NFIP and private flood policies for Lexington, Nicholasville, and Central Kentucky. Quote yours online in about three minutes.
Kentucky floods. Your homeowners policy does not pay for it.
Nova Insurance Group writes flood coverage in every Kentucky flood zone: AE, A, AH, AO, X, and D. Quote it yourself online in about three minutes, or call 859-687-2004 and we will pull your FEMA flood map with you.
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Enter your address. No paperwork, no elevation certificate, no waiting on a callback.
Flood is the most common natural disaster in Kentucky and the most common exclusion on a Kentucky homeowners policy. The 2022 Eastern Kentucky floods destroyed thousands of homes, most of them uninsured for the loss. The 2023 Mayfield-area flooding, the 2025 Mammoth Cave flash floods, the recurring Ohio River and Kentucky River crests: none of it was covered by a standard homeowners policy. Nova Insurance Group is an independent insurance agency in Nicholasville, just south of Lexington, and we write Kentucky flood coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and through private flood carriers.
How much does flood insurance cost in Kentucky?
Under FEMA’s Risk Rating 2.0, Kentucky flood premiums are priced on the actual risk at your address, not on the flood zone alone. Two houses on the same street can price very differently based on elevation, distance to water, and what it would cost to rebuild. These are the ranges we see most often on Central Kentucky homes at $250,000 building and $100,000 contents.
- Zone X, unshaded (low risk)
$400 to $600 per year — Not required by lenders - Zone X, shaded (moderate risk)
$500 to $700 per year — Not required by lenders - Zone AH or AO (shallow flooding)
$900 to $1,800 per year — Required with a federally backed mortgage - Zone A or AE (high risk)
$1,200 to $3,500 per year — Required with a federally backed mortgage - Zone D (undetermined)
$500 to $900 per year — Not required by lenders
Eastern Kentucky and Ohio River properties run higher. Private flood carriers frequently beat NFIP pricing on well-elevated Kentucky homes, and they write above the NFIP caps. We quote both and put the two numbers next to each other.
What is flood insurance, and why is it a separate policy?
Flood insurance is a standalone policy that pays for damage from rising surface water: overflowing rivers and creeks, storm surge, flash flooding, mudflow, and groundwater intrusion during a general flooding event. Every Kentucky homeowners policy excludes all of it. The exclusion is identical across every carrier in the state, which is why the answer to “is flooding covered” is always no.
Why Kentucky homeowners need flood insurance.
Kentucky floods more than most states. FEMA classifies Kentucky as a high flood-risk state. The Ohio, Kentucky, Licking, Green, and Cumberland Rivers, and hundreds of smaller creeks across Eastern Kentucky and the Bluegrass, flood on a regular cycle. The state averages a federal disaster declaration for flooding every 18 months.
Most Kentucky flooding happens outside the high-risk zones. FEMA data consistently shows roughly 25 percent of NFIP claims come from properties outside zones AE, A, and VE. A property mapped Zone X is not flood-free. It just has no federal mandate attached to it.
Lenders require it inside the high-risk zones. If your Kentucky home sits in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area (Zones A, AE, AH, AO, AR, A99, V, or VE) and you have a federally backed mortgage, flood insurance is required by federal law, and lenders enforce it.
What flood insurance covers.
Building coverage.
Pays to repair or rebuild the dwelling, foundation, electrical and plumbing systems, central air, furnace, water heater, built-in appliances, permanently installed cabinets, paneling, bookcases, wallboard, and a detached garage. NFIP residential building coverage caps at $250,000. Private flood carriers write higher limits.
Contents coverage.
Pays for personal belongings: furniture, clothing, electronics, washer and dryer, curtains, food, art, and collectibles. NFIP contents coverage caps at $100,000, and contents must be insured separately from the building.
What flood insurance does not cover.
Currency, precious metals, valuable papers, vehicles (that is your auto comprehensive coverage), property outside the home (decks, patios, fences, pools, landscaping), and most basement contents beyond the essential mechanicals. We walk through the basement limits before you buy, not after.
Kentucky flood zones explained.
Zone A and AE, high risk.
A 1 percent annual flood probability, the so-called 100-year floodplain. Lenders require flood insurance. Most Kentucky river-bottom property falls here.
Zone AH and AO, shallow flooding.
A 1 percent annual probability of shallow flooding, generally 1 to 3 feet. Common in parts of Lexington and the Bluegrass, and still a Special Flood Hazard Area, so the lender requirement applies.
Zone X, shaded, moderate risk.
A 0.2 percent annual flood probability, the 500-year floodplain. Not required by lenders, strongly recommended by us.
Zone X, unshaded, low risk.
Below the 0.2 percent threshold. Coverage is optional and it is the cheapest flood insurance in the state. Roughly one in four Kentucky flood claims comes from this zone.
Zone D, undetermined.
Flood risk has not been assessed. Coverage is available and we recommend it.
NFIP vs. private flood insurance in Kentucky.
The NFIP is the federal flood program, available in every Kentucky community that participates. It caps at $250,000 building and $100,000 contents for a residence, and it carries a 30-day waiting period before coverage starts. Private flood carriers write higher limits, often have no waiting period or a much shorter one, and frequently beat NFIP pricing on Kentucky homes that sit well above the water. If a storm is already in the forecast, private flood is usually the only door still open. We write both and compare them side by side.
Flood insurance in Lexington, Nicholasville, and Central Kentucky.
Nova Insurance Group sits at 99 Wind Haven Dr., Suite 1 in Nicholasville, a few minutes from the Jessamine County line and fifteen from downtown Lexington. We write flood coverage for homeowners in Lexington, Nicholasville, Wilmore, Versailles, Georgetown, Richmond, Berea, Danville, Frankfort, and Winchester, and anywhere else in Kentucky. We are a Write-Your-Own NFIP appointee and we represent multiple private flood markets, so both numbers come out of one conversation. We pull the FEMA flood map for your address, show you exactly which zone you are in, and price NFIP and private flood next to each other so you can see the real difference.
Frequently asked questions.
Is flood insurance required in Kentucky?
Federal law requires flood insurance on any property in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area (Zones A, AE, AH, AO, AR, A99, V, VE) that carries a federally backed mortgage. Outside those zones it is optional. FEMA data shows roughly 25 percent of all flood claims come from properties outside the high-risk zones, so optional is not the same thing as unnecessary.
How much is flood insurance in Kentucky?
Most Kentucky homes in low-to-moderate-risk zones pay $400 to $700 per year for $250,000 building and $100,000 contents. Homes in Zone A or AE typically pay $1,200 to $3,500. Under FEMA’s Risk Rating 2.0, pricing is based on the individual property, not just the flood zone, so the only way to know your number is to run it.
Does Zone X require flood insurance in Kentucky?
Lenders generally do not require flood insurance in Zone X. Zone X is not flood-free, though. It is just below the 0.2 percent annual probability threshold. Roughly one in four Kentucky flood claims happens in Zone X, and Zone X policies are the cheapest in the state. Most Kentucky homeowners in Zone X should still carry it.
Does Zone AE require flood insurance in Kentucky?
Yes, if you have a federally backed mortgage. Zone AE is a Special Flood Hazard Area, and federal law requires flood insurance on mortgaged property inside an SFHA. Even without a mortgage, Zone AE carries a 1 percent annual flood probability, which works out to a 26 percent chance across a 30-year mortgage. In practice it is mandatory.
Does flood zone AH or AO require flood insurance?
Yes, on the same terms as Zone AE. Zones AH and AO are Special Flood Hazard Areas, so a federally backed mortgage triggers the federal requirement. The difference is depth, not probability: AH and AO flood shallow, generally 1 to 3 feet, which sounds survivable until you price out replacing drywall, flooring, and mechanicals across an entire first floor.
Can I buy flood insurance if I am not in a flood zone?
Yes, and it is the cheapest flood insurance sold. Every property in Kentucky is in some flood zone, and properties mapped outside the high-risk zones qualify for preferred-risk NFIP pricing and for private flood. Roughly a quarter of all flood claims come from these properties. If you are outside a high-risk zone, you are the cheapest person to insure and one of the most likely to be caught without it.
What is the 100-year flood zone, and does it require flood insurance?
The 100-year flood zone is FEMA shorthand for a 1 percent annual chance of flooding, which is Zone A or AE on a Kentucky flood map. It does not mean a flood happens once a century. It means a 1 percent chance every single year, and about a 26 percent chance over the life of a 30-year mortgage. Flood insurance is required there on federally backed mortgages.
How long is the waiting period, and can I get flood insurance with no waiting period?
NFIP flood insurance has a standard 30-day waiting period before coverage takes effect. Many private flood carriers have no waiting period or a much shorter one, in some cases as short as 24 hours. If a Kentucky storm is already in the forecast, private flood is usually the only policy that can still be bound in time. There are exceptions to the NFIP 30-day rule, including a loan closing, so call us before you assume you are stuck waiting.
Does flood insurance pay replacement cost?
It depends on the policy and what is being replaced. An NFIP policy pays replacement cost on the building when the home is your principal residence and insured to at least 80 percent of replacement value. NFIP contents coverage pays actual cash value, which means depreciation comes out of the check. Several private flood carriers will write replacement cost on contents. That is one of the specific places private flood beats the federal program.
Can I buy flood insurance online in Kentucky?
Yes. Use the quote button on this page, enter your address, and you will have a bindable private flood quote in about three minutes. No elevation certificate, no paperwork, no waiting for a callback. If you would rather have both the private and the NFIP number before you decide, call 859-687-2004 and we will run them together.
Can a flood insurance policy be transferred to a new owner?
An NFIP policy can be assigned to the buyer when a property sells, which often preserves the seller’s rate and skips the 30-day waiting period. That assignment is one of the most valuable and most frequently missed items in a Kentucky real estate closing. Private flood policies generally cannot be assigned and must be rewritten. If you are buying or selling in Central Kentucky, ask us before closing.
Does Kentucky homeowners insurance cover any flood damage?
No. Standard Kentucky homeowners insurance excludes flood damage from rising surface water entirely. Some homeowners policies cover sewer backup or sump-pump failure by endorsement, but those are different perils with different triggers. True flood damage requires a separate flood policy.
Quote Kentucky flood insurance today.
Two ways to do this. Run it yourself in about three minutes with the button below, or call 859-687-2004 and we will pull your FEMA flood map, quote NFIP and private flood side by side, and write the one that actually fits your Kentucky home.
Prepared. Not panicked.
Related reading from the Nova Insurance blog.
- Do I Actually Need Separate Flood Insurance in Kentucky?
- How Much Does Flood Insurance Cost in Kentucky?
- NFIP vs. Private Flood Insurance in Kentucky: Which Should You Buy?
- Do You Really Need Flood Insurance in Zone X in Kentucky?
- Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Flooding in Kentucky?
- Flood Insurance in Kentucky: What Every Homeowner Needs to Know
- Will Renters Insurance Cover Water Damage in Kentucky?
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