Key Takeaways
- ‘Hard to insure’ is usually an appetite problem, not a dead end — one carrier’s decline ≠ uninsurable.
- Multiple Lloyd’s markets place many coastal, older, high-value, and unusually-built homes privately.
- Prior-claim and repetitive-loss homes are the real exception — those need the NFIP.
- Have your address, year built, and any prior claims ready for a quote.
If an agent told you your home is “too risky for private flood” or “NFIP-only,” you may have been quoted by a single carrier with a narrow appetite. Many homes that look hard to insure can in fact be placed in the private market — you just need an agent who shops multiple Lloyd’s of London markets, not one. Here’s what we can usually place, and the one situation where the NFIP really is the answer.
“Hard to insure” is usually an appetite problem, not a dead end
Every flood carrier has an appetite — the risks it wants to write. A single carrier will decline or overprice anything outside its box. But a decline from one carrier doesn’t mean “uninsurable”; it usually means “wrong carrier.” Because we work with multiple Lloyd’s markets with different appetites, when one passes, another often accepts — at a competitive rate.
Homes we can frequently place in the private market
- Coastal and near-water homes — properties some carriers shy away from but others actively write.
- Older homes — pre-FIRM or older construction that one market declines and another is comfortable with.
- High-value homes — properties that need more than the NFIP’s $250,000 building cap; private limits run into the millions. See coverage limits →
- Secondary, seasonal, and vacation homes — often a poor fit for one carrier, a preferred risk for another.
- Unusual construction or features — homes a single underwriter’s guidelines won’t accommodate.
For all of these, the move is the same: shop the home across multiple markets and let the best-fit carrier win. How multiple Lloyd’s markets get you a better rate →
The one case where the NFIP is the right answer: prior claims & repetitive loss
We’ll always be honest with you, because trust matters more than a sale. There’s one situation our multiple markets can’t solve: homes with prior flood claims or repetitive losses. Most private and Lloyd’s carriers non-renew a policy after a flood claim, and they won’t take on properties that flood repeatedly.
That’s not a gap — it’s by design. The NFIP was created precisely as the guaranteed backstop for repetitive-loss properties. It cannot decline you for claims history the way private carriers do, so for a home that has flooded before, the NFIP is usually the right — and often the only — market. If that’s your situation, we’ll tell you straight and help you secure NFIP coverage. Compare private vs. NFIP →
How to get a quote on a hard-to-place home
Have these ready and we’ll shop your property across our markets:
- Property address and year built
- Construction type and number of stories
- Elevation Certificate if you have one (can help your rate)
- Any prior flood claims (be upfront — it determines whether private is even an option)
We serve homeowners nationwide, in all 50 states. Tell us about the home and we’ll come back with the best path — private if we can place it, NFIP if that’s genuinely the right call.
FAQ
My home was declined for private flood insurance — is it uninsurable?
Usually not. A decline often just means that carrier’s appetite didn’t fit your home. Shopping multiple Lloyd’s markets frequently turns up a carrier that will write it. The real exception is a home with prior flood claims or repetitive losses, which typically needs the NFIP.
Can I get private flood insurance on a coastal or older home?
Often yes. Coastal, older, high-value, and unusually-built homes can frequently be placed privately through the right market — that’s the advantage of shopping multiple carriers instead of one.
My home has flooded before — can I still get private flood insurance?
Usually not. Most private and Lloyd’s carriers non-renew after a flood claim and won’t write repetitive-loss homes. The NFIP was built for exactly these properties and is generally your best (and only) option — we’ll help you get it.