# Flood Insurance in Texas | Holley Insurance Agency > Flood insurance across Texas through the NFIP. Home policies never cover flood, and new coverage usually takes 30 days to start. Free quotes: (254) 669-6522. Source: https://holleyagency.com/flood-insurance [Home](https://holleyagency.com/) / Flood Insurance # Texas flood insurance Before Creeks Rise Your homeowners policy will never pay a flood claim. Not one dollar. From the Hill Country to the Gulf Coast, water can rise in hours — our agency offers flood coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program across Texas. [or call **(254) 669-6522**](tel:+12546696522) **$0** Flood Coverage In A Home Policy **~1 in 3** NFIP Claims Outside High-Risk Areas **30 Days** NFIP Waiting Period **Free** Coverage Review [Get My Free Flood Quote](https://holleyagency.com/quote?type=flood) The Quick Answer **Homeowners insurance never covers flood.** Rising water and overflow from creeks, rivers, and drainage require a separate flood policy, such as one through the ** National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)**. NFIP limits are **$250,000 for the building and $100,000 for contents**, with a **30-day waiting period** unless the policy is bought at a loan closing. Flooding is a ** statewide Texas risk**, from the Hill Country's ** Flash Flood Alley** and the deadly ** July 2025 Hill Country floods** to Gulf Coast hurricanes and city streets that flood in minutes. Flood insurance is only mandatory in high-risk zones with a federally backed mortgage, but FEMA reports that ** almost one-third of NFIP claims from 2014 to 2024 came from outside mapped high-risk areas**. Pricing is property-specific under ** Risk Rating 2.0**. ** Holley Insurance Agency**, an Allstate agency based in Killeen, offers NFIP flood coverage across Texas with free quotes at **[(254) 669-6522](tel:+12546696522)**. Home policy pays : $0 for flood, always NFIP limits : $250k building / $100k contents Waiting period : 30 days (none at loan closing) Free quotes : [(254) 669-6522](tel:+12546696522) Texas Flood Insurance, The Short Version ## The most important policy most Texas homes don't have. Yet. Here is the sentence that surprises almost everyone, so we will put it first: **your homeowners policy pays nothing for flood damage.** Not a reduced amount. Nothing. Rising water and overflow from creeks, rivers, lakes, and drainage are excluded from every standard home policy in Texas, and the exclusion does not care how long you have been a customer. Flood coverage is its own policy, and our agency offers it through the federal ** National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)**. The second surprise is how fast it happens in Texas. The Hill Country along the Balcones Escarpment is widely known as **Flash Flood Alley**, where thin soils and steep terrain send heavy rain into creeks and rivers in a hurry. The ** July 2025 Hill Country floods** made that painfully clear: the Guadalupe River rose about 26 feet in 45 minutes at one gauge, and more than 130 people lost their lives. On the Gulf Coast, hurricanes bring storm surge and days of rain, and ** Hurricane Harvey's 2017 flooding** around Houston showed how far that water can reach. And in every Texas city, the creek behind the neighborhood or the street out front can go from ordinary to dangerous in a single storm. The third thing to know is that the lender's map and the real risk are two different things. Lenders only require flood insurance in high-risk zones, but FEMA reports that **almost one-third of NFIP claims from 2014 to 2024 came from outside mapped high-risk areas**. FEMA also now prices every property individually under ** Risk Rating 2.0**, so your price reflects your actual address, not just the letter on the zone map. That is the entire offer here. We will pull your flood zone, quote NFIP coverage for your address, size the building and contents limits to your actual house, and show you how the flood policy fits next to your [home policy](https://holleyagency.com/home-insurance). A flooded car, by the way, is an [auto policy](https://holleyagency.com/auto-insurance) matter — covered by comprehensive, if you carry it — one more reason the whole plan belongs with one team. Call [(254) 669-6522](tel:+12546696522) and we will do it in about 15 minutes. ## What a flood policy covers. And the three things it never does. A flood policy is simpler than a homeowners policy — two main coverages plus a code-upgrade helper — but its limits, definitions, and gaps are exactly where claims go sideways. Here is the map. Building Up to $250k NFIP ### Building Property The structure itself: foundation, walls, electrical and plumbing systems, furnace and water heater, built-in appliances, and attached fixtures. The NFIP caps this at $250,000; if your home would cost more to rebuild, ask us about your needs above the cap. Contents Up to $100k NFIP ### Personal Property Furniture, clothing, electronics, and the rest of what you own, on its own limit and deductible. The catch: the NFIP pays contents at **actual cash value** — depreciated worth, not replacement price — so an honest inventory and the right limit matter. ICC Up to $30k ### Increased Cost of Compliance If a flood leaves your home substantially damaged, the city can require you to rebuild to current floodplain code — elevated, floodproofed, or relocated. ICC adds up to $30,000 toward exactly those costs, and for homes along Texas creeks, rivers, and the coast it is the coverage nobody knows they have. Definition Read this one ### What Counts as a Flood The NFIP definition: surface water covering two or more acres of normally dry land, or two or more properties, at least one of them yours. Rising water from a creek, river, lake, or overwhelmed drainage qualifies. A pipe bursting inside the house does not — that claim belongs to your [home policy](https://holleyagency.com/home-insurance). Deductibles Two of them ### Building & Contents Deductibles A flood policy carries separate deductibles for building and contents, chosen when you buy. Raising them lowers the premium; just pick numbers your savings can actually absorb the week after a storm, when everything else is also due. Excess Above the caps ### Needs Above the NFIP Limits If your home would cost more than $250,000 to rebuild, or your belongings are worth more than $100,000, the NFIP limits may not be enough. Tell us what it would really cost to replace, and ask us about your excess needs before you assume the cap covers it. Not covered Living costs ### Temporary Housing (NFIP) The NFIP pays nothing toward rent or hotels while your home is unlivable, a gap that surprises families at the worst time. Knowing where you would stay, and having savings set aside for it, is part of a real flood plan. Not covered Vehicles ### Cars & Trucks A flooded vehicle is not a flood-policy claim. It is covered by the **comprehensive** coverage on your auto policy — if you carry it. With low-water crossings that flood fast across Texas, dropping comprehensive to save a few dollars is a bet against the weather. Not covered Outside ### Land, Pools & Landscaping Flood insurance rebuilds the house, not the yard. Land, fences, pools, decks, septic systems beyond limited coverage, and landscaping are excluded, along with most finished space and belongings below the lowest elevated floor. ### Do you actually know your flood zone? Most homeowners are guessing. We will pull your zone, look at your elevation data, and quote NFIP coverage for your address in about 15 minutes. [Check My Flood Zone](https://holleyagency.com/quote?type=flood) [Call (254) 669-6522](tel:+12546696522) Coverage Basics ## The four decisions that actually shape your flood policy. Flood insurance looks like a commodity until you read the policy. These are the choices that decide what a claim actually pays. ### 1. How the NFIP works, and why it is the backbone The National Flood Insurance Program is the federal program behind most flood policies in the country: standardized coverage, capped limits, and one enormous virtue — it does not non-renew you for filing claims. Our agency offers NFIP flood coverage, so your flood policy sits alongside your home and auto coverage with the same team. Under Risk Rating 2.0 the NFIP price is specific to your property, so the only honest answer to "what does flood insurance cost?" is a quote on your actual address. We pull it for you and walk through the building and contents limits line by line. ### 2. The building limit, and the cap above it Your building limit should track what it costs to rebuild the house, the same rebuild-cost logic as your [homeowners dwelling limit](https://holleyagency.com/home-insurance). The NFIP stops at $250,000, and a growing number of Texas homes rebuild for more than that. If yours does, ask us about your excess needs so you know exactly where the coverage stops. ### 3. Contents, the coverage everyone skips Building and contents are separate elections, and skipping contents to save money is the most common flood-policy regret. Watch the settlement basis: the NFIP pays contents at depreciated actual cash value, not replacement cost. On a house full of furniture, appliances, and electronics after four feet of water, that difference is not academic. Renters are not exempt from any of this — a landlord's flood policy covers the building, never your belongings. A **contents-only flood policy** is inexpensive and exists for exactly this. ### 4. Your rate, your elevation, and the glide path Under Risk Rating 2.0, your NFIP price keys off elevation, distance to flooding sources, foundation type, and rebuild cost. An **elevation certificate** is optional now, but providing one can only be used to lower your rate, never raise it — on an elevated or favorably graded lot it is worth the survey. Annual increases on an existing policy are capped, which creates a **glide path**: the longer a policy has been in force, the further below full-risk price it may sit. That trajectory can be ** assumed by a buyer at closing**, which makes "can I take over the seller's flood policy?" one of the smartest questions in any Texas home purchase. ### Already have a flood policy? Send it over. Building limit, contents basis, deductibles, and whether your limits still fit the house. We will flag what is exposed and what is fine. No pressure either way. [Get My Free Quote](https://holleyagency.com/quote?type=flood) [Call (254) 669-6522](tel:+12546696522) The Texas Flood Map, Honestly ## Zones, Risk Rating 2.0, and what the map does not tell you. You have seen the maps and heard the letters. Here is what they actually mean for your address. ### How the zones work FEMA maps sort property into zones. **AE and A zones** face at least a 1 percent annual flood chance — the "100-year" floodplain, which over a 30-year mortgage works out to roughly a **1-in-4 chance of flooding**. If your home sits in any zone starting with A or V and carries a federally backed mortgage, ** your lender must require flood insurance**. ** Shaded X** is moderate risk, ** unshaded X** is lower risk, and neither carries a mandate. Across Texas the zones follow the water: Hill Country rivers and creeks, the bayous and low coastal ground along the Gulf, and the drainage channels that run through every big city. Two streets in the same neighborhood can land in different zones, which is why we pull the actual panel for your address instead of guessing from the subdivision. ### The map is not the risk The mandate map and the risk map are different maps, and the gap between them is where families get hurt. FEMA reports that **almost one-third of NFIP claims from 2014 to 2024 came from outside mapped high-risk areas**. Flash floods do not check the panel first: heavy rain on thin soil, limestone, or city pavement runs off fast, low-water crossings go under, and drainage built for an ordinary storm can be overwhelmed in minutes. Many of the homes that flood are owned free and clear, or mapped Zone X, by people whose lender never made them buy coverage. The arithmetic afterward: FEMA reports the average NFIP claim payment from 2020 to 2024 was about **$63,700**, while uninsured families are left with disaster loans that must be repaid and modest grants. The X-zone address that skips coverage is usually skipping some of the lowest-priced flood coverage available to run the largest uncovered risk in the household. We would rather quote it and let you decide with the number in front of you. ### Risk Rating 2.0, the waiting period, and the timing play Since 2021 the NFIP prices every property individually — elevation, distance to water, foundation, rebuild cost — under **Risk Rating 2.0**. Zones still control the lender mandate, but not your price. Increases on an existing policy are capped year to year, so a policy bought early rides a ** glide path** below full-risk pricing, and that glide path can transfer to a buyer who assumes the policy. The timing that matters most in Texas is the **30-day waiting period**. A new NFIP policy generally does not take effect for 30 days unless it is bought in connection with a loan closing. Flash floods here tend to follow heavy spring and summer storms, sometimes with very little warning, and by the time a storm is in the forecast it is too late to buy coverage for it. The smart moment is ** before** the next wet season, not after the next warning. ### Near a creek, a river, or the coast? Flash floods here do not wait for the forecast, and new NFIP coverage generally takes 30 days to start. Let us pull your zone and quote your address, no charge and no pitch. [Check My Address](https://holleyagency.com/quote?type=flood) [Call (254) 669-6522](tel:+12546696522) ## Seven honest ways to lower your flood premium. Without hollowing out the policy. In flood insurance the two biggest levers are **timing** and ** the details of your property**, because Risk Rating 2.0 made every address its own price. The rest stack on top. 1 ### Buy before you need it New NFIP coverage generally takes 30 days to start, and continuous coverage protects your place on the glide path. Buying early — before spring storms, not during the forecast — is the rare insurance decision where the calendar is doing half the work. 2 ### Make sure your property details are right Under Risk Rating 2.0 your price keys off details like foundation type, number of floors, and where your furnace and water heater sit. A wrong detail on the application can mean a wrong price, so we review them with you line by line instead of letting the renewal ride unexamined. 3 ### Ask about assuming the seller's policy Buying a home that already carries NFIP coverage? The policy can be assumed at closing, glide-path discounts and all, which is often meaningfully cheaper than starting fresh at today's full-risk price. Ask before you close; it cannot be reconstructed after. 4 ### Get an elevation certificate if the lot favors you Optional under Risk Rating 2.0, and one-directional: FEMA will use it to lower your rate, never to raise it. On an elevated slab, a favorably graded lot, or a home above the base flood elevation, it can be worth the survey. 5 ### Raise the deductibles your savings can cover Building and contents deductibles are separate elections, and raising them trims the premium. Pick numbers you could actually write checks for the week after a storm, when the fence, the car, and a wind/hail deductible may all be due at once. 6 ### Claim the mitigation credits Proper flood vents in enclosures, machinery and utilities elevated above the first floor, and filled-in below-grade spaces all move the Risk Rating 2.0 price. If you are already renovating, an hour of planning can earn a lasting credit. 7 ### Never let it lapse Continuous coverage protects your glide path and any statutory discounts; a lapse can reset you to full-risk pricing — and re-entry means waiting 30 days you may not have in May. Autopay the flood policy and forget it. This is the one policy where loyalty to the coverage itself pays. ## Every flood situation is a different problem. We look at the whole picture. A creek out back, a closing date, a rental you kept after a PCS move, a house above the NFIP cap. Each changes how the flood policy should be built. [### Homes in A & AE zones The lender requires it; we make it good. Building limit sized to rebuild cost, contents included, and the home and flood policies built as one plan.](https://holleyagency.com/quote) [### X-zone homes Almost one-third of NFIP claims come from outside mapped high-risk areas, and these are usually the lower-priced addresses to insure. In Texas, "not required" and "not needed" are different sentences.](https://holleyagency.com/quote) [### Buying a home right now Flood coverage bought at loan closing has no waiting period, and the seller's NFIP policy can often be assumed, glide path included. Our team works with lenders and real estate agents so both are handled before the closing table, including for Texas military families arriving on PCS orders.](https://holleyagency.com/quote) [### Renters Your landlord's flood policy covers the building and not one item you own. A contents-only NFIP policy is available, and it pairs naturally with [renters insurance](https://holleyagency.com/renters-insurance).](https://holleyagency.com/quote) [### Landlords & rentals Flood coverage on the building protects the asset and the rent it produces; your tenants insure their own belongings. On rental property near a creek, a river, or the coast — and Texas has no shortage of investor-owned rentals — this is the difference between a bad month and a lost investment.](https://holleyagency.com/landlord-insurance) [### Homes above the NFIP cap If your home rebuilds for more than $250,000, the NFIP building limit stops there. Ask us about your excess needs before a claim shows you where the coverage ends.](https://holleyagency.com/quote) ### Under contract, or storm season approaching? Tell us the address and we will pull the zone, quote NFIP coverage, and walk you through what moves the price. Straight answer, no obligation. [Get My Free Quote](https://holleyagency.com/quote?type=flood) [Call (254) 669-6522](tel:+12546696522) ## Flood insurance across Texas. Hill Country creeks to the Gulf Coast. Flood pricing is property by property in Texas, and two streets in the same subdivision can sit in different zones. We pull the actual zone and elevation data for your address, wherever in the state it is. [Get Quote](https://holleyagency.com/quote) [Dallas–Fort Worth](https://holleyagency.com/quote) [Houston](https://holleyagency.com/quote) [San Antonio](https://holleyagency.com/quote) [Austin](https://holleyagency.com/quote) [El Paso](https://holleyagency.com/quote) [Gulf Coast](https://holleyagency.com/quote) [Hill Country](https://holleyagency.com/quote) [West Texas](https://holleyagency.com/quote) [East Texas](https://holleyagency.com/quote) [Panhandle](https://holleyagency.com/quote) [Rio Grande Valley](https://holleyagency.com/quote) [All of Texas](https://holleyagency.com/quote) ## Texas flood insurance questions. Straight answers. Doesn't my homeowners insurance cover flooding?+ **No, and it never has.** Every standard homeowners policy excludes flood: rising surface water and overflow from creeks, rivers, lakes, and drainage. The exclusion applies no matter how long you have been a customer or how the adjuster feels about you. The dividing line is where the water came from. A pipe bursting inside the house is sudden internal water damage and belongs to your [home policy](https://holleyagency.com/home-insurance). Water coming in from outside and rising belongs to a flood policy — and only a flood policy. Am I required to buy flood insurance?+ Only if your home sits in a FEMA high-risk zone — zones beginning with A or V — and carries a federally backed mortgage. Then the lender must require it, and will. Outside those zones it is optional, which is precisely the trap: FEMA reports that almost one-third of NFIP claims from 2014 to 2024 came from outside mapped high-risk areas. The mandate map and the risk map are two different maps. We quote it either way and let you decide with the number in front of you. How much does flood insurance cost in Texas?+ It depends on the property, literally. Under Risk Rating 2.0, FEMA prices each address on elevation, distance to water, foundation type, and rebuild cost. Lower-risk homes generally pay far less than high-risk and previously flooded addresses. That is why the only useful number is a quote on your address. We pull it in about 15 minutes and show you which property details are driving the price. What does an NFIP flood policy cover?+ Up to **$250,000 for the building** — structure, systems, built-in appliances — and up to **$100,000 for contents**, each with its own deductible. It also includes up to $30,000 of Increased Cost of Compliance toward rebuilding to current floodplain code after substantial damage. Know the two catches: contents pay at depreciated actual cash value, and the NFIP pays nothing toward temporary housing while your home is unlivable. If your home or belongings exceed the NFIP limits, ask us about your excess needs. Is Texas really at risk for flooding?+ **Yes.** Flash flooding is a statewide risk in Texas. The Hill Country along the Balcones Escarpment is widely known as ** Flash Flood Alley**, one of the most flash-flood-prone regions in the country, where thin soils and steep terrain send heavy rain into creeks and rivers fast. The July 2025 floods made the point: the Guadalupe River rose about 26 feet in 45 minutes at one Hill Country gauge. On the Gulf Coast, hurricanes bring storm surge and days of rain, as Hurricane Harvey's 2017 flooding around Houston showed. And in any Texas city, heavy rain can overwhelm streets and storm drains in minutes. Is there a waiting period for flood insurance?+ NFIP policies generally take effect **30 days after purchase**. The important exception: coverage bought in connection with a home loan closing is effective at closing, no wait. Flash floods in Texas often follow heavy spring and summer storms with little warning, and even a Gulf hurricane is rarely in the forecast 30 days out. A policy bought once the storm is in the forecast will not be in force when it arrives. The time to buy is before the season, not during the forecast. I'm not in a flood zone. Do I still need flood insurance?+ Everyone is in a flood zone; the question is which one, and Zone X means lower risk, not no risk. FEMA reports that almost one-third of NFIP claims from 2014 to 2024 came from outside mapped high-risk areas, and flash floods in Texas can reach streets that have never flooded before. Here is the useful irony: lower-risk zones get the cheapest pricing. The addresses where people skip flood coverage are the addresses where it costs the least to carry. Get the quote before deciding it is not worth it. What is Risk Rating 2.0?+ FEMA's pricing methodology, in use since 2021. Instead of pricing by flood zone alone, it rates each property individually: elevation, distance to flooding sources, foundation type, and rebuild cost. Zones still control the lender mandate, but not your NFIP price. Increases on an existing policy are capped year to year, creating a glide path below full-risk pricing for long-held policies — and that glide path can transfer to a buyer who assumes the policy at closing. Both are reasons the smart move is usually to get covered early and stay covered. Will FEMA disaster assistance cover me if I skip flood insurance?+ Not meaningfully. Federal assistance requires a presidential disaster declaration, much of it arrives as SBA loans that must be repaid, and typical individual grants are a small fraction of real repair costs. For scale: FEMA reports the average NFIP claim payment from 2020 to 2024 was about $63,700. Assistance is a safety net for the uninsured, not a substitute for coverage — and many flood events never trigger a declaration at all. Does flood insurance cover my car or temporary housing?+ No on both, under the NFIP. A flooded vehicle is a **comprehensive** claim on your [auto policy](https://holleyagency.com/auto-insurance) — one more reason to think twice before dropping comprehensive on an older car in Texas, where low-water crossings flood fast. The NFIP pays nothing toward rent or hotels while your home is unlivable, so it is worth planning ahead for where you would stay. Can a flood policy transfer when a home is sold?+ Yes. An NFIP policy can be **assumed by the buyer at closing**, and the seller's capped-increase glide path transfers with it. On a home that has carried flood coverage for years, assuming the existing policy can beat starting a new one at today's full-risk price. It has to be arranged before closing, not reconstructed after. If you are buying anywhere in Texas near a creek, a river, or the coast, put "can I assume the flood policy?" on the checklist next to the survey. Can I get flood insurance through your agency?+ **Yes.** Our agency offers flood coverage through the ** National Flood Insurance Program** for homeowners and renters across Texas, and we will help you understand your flood zone, building and contents limits, and deductibles. If your home or belongings would cost more to replace than the NFIP limits allow, ask us about your excess needs. We will give you a straight answer about what is available. Still have questions? [Call (254) 669-6522](tel:+12546696522). We will give you a straight answer. ## Home, flood, and auto. One team. [Get a flood quote](https://holleyagency.com/quote?type=flood) [Auto insurance](https://holleyagency.com/auto-insurance) [Landlord insurance](https://holleyagency.com/landlord-insurance) [Call (254) 669-6522](tel:+12546696522) ## Find out what your flood risk really costs to cover. Free, fast, and in plain English. Tell us the address. We will pull the zone, quote NFIP flood coverage for your address, and walk you through it in about 15 minutes. [Get My Free Flood Quote](https://holleyagency.com/quote?type=flood) [or call **(254) 669-6522**](tel:+12546696522) --- **Holley Insurance Agency** · 1801 Trimmier Rd, Suite A1, Killeen, TX 76541 · (254) 669-6522 · Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–5:00 PM CT Request a quote: https://holleyagency.com/quote-request (plain HTML form) or https://holleyagency.com/quote (guided).