
This option must be written on the Replacement Cost Value (RCV) of the building, otherwise there is a co-insurance penalty that kicks in. So, $250,000 might be a bit low in California, but to keep this going, let’s just use that for this option
Coverage of $250,000 (RCV) building coverage, No Contents and $5,000 deductible
Annual premium in High-Risk flood zone is $ 824.72.
This options rating system is all over the board. Sometimes we get a crazy great price, but other times the premium is way higher than the NFIP will consider taking a property that has had one flood loss before as long as it has been more than ten years and the payout was under $50,000 on the claim. Their preferred coverage is at replacement cost, which is a bit different from some of our other Lloyd’s flood options. We usually reserve this one if the property doesn’t fit into any of our options above. We can adjust coverages to control premium. As mentioned before, this underwriters’ rates are all over the board. It is worth shopping through to make sure we are getting you the best premium we can. They don’t need an elevation certificate to rate.
Private Flood insurance – Lloyd’s of London (option 5)
Coverage of $250,000 (RCV) building coverage, No Contents and $5,000 deductible.
Annual premium in High-Risk flood zone is $ 1,138.80
This option came out of the company that used to run the NFIP program, so the coverage almost exactly matches the NFIP coverage with two differences. They offer living expenses which will cover your cost, when you are displaced from your home during repairs (most Lloyds flood policies offer this). They also offer swimming pool clean out, which is kind of unique so if you have a pool ask for this coverage.
Private Flood insurance – Lloyd’s of London (option 6)
Coverage of $250,000 (RCV) building coverage. No Contents and $5,000 deductible.
Annual premium in High-Risk flood zone is $904.05
This options rating system is also all over the board. Sometimes we get a crazy low price; other times the premium is way higher than the NFIP. They will consider taking a property that has had one flood loss before as long as it has been more than ten years and the payout was under $25,000 on the claim. They have been rumored to give a low price the first year and then non renew following years or sometimes they jack the price way up so we will watch them. They have a slick system, and their underwriting is managed by a 3rd party, which also seems to be a glitch sometimes.
There are more options coming online every day, and we are working to be looking into every viable option.
Let’s look at Camden, Georgia where they have 1,157 flood policies in effect. The premiums total $586,409 which allows the average flood rate to be $507.
Next, we’ll check out Kingsland, Georgia where the average flood rate is $372. The number of active flood policies is 932 with $347,094 in total premiums.
St. Marys, Georgia is up next with 1,744 active flood policies and $899,467 in premiums. The average flood rate for St. Marys is $516.
Now a group of areas that include Carroll, Catoosa, and Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia where the number of active policies total 407 with $374,961 in written premium. The average for these areas is $921.
In Bloomingdale, Georgia, the flood policies number 204. The premiums here total $163,752 which allows the average flood rate to be $803.
Let’s look at Camden, Georgia where they have 1,157 flood policies in effect. The premiums total $586,409 which allows the average flood rate to be $507.
Next, we’ll check out Kingsland, Georgia where the average flood rate is $372. The number of active flood policies is 932 with $347,094 in total premiums.
St. Marys, Georgia is up next with 1,744 active flood policies and $899,467 in premiums. The average flood rate for St. Marys is $516.
Now a group of areas that include Carroll, Catoosa, and Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia where the number of active policies total 407 with $374,961 in written premium. The average for these areas is $921.
In Bloomingdale, Georgia, the flood policies number 204. The premiums here total $163,752 which allows the average flood rate to be $803.
17,121 is the number of active flood policies in Chatham, Georgia. Chatham has $10,739,542 in flood premiums. The average flood rate here is $627.
$1,098 is the average flood rate for Garden City, Georgia. Garden City has 288 active flood policies with $316,193 in flood premiums.
There are 1,751 flood policies in effect in Pooler, Georgia. Pooler has an average flood rate of $507 with $887,634 in written premium.
Port Wentworth, Georgia has an average flood rate of $539. Port Wentworth has 239 active flood policies with $128,757 in flood premiums.
Hello Savannah, Georgia! You all have 7,116 active flood policies. Savannah has so much charm. The houses are gorgeous. The parks are amazing. There is so much to do! The premiums in Savannah total $4,211,645 which allows the average flood rate to be $592.
Next up is Thunderbolt, Georgia where the average flood rate is $847. Thunderbolt has 331 flood policies in effect with $280,464 in written premiums.
Tybee Island, Georgia! Let’s hit the beach, the local ice cream shop, or The Original Crab Shack! Your island is so fun! There are $2,561,490 in flood premiums with 2,638 in active policies. The average flood rate for Tybee Island is $971.
$662 is the average flood rate for Cherokee and Athens-Clarke, Georgia. These areas have premiums that total up to $394,816 with 596 active flood policies.
514 policies are in effect in Clayton and Austell, Georgia. Clayton and Austell have an average flood rate of $555 which includes $285,391 in written premium.
In Cobb, Georgia, there are 2,594 flood policies in effect. Cobb has $1,659,212 in flood premiums with an average flood rate of $640.
Kennesaw, Georgia has an average flood rate of $670. The number of active flood policies is 119 with $79,720 in premiums.
The average flood rate of Marietta and Smyrna, Georgia is $736. The premiums here add up to $306,968 with 417 flood policies in effect.
Let’s check out Columbia, Georgia where there are 812 active flood policies. Columbia has $374,404 in premiums which allows the average flood to be $461.
When we look at Cook, Georgia, we see 68 flood policies in effect with $66,372 in premiums. The average flood rate for Cook, Georgia is $976.
Now let’s check out a group of areas that include Coweta, Crisp, Bainbridge, and Decatur County, Georgia where the premiums total $590,658 with 710 active flood policies. The average flood rate for these areas is $832.
Hello Atlanta, Georgia! Atlanta has 2,053 flood policies in effect. Atlanta has $1,796,644 in written premiums which allows the average flood rate to be $875.
Our next group of areas include Brookhaven, Chamblee, and Decatur, Georgia, where the policies add up to 388 with $341,806 in total premiums. The average flood rate here is $881.
Looking at Dekalb, Georgia, we find $2,326,902 in flood premiums with 2,539 active flood policies. The average flood rate for Dekalb is $916.
The average flood rate drops to $528 in Dunwoody, Georgia. Dunwoody has 234 flood policies in effect which includes $123,468 in flood premiums.
Moving on to Albany, Georgia where the average flood rate rises to $1,222. Albany has 1,103 in active flood policies with $1,348,030 in written premium.
Dougherty and Douglas, Georgia have an average flood rate of $690. The active policies add up to 547 with $377,225 in flood premiums.
In Douglasville, Georgia, we find 73 flood policies in effect with $42,175 in written premium. The average flood rate for Douglasville is $578.
The average flood rate drops to $464 in Effingham, Georgia. The active flood policies number 803 with $372,356 in flood premiums.
When we look at Rincon, Fannin, and Rome, Georgia, we find 683 policies that are active with $615,468 in total flood premiums. The average flood rate for these areas is $901.
Next up is Fayette, Peachtree City, and Floyd, Georgia where their average flood rate is $617. The premiums total $325,310 with 527 flood policies in effect.
Forsyth, Georgia has an average flood rate of $473. The premiums total $207,900 with 440 active flood policies.
$569 is the average flood rate for East Point and Alpharetta, Georgia. The number of active flood policies in East Point and Alpharetta is 303 with $172,407 in total premiums.
Looking at Fulton, Johns Creek, and Milton, Georgia, we find 652 flood policies in effect with $379,970 in written premium. The average flood rate for these areas is $583.
459 flood policies are active in Roswell, Georgia. The premiums total $227,816 which allows the average flood rate to be $496.
The average flood rate rises to $662 in Sandy Springs, Georgia. The number of policies in Sandy Springs total 520 with $344,131 in flood premiums.
Gilmer, Georgia has an average flood rate of $845. Gilmer has 264 active flood policies with $223,210 in written premium.
1,278 flood policies are active in Brunswick, Georgia. Brunswick has $1,341,338 in flood premiums which causes the average flood rate to be $1,050.
The average flood rate drops to $658 in Glynn, Georgia. Glynn has 12,278 flood policies in effect with $8,080,522 in flood premiums.
The average flood rate drops again to $496 in Jekyll Island, Georgia. Jekyll Island has $413,245 in written premiums and 833 active flood policies.
When we look at Gordon and Duluth, Georgia, we find 219 flood policies in effect with $185,441 in total premiums. The average flood rate for these areas is $847.
$617 is the average flood rate in Gwinnett, Georgia. Gwinnett has 1,190 flood policies that are active with $734,083 in written premium.
Let’s look at a group of areas that include Hall, Harris, Henry, Lee, and Flemington, Georgia where the flood premiums add up to $584,939 with 982 active flood policies. The average flood rate for these areas is $596.
Our next group includes McDonough, Houston, and Warner Robins, Georgia where the average flood rate is $593. The policies here number 569 with $337,665 in written premium.
Hinesville, Georgia has 893 active flood policies with $460,392 in flood premiums. Hinesville has an average flood rate of $516.
The average flood rate rises to $800 in Liberty, Georgia. Liberty has 839 flood policies in effect with $671,274 in total premiums.
Looking at Midway, Long, Lowndes, and Valdosta, Georgia, we find the active flood policies number 649 with $440,281 in flood premiums. The average flood rate for these areas is $678.
Next up is Darien, Georgia where the average flood rate is $466. Darien has 74 flood policies in effect with $34,498 in premiums.
In McIntosh, Georgia, there are 771 flood policies active with $585,588 in total flood premiums. The average flood rate for McIntosh is $760.
$814 is the average flood rate for Mitchell and Monroe, Georgia. The premiums here total $161,889 with 199 policies in effect.
855 flood policies are active in Columbus, Georgia. Columbus has an average flood rate of $917 which includes $784,278 in flood premiums.
Let’s check out another group of areas that include Newton, Paulding, Cedartown, and Polk, Georgia where the active flood policies total 471. The average flood rate for these areas is $609 which includes $286,925 in total premiums.
Putnam and Rabun, Georgia have $304,124 in total premiums with 235 active flood policies. The average flood rate for Putnam and Rabun is $1,294.
The average flood rate drops to $764 in Augusta, Georgia. Augusta has 1,032 flood policies in effect with $788,164 in total premium.
Next up, we’ll look at Rockdale, Thomas, Thomasville, Tifton, Waycross, Helen, Dalton, Whitefield, and Worth, Georgia where the premiums add up to $805,496. The flood policies total 932 which allows the average flood rate to be $864.
Finally, our last group includes Seminole, Spalding, Sumter, Union, Rossville, Walker, and Walton, Georgia where the average flood rate is $829. These areas have premiums that total up to $583,016 with 703 active flood policies.
Thanks for checking out all the flood information on Georgia!!