Flood Zone B is a moderate-risk area — sitting between the boundaries of a 100-year flood and a 500-year flood. In plain terms, it's not the highest-risk designation, but it's not in the clear either. On newer flood maps, Zone B may be replaced with Zone X (shaded).
If your home is in Flood Zone B, it's worth knowing that standard home insurance policies don't cover flood damage — that protection has to be purchased separately. Your mortgage lender may not require it in Zone B, but flood damage is notoriously expensive to repair, making flood insurance a smart addition to your home insurance coverage.
Understanding the risk level in Flood Zone B
Homes in Flood Zone B are at risk of flood damage, but the risk is less significant than in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) like Zone A or Zone V. Here’s what to know:
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Flood Zone B is a moderate-risk flood zone.
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It represents an annual risk of flooding between 0.2% and 1%.
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Flood insurance is not federally mandated in Zone B, but mortgage lenders may require it for the duration of your home loan since they have a financial interest in the property.
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On modern flood maps, Zone B is typically replaced with Zone X (shaded).
What Flood Zone B means for your home
Flood Zone B is positioned between the 100-year and 500-year flood levels, meaning that flooding has between a 1% and a 0.2% chance (respectively) of occurring each year. If you own a house in this area, the risk of flood damage is moderate.
In many cases, Flood Zone B areas are protected by levees. Unlike SFHAs, Zone B may see flooding depths of less than one foot or drainage areas of less than one square mile, minimizing the potential impact of flooding on homes. This makes Zone B a Non-Special Flood Hazard Area, or NSFHA.
Flood Zone B vs. Flood Zone X
Flood Zone B is a historic designation used in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood mapping and is being phased out in favor of Flood Zone X (shaded).
It’s important to note the difference between Flood Zone X (shaded) and Flood Zone X (unshaded). Shaded Zone X replaces the moderate-risk Zone B, while Unshaded Zone X replaces Zone C, an area of minimal flood hazard above the 500-year flood level.
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Zone B |
Zone C |
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Risk level |
Moderate |
Minimal |
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Replaced by |
Zone X (shaded) |
Zone X (unshaded) |
Is flood insurance required in Flood Zone B?
Flood Zone B is not in a Special Flood Hazard Area. Therefore, homeowners here are not required by law to get flood insurance. However, if you purchased your home with a mortgage, your lender might require flood insurance as a condition of your loan to protect their investment in your property.
And just because you aren’t required to get flood insurance doesn’t mean your home is not at risk. According to FEMA, approximately one-third of flood insurance claims are filed by homeowners living outside of high-risk areas. Even an inch of water can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage to your home’s structure and your belongings. Not having flood insurance means you’d be responsible for covering all repairs and replacements yourself.
How to get flood insurance
Homeowners in Zone B have the option to buy flood insurance from a private insurer or through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is backed by FEMA. Private and government-back policies have some key distinctions you should be aware of.
Most importantly, NFIP policies come with:
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A 30-day waiting period before coverage starts
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A $250,000 cap on dwelling coverage
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A $100,000 cap on personal belongings coverage
Private insurance typically provides more options. For example, when you buy a flood insurance endorsement (add-on to your home policy) or separate policy from a private insurer, it might come with a shorter waiting period (or take effect immediately), and you may be able to purchase higher coverage limits than the NFIP allows. Your cost of coverage could be cheaper, as well.
How much does flood insurance cost in Flood Zone B?
NFIP premiums in moderate- to low-risk zones (B, C, and X) are generally lower than high-risk zones, with many policyholders paying under $1,000 per year.
Your exact price will depend on where you live and several other risk factors, which may include:
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Your home’s age
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How high your land sits above sea level
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How high your living space is raised above potential floodwaters
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How much it would cost to rebuild your home
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Your policy's coverage limits (the maximum payout amount)
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Nearby water sources and how often they flood
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Safety steps taken by you, your town, or your state to prevent flood damage
To get exact pricing, request a flood insurance quote from a private insurer or the NFIP.
How FEMA’s Risk Rating 2.0 affects Flood Zone B insurance pricing
Under FEMA’s former flood mapping methodology, flood zones were used to determine the price of NFIP flood insurance for homeowners. Risk Rating 2.0, introduced in 2022, uses individual property factors, such as distance to water and reconstruction costs, to set NFIP premiums.
With Risk Rating 2.0 in effect, flood zones are now only used to determine whether flood insurance is mandatory. In Flood Zone B, insurance is not mandatory, but individual premiums will depend on the complex factors analyzed by Risk Rating 2.0.
Learn more about flood zones
Frequently asked questions
Can Flood Zone B be changed?
If you feel your home has wrongly been designated as part of Flood Zone B, you can submit a Letter of Map Amendment to FEMA along with an elevation certificate from a licensed surveyor to indicate that your home is located above the Zone B floodplain.
Is Flood Zone B in a 100-year floodplain?
No. Flood Zone B is above the 100-year floodplain and within the 500-year flood zone. The 100-year floodplain is limited to designations such as Flood Zone A and Flood Zone V, which indicate SFHAs.
Does a standard home insurance policy cover Flood Zone B?
A standard home insurance policy will not cover flood damage in Flood Zone B or any other flood zone. To obtain coverage for flooding, you’ll need to purchase a separate flood insurance policy or add a flood endorsement to your home insurance coverage.
What is the difference between Flood Zone B and Flood Zone A?
Zone A is a high-risk flood zone with a 1% annual chance of flooding. Flood Zone B is a moderate-risk zone with an annual flood risk between 0.2% and 1%. Federally backed mortgages require flood insurance in Zone A but not in Zone B.
Does an elevation certificate help in Flood Zone B?
Elevation certificates typically aren’t required in Flood Zone B, but they may help you to change your risk designation if all or part of your property has been incorrectly designated as part of a Special Flood Hazard Area.
How do I find out if I am in Flood Zone B?
You can use FEMA’s online Flood Map Service Center to look up your address on a Flood Insurance Rate Map to determine your flood risk. Keep in mind that older maps use Zone B to show moderate risk, while newer maps label these same areas as Zone X (shaded).
