Why does my policy have more than one deductible?

A policy commonly carries a flat deductible for most claims and a separate percentage-based wind and hail deductible in storm-exposed states like Georgia.

Does my own insurance cover me when I stay in an Airbnb or VRBO?

The host's short-term rental policy protects the host, not you. As an Airbnb or VRBO guest, your own homeowners or renters insurance usually covers your belongings and personal liability away from home, within policy limits, while travel insurance covers trip-specific risks neither the host nor your home policy will.

Does homeowners insurance cover flood damage?

No. Standard homeowners policies exclude all flood damage regardless of cause.

What does uninsured motorist coverage do?

If you are hit by a driver with no insurance or not enough insurance, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage pays your medical bills.

When do we use Selective for flood coverage versus NFIP?

Selective private flood wins for Zone X and moderate AE properties where it beats NFIP on price and offers higher limits with ALE coverage.

How much does flood insurance cost in Georgia?

All FAQs

Quick answer: NFIP policies in Georgia average about $760 per year, ranging from roughly $525 in lower-risk inland counties to $3,684 in high-risk coastal areas. FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0 prices each property on its own elevation, distance to water, and rebuild cost, so two homes in the same flood zone can pay different premiums.

NFIP flood policies in Georgia average about $760 per year, but the actual premium on a given home ranges from roughly $525 in lower-risk inland counties to $3,684 in high-risk coastal areas. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is the federal flood insurance program managed by FEMA, and it covers the large majority of flood policies written in Georgia, alongside a smaller private flood market.

The gap between the low and high end comes from how FEMA prices flood risk today. Since 2021, NFIP has used a pricing model called Risk Rating 2.0. Instead of relying only on which FEMA flood zone a property sits in, Risk Rating 2.0 factors in the property's elevation, its distance to the nearest ocean, river, or creek, the cost to rebuild the structure, and the type of flooding most likely to affect that location. Two houses on the same street, even in the same flood zone, can carry different premiums once each one's elevation and distance to water are measured separately.

For example, a home on a barrier island near Savannah sitting a few feet above sea level with direct water exposure falls at the high end of that range, while a home 40 miles inland in a county with no mapped high-risk flood zone and higher ground typically lands closer to the $525 to $760 range.

Location within Georgia matters as much as flood zone designation. Coastal counties along the Atlantic carry storm surge exposure that inland counties do not, and that shows up directly in the premium. Homes near the Chattahoochee, Flint, or other river systems, and homes in metro Atlanta creek floodplains, fall somewhere between the coastal and low-risk inland figures depending on their specific elevation and flood history.

Two related questions come up alongside cost: how soon a new policy takes effect, and whether flood risk exists outside a mapped high-risk zone at all - both covered in Is there a waiting period for flood insurance in Georgia? and Do I need flood insurance outside a high-risk zone in Georgia? Georgia homeowners weighing NFIP against a private flood policy can compare the two in Does NFIP or private flood cover more in Georgia? NFIP and private flood coverage are explained in more detail on the flood insurance and Georgia flood insurance pages. A coverage review can price flood insurance for a specific address and compare NFIP against private options: start a coverage review.