Insurance for New Orleans, wind, water and the deductible in between

New Orleans homes and the New Orleans economy

New Orleans housing is old and particular: shotgun singles and doubles, camelbacks, Creole cottages built to the sidewalk in the Marigny and Tremé, raised center-hall houses Uptown, and the 18th- and 19th-century buildings of the French Quarter. Lakeview, Gentilly and New Orleans East were built out later, many with slab or low raised ranch houses on land drained in the 20th century. Age, raised versus slab foundations and roof condition are the first things a carrier asks about.

Many shotgun doubles are owner-occupied on one side and rented on the other, which adds a landlord exposure to a homeowners policy. Wood-frame houses here also face Formosan subterranean termites, and insect damage is excluded from standard homeowners policies, so inspection and treatment matter more than coverage.

The economy runs on tourism and hospitality in the Quarter and the Central Business District, the Port of New Orleans and Mississippi River shipping, energy and petrochemical work along the river, healthcare, universities, and film and music. Restaurants, bars, hotels, festival work and marine trades make up most of the commercial calls I get from here.

What underwriters weigh in New Orleans

Wind and water are separate perils here, on separate policies with separate deductibles. These are the exposures carriers price.

• Hurricane windHurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon on August 29, 2021 as a Category 4 storm with 150 mph sustained winds, and the National Weather Service recorded a 113 mph gust in New Orleans. Wind is usually part of the homeowners policy but with a separate hurricane or named-storm deductible, often a percentage of the dwelling limit.
• Flood, levees and heavy rainLevee breaks that began on August 29, 2005 during Hurricane Katrina left at least 80% of the city underwater by August 31, according to the National Weather Service. In 2021, Ida pushed water 5.52 feet above mean higher high water at the New Orleans gauge and dropped 10.74 inches of rain at Lakefront Airport. Flood is excluded from homeowners policies and needs its own flood policy, NFIP or private.
• Old buildingsMany homes are a century old or more, with wood framing, piers and older wiring. Some carriers won't write older roofs or certain foundations, which pushes owners toward surplus lines markets or, for rentals, dwelling fire forms.
• Hospitality liabilityBars, restaurants and venues in the Quarter, on Frenchmen Street and along Magazine Street face liquor and premises claims, especially through Mardi Gras and festival season. See liquor liability.

Louisiana and New Orleans rules that apply

• Auto minimums and 'no pay, no play'Louisiana requires $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage (R.S. 32:900). Under R.S. 32:866, an owner or driver without required insurance can't recover the first $100,000 of bodily injury or the first $100,000 of property damage, with exceptions such as when the other driver was convicted of DWI, caused the crash on purpose or fled the scene.
• Hurricane deductiblesUnder R.S. 22:1337, a named-storm or hurricane deductible on a one- or two-family owner-occupied home applies on a calendar-year basis. If a second storm hits the same year, the insurer may apply only the greater of the remaining storm deductible or the all-perils deductible. New policies come with a deductible disclosure form for the insured to sign.
• Louisiana CitizensLouisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation runs the state's residual market for residential and commercial property owners who can't get coverage in the voluntary market.
• Workers' compLouisiana sets no minimum number of employees for workers' compensation. Employers secure it through an insurer, a group self-insurance fund or approved self-insurance (R.S. 23:1168). Under R.S. 23:1035, a sole proprietor, or an officer, partner or LLC member owning at least 10%, can opt out for himself or herself in writing, and musicians and performers working under a performance contract are exempt.
• Short-term rentalsIn residential areas New Orleans issues non-commercial (NSTR) permits, with a maximum of one per square, assigned by lottery when more than one owner applies, and each rental needs a permitted operator. The 2023 ordinance also bars anyone from operating more than one short-term rental, and a 2024 ordinance bars platforms from booking unlicensed rentals. In August 2026 the federal Fifth Circuit upheld both ordinances.

Insuring a New Orleans business

Hospitality is the center of the local economy, and it is a hard class to place: old buildings, wind exposure, liquor sales and late hours. I package restaurant and bar coverage with commercial property that has a named-storm deductible the owner can live with, plus workers' comp, which Louisiana requires from the first employee.

Along the river and the Industrial Canal, marine contractors, port trucking and energy service companies need marine contractor coverage and the filings that come with Louisiana truck insurance, while the city's film shoots, parades and festivals run on short-term event policies.

What New Orleans callers ask me about

• Non-renewed after a storm season. When a carrier pulls back or non-renews, I shop the remaining admitted carriers and surplus lines markets before an owner settles for Louisiana Citizens.
• What the hurricane deductible means in dollars. A 2% hurricane deductible on a $400,000 dwelling limit is $8,000 out of pocket, and 5% is $20,000. I show the dollar figure for each quote, not just the percentage.
• FORTIFIED roof credit. R.S. 22:1483 requires insurers to give an actuarially justified credit to homes certified to the IBHS FORTIFIED standard, on policies that include wind, once the owner shows the certificate. The state's Louisiana Fortify Homes Program also awards grants of up to $10,000 toward a FORTIFIED roof by lottery, for homesteaded houses with wind coverage; condos and mobile homes don't qualify. I ask for the certificate on every quote.
• Flood outside the high-risk zone. When at least 80% of the city flooded in 2005, the water did not follow flood map lines. Lenders only require flood in mapped high-risk zones; I quote it either way.
• Lost the short-term rental lottery. Owners who didn't get the NSTR permit for their square often switch to monthly tenants, which means moving from a short-term rental policy to a landlord policy.

Working with me from New Orleans

I don’t have an office in New Orleans. I work with New Orleans clients from my office in Beverly Hills, California: quotes, applications and policy changes are handled by phone, email and the online quote form, and I shop each request across admitted carriers and specialty markets. Saman Alishahi holds a Louisiana nonresident insurance producer license (NPN 21022298) and a California license (#4348151). Call (424) 552-4545, answered 24/7, or send a quote request.

New Orleans insurance, answered

Sources

• NWS New Orleans/Baton Rouge: August 2005 hydrologic summary (Katrina)
• NWS New Orleans/Baton Rouge: Hurricane Ida 2021
• La. R.S. 32:900: motor vehicle liability policy
• La. R.S. 32:866: no pay, no play
• La. R.S. 22:1337: hurricane and named-storm deductibles
• La. R.S. 22:1483: fortified construction discounts
• City of New Orleans: changes to short-term rental laws
• La. R.S. 23:1035: workers' comp coverage, owner opt-out and performer exemption
• U.S. Fifth Circuit: Bodin v. New Orleans (Aug. 5, 2026)
• LDI Regulation 126: Louisiana Fortify Homes Program

General information about insurance in New Orleans as of October 2026, not legal advice. State rules, local ordinances, hazard maps and carrier appetite change; check the current rules with the Louisiana insurance regulator and your city. Coverage depends on underwriting and the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy actually issued.