How do you insure a home in Wrightsville Beach, NC?
Every lot on the island is in a flood hazard area, so wind and flood planning comes first.
A Wrightsville Beach home usually needs three pieces: a homeowners or dwelling policy, wind and hail coverage (from the homeowners company or the Beach Plan), and flood insurance. The town says the entire island is in a designated flood hazard area, so flood is not optional thinking here.
We are an independent insurance company in New Hanover County and compare more than 100 insurance companies plus the Beach Plan. We check the address, elevation and use of the house before we quote.
Coverage descriptions here are general. Forms, endorsements and availability vary by insurance company, and your own policy governs.
What a Wrightsville Beach home policy setup includes
Homeowners or dwelling policy. Covers the house, other structures, belongings and liability. Many companies write beach homes with wind and hail excluded, and rentals usually go on a dwelling or landlord form.
Wind and hail policy. Fills the gap when the homeowners policy excludes wind, often through the Beach Plan. It should match the homeowners policy on limits, dates and form. See wind insurance.
We always include wind and hail
Every home policy we place includes wind and hail. When the insurance company excludes wind, we write the wind coverage separately through the Beach Plan or another company, so you're never left without it.
Flood insurance. Covers rising water and storm surge, which homeowners and wind policies exclude. NFIP and private options are compared on our flood insurance guide.
Named storm deductible. Usually a percentage of the dwelling limit. At 2% on a $500,000 home, you pay the first $10,000 of a named storm wind claim.
Ordinance or law. Helps pay to rebuild to current elevation and wind code after a covered loss, which matters on older island homes.
Loss of use or fair rental value. Pays extra living costs, or lost rent on a rental, while the house is repaired after a covered loss.
Liability and umbrella. Renters, guests, pools, docks and golf carts add liability. An umbrella adds limits on top.
What it usually does not cover
- Flood and storm surge under a homeowners or wind policy
- Wind, if your homeowners policy excludes it and you have no wind policy
- The first dollars of a named storm claim, up to your percentage deductible
- Docks, piers and bulkheads under NFIP flood
- The land itself, including sand and lot lost to erosion
- Short-term rental use on a policy not written for it
Forms, endorsements and availability vary by insurance company. Your own policy governs.
Who this page is for
- Owners of oceanfront, Harbor Island and soundside homes
- Second home owners and families who rent the house part of the year
- Condo and townhome owners who need an HO-6 plus flood
- Buyers closing on a Wrightsville Beach home
- Owners planning to elevate or rebuild an older cottage
Wrightsville Beach rules and local facts
The whole town is in a flood hazard area. The town states that the entirety of Wrightsville Beach is in a designated flood hazard area and that all properties in town limits are in the floodplain (Town of Wrightsville Beach).
Beach area for the Beach Plan. The town describes itself as a barrier island bordered by the Atlantic and the Intracoastal Waterway (Town of Wrightsville Beach). The Beach Plan's beach area is everything south and east of the inland waterway (NCIUA).
Two feet of freeboard. The town's flood ordinance sets the regulatory flood protection elevation at the base flood elevation plus two feet, and has separate rules for VE coastal high hazard zones (2018 Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance). A home built above that line usually prices better for flood.
CRS Class 7. Wrightsville Beach is a Class 7 community in FEMA's Community Rating System, listed with a 15% NFIP discount as of Oct. 1, 2026 (FEMA CRS list).
Federal beach nourishment. Congress authorized the Wrightsville Beach storm damage reduction project in 1962, with periodic nourishment running through 2036 (USACE briefing on the town site). The state's 2019 study found about 95.6% of the town's shoreline had accreted and kept its setback factor at the state minimum of 2 (NC DCM).
Storm history. Hurricane Florence's eye crossed Wrightsville Beach at 7:15 a.m. on Sept. 14, 2018 (NWS). In Hurricane Fran in 1996, the storm tide reached as high as 12 feet across Wrightsville Beach (NWS), and the town notes Hazel and Fran both submerged the entire island (Town of Wrightsville Beach).
Elevation certificates are posted. The town posts elevation certificates online and reminds owners that flood is a separate policy with a 30-day waiting period (Town of Wrightsville Beach). Send us yours with your quote request.
What drives the cost in Wrightsville Beach
Two houses on the same street can price very differently. These are the factors that move it:
- Oceanfront, second row, interior or soundfront location
- Lowest floor elevation compared with the required flood elevation
- Pilings, foundation type and breakaway walls below the home
- Roof age, shape and covering, and any FORTIFIED designation
- Window and door protection
- Dwelling limit based on the cost to rebuild on the island
- Named storm deductible percentage
- Primary home, second home or rental use
- Flood claim history and elevation certificate
We do not publish average prices. A licensed advisor quotes your actual situation across more than 100 insurance companies.
Common Questions
Is all of Wrightsville Beach in a flood zone?
Yes. The town says the entire island is in a designated flood hazard area, so every property is in the floodplain.
Do I need flood insurance in Wrightsville Beach?
If you have a federally backed mortgage, your lender must require it because the home is in a high-risk flood area. Even without a loan, storm surge is a flood claim that no homeowners or wind policy pays.
Is Wrightsville Beach in the Beach Plan's beach area?
Yes. The island lies east of the Intracoastal Waterway, which is the Beach Plan's beach area.
What is the freeboard requirement in Wrightsville Beach?
The town's flood ordinance requires the base flood elevation plus two feet. Check your elevation certificate to see how your lowest floor compares.
Does Wrightsville Beach get a flood insurance discount?
The town is a Class 7 community in FEMA's Community Rating System, listed with a 15% NFIP discount. Private flood companies set their own prices.
Does homeowners insurance cover hurricane damage in Wrightsville Beach?
Only wind damage, and only if wind is on your homeowners policy or a separate wind policy. Storm surge needs flood insurance. Every home policy we place includes wind and hail, on the homeowners policy or on a separate wind policy.
Can I insure a Wrightsville Beach rental house?
Yes. Rentals are usually written on a dwelling or landlord form with fair rental value, plus wind and flood.
Where do I find my Wrightsville Beach elevation certificate?
The town posts elevation certificates on its flood page. If yours is not there, a surveyor can prepare one.
How much is homeowners insurance in Wrightsville Beach?
It depends on elevation, distance to the ocean, roof, deductible and use. We quote the actual house rather than an average.
The Bottom Line
- Tell us before you close, so homeowners, wind and flood start the same day.
- Send your elevation certificate with the quote request.
- Tell us if you rent the house, even part of the year.
- Check your named storm deductible before hurricane season.
- Tell us before you elevate, renovate or re-roof.
Forms, endorsements and availability vary by insurance company. Your own policy governs.
Sizemore Insurance is an independent insurance company founded in North Carolina in 1977. Tell us what you need to protect, and a licensed advisor will compare more than 100 insurance companies to find the coverage that fits. Insurance made just for you.
Sources: Town of Wrightsville Beach, Flood Preparation and Protection; NC Insurance Underwriting Association, coverages and territories; Town of Wrightsville Beach, Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (2018); FEMA, CRS Eligible Communities (effective Oct. 1, 2026); Town of Wrightsville Beach, USACE public information meeting (Nov. 19, 2020); NC DCM, Oceanfront Long-Term Average Annual Erosion Rates and Setbacks (2019); National Weather Service Wilmington, Hurricane Florence; National Weather Service Wilmington, Hurricane Fran.
Forms, exclusions, endorsements, and availability vary by insurance company. This page is general information, not a policy or legal advice. Review your own policy or talk to your advisor.