Flood Insurance

Flood Insurance Quote Form

Complete the form below to receive a FREE comprehensive Flood Insurance quote. If you have any questions or you would prefer to fill this form out over the phone, you can reach one of our sale team members at (504) 835-1602.

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What is Flood Insurance?

Flood damage is categorized as rising water from outside, including heavy rain accumulation, storm surges, overflown rivers, mudflow, tidal waves and usual or rapid surface water runoff.

Floodwaters have the power to damage not only your home and sense of security, but also your financial future.

Flood Insurance is a single-peril policy that covers damage to your property from a single peril, flood.

  • There are a few circumstances where a property owner may be required to carry flood insurance, although there are no state laws that require a property owner to have flood insurance. If your property is in a high-risk flood area or a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), and you are financing your property with a federally backed mortgage lender, they will most likely require you to maintain a flood insurance policy as a part of your loan terms. You may also be required to carry flood insurance in order to be eligible for future disaster relief,  if you or a previous owner of your property received federal disaster assistance in the past.

    It is important to remember, about a quarter of all flood insurance claims come from moderate-to-low risk areas.

  • No, a flood insurance policy is a separate agreement from your homeowners insurance policy. A standard homeowners insurance policy does not cover flood damage. Your homeowners insurance company may offer flood insurance policies through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), but your flood insurance policy will have a separate declaration page, coverage and premium from your homeowners insurance policy. You can receive a quote by completing our Flood Insurance Quote Form.

    • Property Details

      • Property address

      • Property type (single family, townhome, condo or manufactured home)

      • Property use (owner-occupied, second home or tenant-occupied)

      • Property age

      • Property square footage

      • Property structure material

      • Foundation type

      • Information about updates or renovations

    • Personal Information

      • Owner’s full name and date of birth

      • Owner’s contact information

    • Elevation Certificate (if available)

    • Claims History

    • Desired Coverages and Deductibles

    A Standard Flood Insurance Policy (SFIP) requires a 30-day wait period before the policy can take effect, however, a new flood insurance policy may be issued with no wait period while taking, increasing, extending, or renewing a mortgage loan.

    • Previous flood frequency, types and claims history

    • Community flood mitigation efforts

    • Location and flood risk, distance to a water source

    • Building structure and characteristics

    • Foundation construction and elevation

    • Coverage selection and replacement cost

    The Federal Emergency Management Administration’s (FEMA) Risk Rating 2.0, launched in 2021, uses an Average Annualized Loss (AAL) framework methodology to calculate premiums based on a property’s individual, unique flood risk rather than broad location-based flood zones. National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy rates are set and do not change from company to company or agent to agent.

    Private Flood Insurance companies will likely take all of these factors into consideration as well and use their own proprietary flood risk rating systems to determine your premium.

Photo by Wade Austin Ellis on Unsplash

Photo by Wade Austin Ellis on Unsplash

What are Flood Zones and why do they matter?

Flood Zones are designations used to rate and illustrate flood insurance risk in a geographic area. They can be found on Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). You may also see these areas referred to as 100 and 500-year flood zones. While FEMA determines flood insurance premiums for each individual property using their Risk Rating 2.0 methodology, flood zones may still determine whether a federally-backed loan will require flood insurance, as well as community building rules and regulations.

  • These Moderate-to-Low Risk Areas are known as Non-Special Flood Hazard Areas (NSFHAs).

    • Flood Zones B & X (Shaded): Areas with a moderate flood hazard. These areas are protected by dams, dikes, levees, or are shallow flooding areas with average flood depths of less than a foot.

    • Flood Zone C: Areas with a minimal flood hazard. “C” zones may have ponding or drainage issues.

    • Flood Zone X (Unshaded): Areas with a minimal flood hazard. “X” zones are protected by levees.

    • THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A “NO FLOOD ZONE”. About a quarter of all flood insurance claims come from moderate-to-low risk areas.

  • These High-Risk Areas are known as Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs). High risk flood areas have a 1 in 4 chance of flooding during a 30-year mortgage and often require flood insurance.

    • Flood Zone A: Inland areas with a 1% chance of flooding each year but without detailed analysis, do not have a set Base Flood Elevation (BFE).

    • Flood Zones AE / A1-30: Inland areas with a 1% chance of flooding each year. These areas have a set Base Flood Elevation.

    • Flood Zone AH: Areas with a 1% chance of shallow flooding, an average of 1-3 feet, each year.

    • Flood Zone AO: Areas with a 1% chance of shallow flooding from a river or stream each year.

    • Flood Zone AR: Areas with a 1% chance of flooding each year, that are typically protected by a levee, dike or dam that is currently under construction, repair or restoration and as a result, has been decertified.

    • Flood Zone A99: Areas with a 1% chance of flooding each year. These areas are in the process of building or constructing a Federally approved levee, dike or dam and the project is almost complete.

  • These High-Risk Coastal Areas are often vulnerable to direct storm surge waves and are the most hazardous flood zones. Coastal communities that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) require property owners to purchase flood insurance.

    • Flood Zone V: Coastal areas with a 1% or greater chance of flooding each year but without detailed hydraulic analysis, do not have Base Flood Elevations (BFE).

    • Flood Zone VE / V1-30: Coastal areas with a 1% or greater chance of flooding each year. These areas have detailed hydraulic analysis and Base Flood Elevations (BFE) at selected intervals.

  • Flood insurance is available for purchase in these Undetermined Risk Areas, although property owners are not required to purchase it.

    • Flood Zone D: These areas have an undetermined amount of risk because they are without detailed analysis.

  • A Base-Flood Elevation (BFE) is a measurement produced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to predict the height that flood waters will reach during a 100-year flood. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) uses Base Flood Elevation measurements to develop local building codes and set flood insurance rates.

  • An elevation certificate is a document that compares the bottom of the first flood of a building to the Base-Flood Elevation (BFE) of the immediate area. These measurements are taken by professional land surveyors following guidelines set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Elevation certificates can be used by insurance companies or local governments to determine the flood risk, mitigation efforts and building code compliance of a property.

    An elevation certificate should include:

    • Building location

    • First Floor Height: The distance of the bottom of the first flood of living space to the ground below.

    • Surrounding Ground Levels: The highest and lowest points of the ground next to the building's foundation.

    • Base Flood Elevation (BFE): The estimated height that floodwaters are expected to reach during a major 100-year flood.

  • You can research a property’s flood zone through FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center or in Louisiana through LSU AgCenter Flood Maps.

    If you believe the FEMA flood zone designation for your property is not correct, you can submit a Letters of Map Change (LMOC) form to FEMA to request a review and update.

What's the difference between private flood insurance and NFIP policies?

The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) administers the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policies. They were the only option for flood insurance until 2012. Private flood insurance is provided by private companies rather than the federal government, and it typically offers more flexibility and broader coverage options than standard FEMA/NFIP policies.

FEMA designed and launched the Write Your Own (WYO) Program in 1983 so private insurance companies could help FEMA write and service flood insurance policies. The NFIP still underwrites the policies, and it also pays any claims. Policies issued through this program are the same as policies issued directly through the NFIP.

Private Flood Insurance Policies from private insurance companies tend to offer more flexibility and broader coverage options than the standard FEMA/NFIP policy. Here's a quick breakdown of some of the key differences between the two:

Private Flood Insurance:

  • Dwelling Coverage Limits: Potentially up to $500,000 or more, depending on the insurer and your flood risk

  • Contents Coverage Limits: Potentially up to $250,000, depending on the insurer

  • Loss of Use Coverage: Available, depending on the insurer

  • Applies a co-insurance penalty for not being insured to replacement cost

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP):

  • Residential Dwelling Coverage Limits: Up to $250,000

  • Residential Contents Coverage Limits: Up to $100,000

  • Loss of Use Coverage: Not available

  • Does not apply a co-insurance penalty for not being insured to replacement cost

  • A Standard Flood Insurance Policy (SFIP) may be written through several insurance companies but each policy is issued, managed and backed by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Private flood insurance companies may offer similar or expanded coverage options to consumers.

    A Standard Flood Insurance Policy (SFIP) may cover:

    • Building Property Coverage

    • Personal Property (Contents) Coverage

    Landlords may purchase flood insurance policies with only Building Coverage and renters may purchase flood insurance policies with only Personal Property Coverage.

  • A standard National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy will insure a residential building (up to 4 units) for up to $250,000 and a non-residential commercial building for up to $500,000.

    Building Property Coverage includes:

    • Main building structure

    • Building foundation

    • Attached garage

    • Attached stairs and landings

    • Electrical systems, including solar energy equipment and fuel tanks

    • Plumbing, including water heaters, well water tanks and sump pumps

    • Permanently installed air-conditioning equipment, furnaces and heat-pumps

    • Permanently installed building materials, including flooring, paneling, countertops, bookcases, cabinets, vanities, etc.

    • Permanently installed household fixtures and window blinds

    • Built-in appliances, as well as, refrigerators and stoves

    • Detached garages and other non-living space structures (up to 10% of Building Coverage)

    • Debris removal

  • A standard National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy will insure the contents of a residential building (up to 4 units) for up to $100,000 and a non-residential commercial building for up to $500,000. Items are insured for their Actual Cost Value (ACV) at the time of the loss.

    Personal Property (Contents) Coverage includes:

    • Furniture

    • Electronics

    • Tools

    • Clothing

    • Decorations

    • Valuable items including jewelry, art and collectibles, and antiques (up to $2,500)

    • Portable and window air-conditioners

    • Portable appliances, including microwave ovens

    • Washers and dryers

    • Freezers and the food inside

  • Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) Coverage is a built-in feature of National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policies in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA). If your property is declared a Repetitive Loss Property or substantially damaged, ICC Coverage will cover up to $30,000 towards the cost to elevate, demolish or relocate the property.

    • Damage caused by earth movement, even if the earth movement was caused by flood

    • Damage caused by a sewer line backup or damage to your sump-pump (Water back-up and sump pump overflow coverage may be purchased through your homeowners insurance company.)

    • Damage caused by moisture, mildew or mold that could have been mitigated by the owner

    • Income loss from business interruption or loss of use

    • Additional living expenses from loss of use

    • Stock certificates or currency

    • Decks, patios, screened-in porches, etc.

    • Landscaping, fences, seawalls

    • Swimming pools and outdoor hot tubs

    • Septic Systems

    • Motor vehicles (cars, ATVs, motorcycles, watercraft, etc.)

    • Ordinance or law coverage cost for demolition, debris removal, constructions, remodeling, renovations or repair