What it leaves out
Is flood damage covered?
No. A standard homeowners policy does not cover flood. It is a separate policy, and a new National Flood Insurance policy typically has a 30-day wait.
No. A standard homeowners policy does not cover flood. In April 2026, 86% of high-risk properties in the country had no National Flood Insurance policy.
Don't know a word? Press any purple word to see what it means. They're all listed at the bottom of the page.
Flood is a separate policy
From the National Flood Insurance Program or a private insurer.
Homeowners policies don’t cover flood damage.NAIC consumer guide
U.S. Government Accountability Office, report GAO-27-108012, October 1, 2026.
FEMA: “Typically, there’s a 30-day waiting period from date of purchase before your policy goes into effect.” And National Flood Insurance policies pay for belongings at actual cash value, not replacement cost.
What else is usually left out
Check your own list of exclusions.
- EarthquakeCommonly excluded; sold separately.
- Wear and tearThe policy “doesn’t pay to repair items that simply wear out, like rotted porch railings” (NAIC).
- Sewer or sump-pump backupLimited or no coverage on most policies (NAIC).
- MoldLimited or none on most policies.
The state-backed insurer of last resort now requires its policyholders to carry flood insurance too, phased in by the home’s value and due to apply to all of them from January 1, 2027 (as of October 2026).
Remember this
Flood is its own policy, and it is not in effect the day you buy it.
Words on this page
- Actual cash value
- What the thing was worth on the day it was damaged, with wear and age taken off. Less than the cost of a new one.
- Flood insurance
- A separate policy for flood damage. Standard home policies leave flood out, so it has to be bought on its own.
- Insurer of last resort
- A state-backed insurer for homes that private companies will not cover. In Florida, that is Citizens.
- Replacement cost
- Enough to replace the thing, not what it was worth secondhand.