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Builders risk in New Hampshire

New Hampshire requires a shoreland permit before construction, excavation, or filling within a protected shoreland, with a permit-by-notification path for qualifying low-impact projects. Separately, the current Env-Wq 1503.09 rule requires floodplain boundary, elevation, and compensatory-storage information for projects proposing fill in a 100-year floodplain under an alteration-of-terrain permit; additional analysis is required for larger fill volumes or bridge and culvert crossings. These rules apply to defined activities and do not decide policy coverage. 1,2

What Is Builders Risk?

Builders risk protects the project you are building, including materials meant for it, against physical loss until construction ends. The gaps that cost owners money are materials in storage or transit, the existing building in a renovation, and coverage ending when you occupy early. Read the national Builders risk guide.

What to Watch for in New Hampshire

  • Check whether the work is within protected shoreland

    RSA 483-B:5-b bars starting construction, excavation, or filling in protected shoreland without a department permit. It allows permit-by-notification for qualifying projects, including impacts under 1,500 square feet and no more than 900 square feet of added impervious area, if they meet the other standards. Ask the permitting authority which route fits the actual work. 1

  • Budget time for floodplain mapping and compensatory storage

    For an alteration-of-terrain application involving fill within a 100-year floodplain, current Env-Wq 1503.09 requires boundary and elevation information and compensatory-storage locations and volumes. Share the fill plan and affected site areas with the engineer and permitting team before setting mobilization dates. 2

  • Ask when a bridge, culvert, or larger fill needs hydraulic analysis

    The New Hampshire rule calls for watershed information, bank photographs, and a stamped HEC-RAS analysis for fill over 0.5 acre-feet or a proposed bridge or culvert crossing, subject to stated details and exceptions. If those features are in the contract, get the project engineer and permit reviewer to confirm required studies and sequence. 2

  • Present site and water exposures as insurance questions

    A shoreland or floodplain permit identifies a regulatory work area; it does not establish which losses a builders-risk policy covers. Give the broker the parcel, work limits, fill and crossing details, material locations, and project dates, then ask how flood, water, erosion, stored materials, and term extensions are treated in the actual quote. 1,2

Who Regulates Insurance in New Hampshire

New Hampshire Insurance Department

The New Hampshire Insurance Department licenses insurance producers and insurers, oversees insurance markets and investigates complaints concerning entities within the Commissioner’s authority. Its consumer services line is 800-852-3416. 3,4,5,6

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 3% on the New Hampshire allocation; other-state allocations use those states’ rates and fees New Hampshire charges 3% on gross premium allocated to New Hampshire; for multistate coverage, premium allocated elsewhere is taxed at the rates and fees applicable in those jurisdictions, less qualifying returned premium. The policy notice states that the New Hampshire Guaranty Association will not be liable for surplus-lines policies; placement ordinarily requires proof that admitted coverage cannot be obtained. 7,8,9

Providers With Documented State Licenses

No provider in Spot’s research documents both a state license record and this coverage line. This does not establish that providers are unlicensed. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm availability with a provider when requesting a quote.

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in New Hampshire

  1. Is any construction, excavation, or filling within a protected shoreland, and does the project qualify for permit by notification?
  2. Does the project require an alteration-of-terrain permit with fill in a 100-year floodplain, a bridge or culvert, or more than 0.5 acre-feet of fill?
  3. Do the quote's scheduled locations, values, flood and water terms, materials storage, and completion date match the permitted construction plan?

Builders Risk in New Hampshire: FAQ

Can some New Hampshire shoreland projects use permit by notification? 1

Yes. The statute allows the route for projects with no water-quality impact that meet department rules; listed criteria include certain projects under 1,500 square feet with no more than 900 square feet of added impervious area. The agency must first give written notice that the completed notification was accepted. 1

What information is required when a permitted New Hampshire project places fill in a 100-year floodplain? 2

Env-Wq 1503.09 requires floodplain-boundary and elevation information and compensatory-storage locations and volumes. A bridge or culvert or fill over 0.5 acre-feet triggers additional analysis specified in the rule. 2

Builders Risk in Other States

Other Coverage in New Hampshire

Sources

  1. RSA 483-B:5-b — Permit Required; Exemption. New Hampshire General Court; Lines 6–20: protected-shoreland permit, notification criteria, notice before proceeding, and exceptions. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. Env-Wq 1500 — Permits for RSA 485-A:17 Activities. New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services / Office of Legislative Services; Env-Wq 1503.09, lines 1081–1153: current rule effective January 19, 2026; floodplain fill mapping, compensatory storage, and specified analyses. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. New Hampshire Insurance Department. New Hampshire Insurance Department; Official regulator homepage. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. New Hampshire State License Division Information. Sircon (state-designated licensing service); State-specific Sircon page identifies NH Insurance Department Licensing Division and license services, but does not expose an unambiguous public producer/company search link. Public lookup destination remains an evidence gap; do not claim this route is the public license search. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. Consumer Complaint Form. New Hampshire Insurance Department; Official NHID fillable complaint form covers property/casualty including commercial; the official complaint process and 800-852-3416 are confirmed by Ins 102.08 at the source below. PDF endpoint returns HTTP 403 to this verifier, so retain it as a documented access limitation. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. Insurance Department Rules. New Hampshire Insurance Department; Ins 102.08 identifies complaint investigation, consumer-service authority and contact details. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. RSA 405-B:4, Single Home State Rate; Surplus Lines. New Hampshire General Court; Official statute: 3% on NH-allocated gross premium and other-state rates/fees on out-of-state allocations, less specified returned NH premium. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. RSA 405:24, Applicability; Issue. New Hampshire General Court; Required nonadmitted surplus-lines policy notice and eligible insurer/placement provisions; surplus lines are not subject to ordinary admitted-insurer regulation. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. RSA 405:24. New Hampshire General Court; Subsection III limits licensed surplus-lines placement to amounts not obtainable from an admitted company. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  10. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  11. Licenses and Carriers. Coalition; Licenses and Carriers, re-read 22 September 2026: Insurance Licenses table for Coalition Insurance Solutions, Inc., national producer number 18419475, with producer and surplus-lines numbers for all 50 states and DC including California 0L76155, Georgia 196479, Texas 2199630 and 2205589, Pennsylvania 815731 and 817452, Colorado 539028 and Wisconsin 3000108852. Insurance Carriers table naming, with NAIC numbers, Allianz Underwriters Insurance Company 36420, Arch Specialty Insurance Company 21199, Ascot Specialty Insurance Company 45055, Ascot Insurance Company 23752, Aspen Specialty Insurance Company 10717, Chaucer Insurance Company DAC, Coalition Insurance Company 29530, Fireman's Fund Indemnity Corporation 11380, Fortegra Specialty Insurance Company 16823, Lloyd's of London, MSIG Specialty Insurance USA Inc. 34886, MS Transverse Specialty Insurance Company 41807, Steadfast Insurance Company 26387, Vantage Risk Specialty Insurance Company 16275 and Zurich American Insurance Company 16535. Accessed 2026-09-22.
  12. Insurance Producer Licenses. Corgi Insurance; Current complete Insurance Producer Licenses table for Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.; 50 rows covering 49 states and DC (DC 3003091619); no New Mexico row; no NPN or as-of date shown. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  13. About Hiscox US Insurance. Hiscox; Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. NAIC 10200 as Chicago, IL domiciled insurer admitted or licensed in all 50 states and D.C.; Hiscox Inc. as general agent and Lloyd’s coverholder for Syndicates 33 and 3624; surplus-lines placements through licensed surplus-lines brokers; A.M. Best rating statement. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  14. Licenses. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Current entity-by-state license table reopened 28 September 2026: 50 rows under Next First Insurance Agency, Inc., including Washington, DC; New York rows instead list Next Insurance Services PC-1423070 and AP Intego BR-1198885. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  15. Insurance Licenses by State. TechInsurance; Current state table; identifies TechInsurance as a division of Specialty Program Group LLC d/b/a SPG Insurance Solutions; lists DC 3000041536 and labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses,” without an agency license number. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  16. Licenses. Vouch; Effective 16 January 2025: Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC, NPN 19926463; P&C table (50 states and DC); surplus-lines table includes Idaho 870820; footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses; Idaho retained as producer-only due to conflict. Accessed 2026-09-15.

Updated .

This guide is informational and does not determine whether a policy is available or meets your needs. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with a supporting source.

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