Most Onslow County homeowners find out what their hurricane deductible really is at the worst possible moment: after the storm. On coastal NC policies, named-storm damage often carries a separate percentage deductible, and on a $300,000 home a "5% deductible" is $15,000 out of pocket before your coverage pays a dime. We check that number for you before the season, not after the claim.
For most NC homeowners, wind and hail coverage sits inside the homeowners policy. But near the coast, it gets complicated in ways inland policies never do:
Which situation you're in depends on your address, your carrier, and your policy form. Most homeowners genuinely don't know which they have. That's the point of the review.
Your regular deductible might be $1,000 flat. Your named-storm deductible is usually a percentage of your dwelling coverage, not a flat amount:
Same storm, same street, wildly different out-of-pocket depending on a line in the declarations most people have never read. When the deductible triggers also varies by policy; some apply to any named storm, others only when specific conditions are met. We'll show you exactly what yours says.
When the standard market won't write wind for a coastal property, the North Carolina Insurance Underwriting Association (often called the coastal property insurance pool or "Beach Plan") exists to fill the gap. It's coverage of last resort with its own rules, its own limits, and its own pricing. Some homeowners end up there who don't need to be; part of our job as an independent agency is checking whether a standard-market carrier will now write a risk the pool is holding, because the answer changes as carrier appetite shifts.
The claim fight after every hurricane is the same fight: wind damage is covered by the homeowners or wind policy, rising water is not. Flood is a separate policy, and standard homeowners policies do not cover it. In many coastal flood zones your lender requires it; outside those zones, plenty of Onslow County flooding happens anyway. If you're reviewing wind coverage, review flood at the same time. We do both in the same conversation.
That's the whole review. It's free, it takes one conversation, and it works even if your current policy is with a carrier we don't represent; you'll leave knowing your real numbers either way. And if we do earn your business, you never shop again: we re-check your coverage and rates at every renewal, automatically.
Often, but not always on the coast. Some coastal policies exclude wind, requiring a separate wind policy. The only way to know is to read your policy form, which is exactly what the free review does.
Your regular deductible is usually a flat dollar amount. Named-storm deductibles are typically a percentage of your dwelling coverage, so they're usually much larger. A 2% deductible on a $300,000 home is $6,000.
North Carolina's insurance market of last resort for coastal wind risk. It exists so coastal properties can get coverage when standard carriers decline, with its own rules and pricing.
No. Flood is always a separate policy. Wind-driven rain through a storm-damaged roof and rising water from storm surge are treated completely differently at claim time.
Usually not. Carriers typically suspend new coverage and changes when a named storm approaches (a binding moratorium). The time to fix your coverage is the off-season, which is why we're asking you to check now.
Often, yes; coastal wind is a major driver of NC rate changes. It's also exactly the situation where an independent agency helps, because we can check the whole market against your renewal instead of you accepting one company's number.
We'll reach out the same business day (Mon–Fri) — usually much sooner — with your real numbers.
One conversation. We'll pull your deductible into real dollars, check wind and flood together, and compare the market against what you're paying now. No cost, no obligation, no pressure to switch.
This page is for informational purposes only and is not an insurance policy. Coverage is determined solely by the terms, conditions, and exclusions of the actual policy issued. Deductible examples are illustrative; actual figures depend on your policy. Rules referenced are specific to North Carolina. Insurance coverage is not bound or altered until confirmed by an authorized representative of Kolstad Insurance Services.
