Commercial flood insurance
Flood coverage for business property: storefronts, offices, warehouses, mixed-use and rental buildings. Commercial property policies almost never cover flood, so it takes a separate policy.
Free quotes from FEMA’s NFIP and private flood carriers. Prefer to talk? Call 888-546-1099.
Commercial flood at a glance
- NFIP building limit
- Up to $500,000
- NFIP contents limit
- Up to $500,000
- Higher limits
- Through private or excess flood
- Lost income while closed
- Not covered by NFIP; offered by some private carriers
- Tenants
- Can insure contents, inventory and improvements
- Waiting period
- Usually 30 days with NFIP, often shorter with private carriers
Private flood terms vary by carrier and by building.
What to know before you buy
- Insure to full valueNFIP stops at $500,000 on a commercial building. For anything worth more we shop private and excess flood so the limit matches what it would cost to rebuild.
- Building, contents and inventoryThe structure, permanently installed fixtures and equipment such as HVAC fall under building coverage. Stock, furnishings and business equipment fall under contents.
- Owners and tenantsOwners insure the building. Tenants insure what they own inside it and the improvements they have paid for.
- Apartment buildings and condo associationsResidential buildings with five or more units and condominium associations have their own NFIP forms and limits. Tell us the building type and we quote the right one.
Common questions
Does my commercial property policy cover flood?
Almost never. Flood is a standard exclusion, and where it is added by endorsement the limit is usually small. A separate flood policy is what pays when water rises.
Will flood insurance cover lost income while we are closed?
NFIP does not. Some private flood carriers offer business income coverage, so tell us when you quote if it matters to you.
My lender requires flood insurance on the building. What do they need?
Usually a policy in place before closing, with the lender named as mortgagee, at a limit they specify. Send us the lender’s requirement and we quote to it.
The other programs
FEMA flood insurance (NFIP)
The National Flood Insurance Program, run by FEMA and backed by the federal government. Every mortgage lender accepts it.
Private flood insurance
Written by insurance companies instead of the federal program. Each carrier prices the property itself, so the same home can cost less than NFIP, or more.
Excess flood insurance
Pays above the limit of a primary flood policy, for buildings that would cost more to rebuild than NFIP or a private policy will pay.
See what your address would cost
Free, online, no obligation. Prefer to talk? Call 888-546-1099 (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm ET), or call or text Roxy, our AI assistant, any time at 833-366-3991.