Buying at the SC Coast? What to Know About the Wind Pool and the Safe Home Grant

You found the house. The view is right, the street is right, the number works. Then the insurance quote comes in and the math changes.

That happens more at the coast than anywhere else in the Carolinas, and it is the surprise I most want my buyers to avoid. I have owned a home on the coast for 25 years and sold houses since 1999, so here is what I walk every coastal buyer through before they write an offer with Local to Coastal Realty.

Everything below comes from the South Carolina Department of Insurance and the state's Wind Pool, linked at the end. Your insurance agent has the final word on your policy.

In some coastal areas, regular insurance companies will not cover wind and hail, the two things a hurricane brings first. In 1971 the South Carolina Legislature required the insurance industry to make that coverage available. The result is the South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association, better known as the Wind Pool.

A few things to know about it:

• It covers wind and hail only, in the coastal area state law calls "Beach." The Wind Pool has an online tool to check whether an address is in its territory.
• It is the market of last resort. The Wind Pool itself says you may find broader coverage at a better price in the regular market, and recommends shopping there first. If you find something better later, you can cancel the Wind Pool policy without penalty.
• You buy it through an agent you choose. The Wind Pool has no agents of its own.
• It does not replace flood coverage. The Wind Pool points out that storm surge and high tides can do more damage than wind. Flood is a separate policy. My post on flood zones and storm-ready homes covers how to look up a property's flood zone.

This one catches people off guard. The Department of Insurance says that once a storm is named and likely to hit the area, insurance companies typically stop writing new policies and stop accepting coverage changes until it passes.

If you are under contract in late summer or early fall, that matters. Your lender will want proof of insurance before closing, and you cannot buy a new policy during that pause. The Department's advice is simple: have coverage in place before hurricane season starts. On a coastal purchase, I ask buyers to get quotes as soon as their offer is accepted, not the week of closing.

South Carolina has a grant program that helps coastal homeowners pay for upgrades that hold up better in high wind. It is run by the Department of Insurance and was created by the Omnibus Coastal Property Insurance Reform Act of 2007.

One thing first: as of November 14, 2026, the Department says the program is not accepting applications. It opens at certain times of year, and you can sign up on the Department's page to be told when it reopens.

What it pays for:

• Roof upgrades: stronger roof deck attachment, a secondary water barrier, a high wind-rated roof covering, braced gable ends, and stronger roof-to-wall connections.
• Opening protection: code-approved protection for exterior openings, and impact-rated or wind-rated windows, doors and garage doors.

It does not pay for regular repairs, remodeling or additions.

How much, per the Department:

Your award depends on the project type, its cost, and your household income compared with area figures published by HUD. The Department has an award estimator on its site. If the work costs more than the grant, you pay the rest.

Who qualifies, per the Department: the home is in a designated coastal county, it is a single-family, freestanding house you own and live in as your primary residence, you carry homeowners insurance, you have not already used a Safe Home grant, and the home has no prior storm damage or storm insurance payouts.

That primary-residence rule matters. A second home or a rental does not qualify. If you are buying at the beach to live there full time, it is worth knowing about. If it is a vacation home, plan your budget without it.

The program also works with the IBHS FORTIFIED ROOF program, so a roof done under the Resilient Mitigation award can earn both designations at once. The Department says that may bring extra insurance benefits. Ask your agent what that would mean for your policy.

• Catastrophe savings accounts. South Carolina residents can set aside money for storm costs in an interest-bearing account at a bank. Per the Department, deposits and interest are not subject to state income tax if left in the account or used for qualified catastrophe expenses. The federal tax treatment is different, so talk to a tax professional.
• The Insurance Locator. If you are having trouble finding property coverage, the Department will send you a list of agents and companies that write policies in your area.

1. Ask for the seller's current insurance information and the roof's age early.
2. Get two or three homeowners quotes as soon as the offer is accepted.
3. Check the flood zone, and get a flood quote even if the lender does not require one.
4. Ask whether any wind upgrades are already on the house, like shutters, impact windows or a newer roof, and ask your agent if they change the premium.
5. Have coverage bound well before closing, and well before a storm is in the forecast.

Buying in North Myrtle Beach or along the Grand Strand? My North Myrtle Beach buying page walks through the whole process, and if you are moving from inland North Carolina, my relocation page covers selling there and buying here in one move. For the tax side, see SC vs. NC property taxes.

Questions about a specific house? Reach out and I will help you work through it before you commit.

• SC Department of Insurance, SC Safe Home Mitigation Grant Program: https://doi.sc.gov/605/SC-Safe-Home (checked 2026-11-14)
• SC Department of Insurance, Hurricane Preparedness: https://www.doi.sc.gov/847/Hurricane-Preparedness (checked 2026-11-14)
• SC Department of Insurance, Catastrophe Savings Accounts: https://www.doi.sc.gov/CSA (checked 2026-11-14)
• SC Department of Insurance, Insurance Locator: https://doi.sc.gov/599/Insurance-Locator (checked 2026-11-14)
• South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association, About Us: https://www.scwind.com/about.html (checked 2026-11-14)
• South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association, home page and eligibility check: https://www.scwind.com/ (checked 2026-11-14)