Consumption and Real Estate
If you have a flood insurance policy, do you carry flood contents insurance?
Question : If you have a flood insurance policy, do you carry flood contents insurance?
I was advised this week that my house is now in a “Flood Zone A” and my mortgage company is requiring flood insurance. I contacted my home/car insurance company and asked for a quote.
My house is 1 1/2 stories and the payoff is around $ 130,000. They gave me a quote of $ 2,521 a year, which would cause my house note to increase $ 210 a MONTH. This is with the highest deductible, $ 5,000.00, they offer. This is in addition to the $ 600 I pay annually for homeowners.
Right now they are running a quote for me without the content ins. I want to compare the annual premiums.
$ 210.00 extra a month and for 29 more years is alot to a single person. Please let me know if you carry the flood contents insurance and your thoughts.
If anything, at least I can have the house rebuilt, but with no contents I will have to sleep on the floor naked (LOL).
Also, is it true that if you dont live in a flood zone and have flood insurance your rates can’t increase if your ever placed in a flood zone?
compare contents insurance
Best answer:
Answer by mbrcatz17
OK, first the bad news – you can’t pay flood insurance on a monthly basis. You must prepay it, in full, for the full year. Second, the contents coverage doesn’t cover any contents you store below ground level – like in a basement. So keep that in mind.
HOw much the contents cost is going to depend on how much coverage you want. So you’ll have to ask the same agent for a quote for the contents.
It doesn’t do you any good to “shop around” for flood insurance. ALL plans are written through the National Flood Insurance Program, so the rates are set by the feds. No competition at all.
Regarding your question. My house IS in a flood zone, here in Houston. I don’t have a mortgage, and don’t carry flood on the building OR contents – but we dropped $ 5,000 into a good french drain system for the house.
It’s not true that your rates can’t increase. Rates change EVERY YEAR. Properties can be rezoned EVERY YEAR. I have no idea who told you that, but they’re dead wrong.
I’ve adjusted a lot of flood claims and many don’t have contents coverage. It definitely stings if you have a loss and find out that there is no coverage for your damaged contents. But many get by without it. You should get a quote for some contents coverage and see if it varies that much by adding this coverage.
Contents are only covered above the “base flood elevation” (This is usually the first floor in an elevated building) and inside an enclosed structure on the property. No coverage for contents in basement, contents in the yard, contents on a deck, etc… Contents are only covered inside your home or shed above the “base flood elevation”. Also you should know that contents coverage is offered at “Actual Cash Value”. In other words they are depreciated according to there age. A good rule of thumb is they’ll will pay for your chair at the value of selling it in a garage sale. This may sway your decision.
Rates can change regardless of your home being put in a flood zone after already having a policy. The rates change like any other insurance policy does.
Flood insurance is expensive and there is no way around it, unless you own your home out right and a mortgage company isn’t involved. The NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program) is put together by congress and is the only supplier for flood insurance. No matter what insurance agent you go to the quote will be the same.
Sorry I couldn’t give you better news, but I hope this helps.