The North Carolina Insurance Underwriting Association — called the Beach Plan — provides wind and hail coverage for 18 coastal counties where private insurers exclude wind. From the Outer Banks to Brunswick County, here's everything NC coastal homeowners need to know for 2026.
Get Free Roof Inspection →The North Carolina Insurance Underwriting Association — universally called the Beach Plan — is North Carolina's residual market insurer for wind and hail coverage. It was created by the NC Legislature to serve coastal property owners who are unable to obtain wind and hail coverage in the private voluntary market. The Beach Plan is not a private insurer; it is a state-mandated pooling mechanism in which all NC property insurers share in the risk.
The Beach Plan operates alongside a companion organization, the NC Joint Underwriting Association (NCJUA), which serves as the FAIR Plan for fire and extended coverage. Many NC coastal homeowners have policies with both the Beach Plan (for wind) and a separate standard market policy (for fire and liability).
Beach Plan coverage is available only for properties located in the 18 designated coastal counties. This includes the entirety of the Outer Banks, the Crystal Coast, the Brunswick Islands, and the Albemarle Sound coastal communities.
Beaufort · Bertie · Brunswick · Camden · Carteret · Chowan · Craven · Currituck · Dare · Gates · Hertford · Hyde · New Hanover · Onslow · Pamlico · Pasquotank · Pender · Tyrrell · Washington
Dare County (Outer Banks) sits in the highest wind exposure zone — design requirements of 160 mph are standard for new construction on the barrier islands. The Outer Banks' open-ocean exposure and barrier island geography make it one of the most wind-vulnerable stretches of coastline in the eastern United States.
Beach Plan eligibility is determined by county designation, not by proximity to water. If your property is not in one of the 18 designated counties, you are not eligible for Beach Plan coverage regardless of how close you are to the coast or how much wind exposure your property has.
The NC Beach Plan covers direct physical loss from wind and hail. Coverage is available for dwelling structures, other structures on the property, and personal property. Coverage limits are set per policy and based on the replacement cost of the structure.
One notable feature of NC Beach Plan policies is the annual hurricane deductible. Unlike per-storm deductibles common in Florida and Texas, North Carolina's hurricane deductible applies once per policy year — regardless of how many named storms affect your property. If you suffer hurricane damage in September and again in October of the same policy year, you only pay the hurricane deductible once. This is a significant advantage over states where each storm triggers a separate deductible.
Hurricane deductibles are typically 1–3% of insured dwelling value for named storms. A flat all-perils deductible applies for non-named-storm wind and hail events.
Most NC Beach Plan policyholders need three separate policies for complete coverage:
After a hurricane, all three carriers may need to be notified. Wind damage is a Beach Plan claim; flood and surge damage is a flood policy claim; fire or smoke damage is a standard policy claim. Disputes about whether damage was caused by wind (covered by Beach Plan) or flood (covered by flood policy) are among the most common post-hurricane claim battles in NC coastal counties.
A free inspection can document storm damage and help you navigate a Beach Plan claim or roof replacement project.
Get Free Inspection →Complete guide to storm roof damage, claims, and licensed roofers across NC's 18 coastal counties.
How windstorm coverage works across all 13 Gulf and Atlantic coastal states, including every major wind pool.
What percentage deductibles mean in real dollars — including how NC's annual deductible rule works.
2026 cost ranges for all 13 coastal states and what drives Outer Banks and Crystal Coast pricing.
How South Carolina's SCWHUA wind pool works for Lowcountry and Grand Strand coastal homeowners.
Why your Beach Plan settlement basis matters — and what ACV vs RCV means for your payout.