Insurance
Homeowners Insurance in Massachusetts
Published September 24, 2026 · Last updated October 1, 2026
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If you heat with oil, read this first
Since 2010, Massachusetts law has required home insurers to offer coverage for leaks from oil heating systems. Most policies don't include it unless you ask. Cleaning up a home heating oil spill can cost thousands of dollars, and without this coverage you may pay for it yourself.
To qualify, your system usually needs one of these:
- an oil safety valve, or
- an oil supply line with a protective sleeve.
You must add the coverage before a leak happens. If you have an oil tank, ask your agent whether it's on your policy and what it costs.
Winter damage: what's usually covered
Ice dams. When snow melts on a warm roof and refreezes at the edge, water can back up under the shingles and into the house. Damage from ice dams and from the weight of ice and snow is generally covered. What's not covered is damage from wear and tear or from neglect, like a roof that was already failing.
Frozen pipes. Pipes that burst in a cold snap are usually covered too, if you kept the heat on. Vacant homes are a different story (see below).
Basement water. Flooding from outside isn't covered. Water that backs up through a sewer or drain isn't covered either, unless you add sewer and drain backup coverage. The state calls the cost of this add-on "nominal." With so many finished basements in the state, it's often worth asking about.
On the Cape and the islands: the wind and hail deductible
If your home is insured through the FAIR Plan in Barnstable, Dukes, or Nantucket County, or within half a mile of the coast, your policy has a mandatory percentage deductible for wind and hail. It's a percentage of your dwelling coverage, not a flat dollar amount.
Example: a 2% deductible on a home insured for $600,000 would be $12,000.
Private insurers near the coast often use percentage deductibles too. Before you buy, ask for the deductible in dollars.
The Massachusetts FAIR Plan (MPIUA)
Homeowners insurance in Massachusetts isn't "take all comers" like car insurance is. Insurers can decline or non-renew a home for many reasons, such as its condition, its location, or even the breed of your dog.
If no private insurer will cover you, the Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association (MPIUA), known as the FAIR Plan, is the market of last resort.
- It's not a state agency and isn't funded by the state. Insurers that write property coverage in Massachusetts back it.
- Who qualifies: homes, multi-family buildings, and condo units in Massachusetts, if you've tried and can't get coverage elsewhere. The home can't be vacant or condemned, and there can't be unpaid tax liens.
- What it covers: fire and smoke, vandalism and theft, windstorm and hail, snow or ice collapse, damage from vehicles or aircraft, and limited liability.
- Flood: not covered. Since 2025, new FAIR Plan policies for homes in high-risk flood zones in coastal communities also require a separate flood policy. See flood insurance.
- It won't follow you. A private insurer can't charge you more later because you were on the FAIR Plan.
Contact: (617) 723-3800 or toll-free (800) 392-6108. Most people apply through an agent.
When can your insurer drop you?
Non-renewal: your insurer doesn't have to renew your policy. But it must give you at least 45 days' notice before the policy ends. First-class mail to your address counts.
Cancellation during the term is only allowed for specific reasons under state law, such as:
- not paying your premium
- fraud or lying on your application
- acts that make a loss more likely, like leaving a gas leak unfixed
- the home becoming uninsurable, such as sitting vacant for more than 60 days in a row
If you'll be away for a long winter, talk to your insurer before you go.
What changes your price in Massachusetts
- Distance to the coast and your wind deductible.
- The age of your roof, wiring, and heating system. Many Massachusetts homes are old.
- Your rebuild cost. Insure for what it costs to rebuild, not your sale price or tax value.
- Add-ons like oil leak, sewer backup, and scheduled jewelry or art.
- Your claims history.
Not a quote or an offer. Your price comes from the insurance company.
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Related services
Fixing ice dam damage or planning a new roof? See roof replacement and roof repair. Switching off oil heat? See heat pumps.
More home insurance guides: Homeowners insurance cost · Condo insurance · Renters insurance · Landlord insurance · Mobile home insurance · Flood insurance · Umbrella insurance · How much homeowners insurance you need · Renters insurance basics · How to get renters insurance · All insurance
More Massachusetts guides: Massachusetts car insurance
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Related services
Renters Insurance
Compare renters coverage options for an apartment or rental home.
Condo Insurance
Explore condo coverage options alongside your association policy.
Landlord Insurance
Explore coverage options for a property you rent out.
Flood Insurance
Explore flood coverage, which standard home policies usually exclude.
Sources
- NAIC homeowners report (2022 data), via Insurance Information Institute
- Massachusetts Division of Insurance, Frequently asked questions about homeowners insurance
- Massachusetts Division of Insurance, Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association (FAIR Plan)
- MPIUA, Mandatory percentage windstorm or hail deductible