California Flood Insurance Costs and Coverage
- The average cost of flood insurance in California is $78 a month.
- Lassen County has the state’s most expensive flood insurance at $184 a month.
- Flood insurance costs $111 a month in areas with coastal flooding.
How much does flood insurance cost in California
Flood insurance in California costs $942 a year through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), or $78 a month. Private flood insurance is only slightly more expensive at $87 a month.
Lassen County has the state’s most expensive NFIP flood insurance at $184 a month. Alpine County has California’s cheapest flood insurance at $21 a month.
California flood insurance rates by county
| County | Annual rate | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Alameda | $898 | $75 |
| Alpine | $258 | $21 |
| Amador | $1,427 | $119 |
| Butte | $811 | $68 |
| Calaveras | $1,266 | $105 |
| Colusa | $695 | $58 |
| Contra Costa | $1,205 | $100 |
| Del Norte | $1,467 | $122 |
| El Dorado | $1,349 | $112 |
| Fresno | $810 | $68 |
| Glenn | $665 | $55 |
| Humboldt | $1,229 | $102 |
| Imperial | $1,121 | $93 |
| Inyo | $877 | $73 |
| Kern | $800 | $67 |
| Kings | $714 | $59 |
| Lake | $1,421 | $118 |
| Lassen | $2,204 | $184 |
| Los Angeles | $1,132 | $94 |
| Madera | $858 | $72 |
| Marin | $1,508 | $126 |
| Mendocino | $1,525 | $127 |
| Merced | $747 | $62 |
| Modoc | $1,035 | $86 |
| Mono | $1,090 | $91 |
| Monterey | $1,312 | $109 |
| Napa | $1,564 | $130 |
| Nevada | $1,309 | $109 |
| Orange | $916 | $76 |
| Placer | $856 | $71 |
| Plumas | $1,768 | $147 |
| Riverside | $1,024 | $85 |
| Sacramento | $611 | $51 |
| San Benito | $1,243 | $104 |
| San Bernardino | $1,161 | $97 |
| San Diego | $1,018 | $85 |
| San Francisco | $1,126 | $94 |
| San Joaquin | $897 | $75 |
| San Luis Obispo | $1,413 | $118 |
| San Mateo | $1,258 | $105 |
| Santa Barbara | $1,188 | $99 |
| Santa Clara | $1,104 | $92 |
| Santa Cruz | $1,350 | $112 |
| Shasta | $1,158 | $97 |
| Sierra | $2,169 | $181 |
| Siskiyou | $1,391 | $116 |
| Solano | $1,101 | $92 |
| Sonoma | $1,758 | $146 |
| Stanislaus | $843 | $70 |
| Sutter | $588 | $49 |
| Tehama | $1,409 | $117 |
| Trinity | $1,202 | $100 |
| Tulare | $840 | $70 |
| Tuolumne | $1,043 | $87 |
| Ventura | $1,022 | $85 |
| Yolo | $831 | $69 |
| Yuba | $1,102 | $92 |
The actual rate you pay for flood insurance depends on factors like:
- The frequency and type of flooding in your area
- Your home’s distance from rivers, streams, lakes or the ocean
- Your home’s elevation
- The estimated cost of rebuilding your home
Most flood insurance is bought through the NFIP, which is managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). A few private flood insurance companies also offer it.
California flood insurance costs by zone
FEMA flood insurance costs $111 a month in California’s most expensive flood zone. It only costs $66 a month in areas with low or moderate risks.
Flood insurance rates by zone
| Zone | Zone features | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| A | High-risk inland | $89 |
| A99 | High-risk inland | $53 |
| AH | High-risk inland | $90 |
| AO | High-risk inland | $78 |
| VE | High-risk coastal | $111 |
| B, C and X | Low/moderate risk | $66 |
FEMA has mapped flood risks in most communities across the country. You can find your flood zone in FEMA’s online Flood Map Service Center.
Zones that begin with A and V on FEMA flood maps have a 1% chance of flooding each year.
- High-risk inland flood zones begin with A. V is for coastal areas.
- A99 zones have California’s cheapest flood insurance at $53 a month. These are high-risk areas where flood control projects are being built.
- AH zones are susceptible to shallow flooding of up to three feet.
- AO zones can experience shallow flooding from rivers or streams.
- B, C and X zones have low or moderate flood risks.
Is flood insurance required in California?
Flood insurance is only required for mortgages in high-risk flood zones. This makes it good to look up a home’s flood zone before you put in an offer to buy it. Your lender will also look it up with your loan application.
Lenders typically don’t make you get flood insurance for a home in a low- or moderate-risk area. No one can make you get flood insurance when you buy your home with cash or pay off your mortgage.
There are a few reasons to consider getting flood insurance when it’s not required for a loan.
- Homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage.
- Floods can happen outside of high-risk zones. According to FEMA, 32% of flood insurance claims are from low- and moderate-risk flood zones.
- Flood repairs can get expensive. The average cost of a NFIP flood insurance claim is $68,000.
What does flood insurance cover?
Flood insurance only covers flood damage to your home and belongings.
FEMA offers up to $250,000 in building coverage for your home. You can also get up to $100,000 in contents coverage for your belongings.
Private flood insurance companies often offer higher limits and additional coverages like loss of use. Loss of use covers temporary living expenses if a flood forces you out of your home.
Although FEMA flood insurance covers mudflows, it does not cover mudslides. Mudslides Mudslides are the result of a collapse of a hillside or other sloped land. Mudflows occur when floodwaters pick up and move normally dry soils. and landslides are earth movements that need different insurance. Private flood insurance usually also excludes mudslides.
If mudslides are a concern in your area, you should consider difference in conditions (DIC) insurance. DIC policies protect against multiple risks that normal homeowners insurance doesn’t cover. These risks include floods, earthquakes, landslides and mudslides.
How to get flood insurance quotes in California
NFIP flood insurance quotes are widely available through local home insurance agents. If your current agent can’t get you a quote, they can probably help you find an agent who can. You can also find NFIP authorized insurance agents on FEMA’s online agent directory.
Getting private flood insurance quotes may take a little more legwork. You have to search for agents who specialize in it. Companies like Wright Flood and Allstate are good companies to contact for help.
Wright Flood can help you compare NFIP rates to quotes from companies like Zurich, the state’s largest private flood insurance provider. An Allstate agent can help you compare NFIP rates to a Beyond Floods quote. Beyond Floods is Allstate’s line of private flood insurance.
How do flood insurance waiting periods work?
If you’re buying flood insurance for a loan, the coverage usually kicks in on your close date. If you already own your home, FEMA makes you wait 30 days for a new policy to begin. Private flood insurance companies often have shorter waiting periods. For example, Beyond Floods only has a seven-day waiting period.
How to save money on California flood insurance
Shopping around and reducing your home’s flood risks can help you save money on flood insurance.
Why shop around for flood insurance?
Shopping around helps you find the cheapest flood insurance for your home’s location.
Your NFIP quote should be the same, regardless of who provides it. However, most private companies use different systems to set rates. Getting a few different flood insurance quotes helps you find the cheapest rate, whether it’s from FEMA or a private company.
How to reduce your home’s flood risk
Improving your home’s ability to withstand floods can often help you earn flood insurance discounts.
- FEMA offers discounts to homeowners who elevate essential appliances like HVACs and water heaters to a higher floor.
- You can save a little more by installing flood openings that let potential floodwaters pass through your lower floors.
- Elevating your home can also get you a discount on flood insurance. Although this can get expensive, more people in flood prone areas are doing this.