How to Insure Your Mobile Home
(Make sure your mobile home has stationary insurance)
Just like any other type of residence, a mobile home needs to be insured. However, due to a mobile home's susceptibility to weather, such as wind storms and hail, mobile homes don’t typically qualify for traditional homeowners insurance. Instead, owners of mobile homes will need to look into mobile home insurance, a packaged policy that provides coverage specific to a mobile home, i.e., travel and transport.
In this article, you will learn the basics of insuring a mobile home:
- What Does Mobile Home Insurance Cover?
- How Much Does Mobile Home Insurance Cost?
- What’s the Difference between Mobile Home Insurance and Modular Home Insurance?
- Where Can I Buy Mobile Home Insurance?
- Questions to Discuss with an Independent Insurance Agent
As you read this article, be sure to write down any questions you have and discuss them with the independent insurance agent. Independent insurance agents are able to answer your questions and help you compare among the best mobile home insurance policies available.
What Does Mobile Home Insurance Cover?
Insurance coverage for mobile homes is usually similar to a standard homeowners policy. A standard mobile home insurance policy typically includes the following coverage types:
Basic Mobile Home Insurance Coverages
| Coverage | |
| Dwelling coverage | Pays to rebuild or repair the physical structure of your home if it's damaged by a covered peril. This typically includes: burst pipes, landslides, fire and lightning, explosions, vandalism, falling objects, wind and hail, wild/ stray animals, and more. |
| Personal property | Provides protection for your personal belongings, whether they are damaged or stolen. Bear in mind that you would have to pay a deductible to make a personal property claim. Also, expensive items like jewelry and electronics may be excluded unless you specify for scheduled coverage. |
| Liability protection | Protects you when someone is injured on your property or believes that you committed slander/libel against them, Liability coverage pays for legal defense fees and can pay damages if you're found to be liable up to your coverage limit. |
| Other structures | Provides coverage for permanent structures that aren't permanently attached to your mobile home, such as a garage or barn. |
| Additional living expense (ALE) | This coverage provides you with compensation up to your coverage limit for additional expenses if you are unable to live in your home due to a covered loss. |
| Trip collision coverage | Pays for repairs to your mobile home if it’s damaged while moving between locations. |
Understand that there are limits and exemptions to mobile home insurance that distinguish it from other policies. First, broken water pipes are typically covered, but may not be if proper maintenance on the mobile home was neglected. Second, because mobile homes depreciate over time, it’s important to constantly adjust your policy based on current mobile home values to avoid overpaying for excessive coverage.
Understanding the limits of your mobile home policy is important to protect your residence. Because it can be confusing and time-consuming to review all possible policies, an independent insurance agent is able to decipher the fine print and pair you with a policy that meets and exceeds your needs.
How Much Does Mobile Home Insurance Cost?
Coverage is slightly higher than a traditional homeowners policy, with typical rates between $250 and $1,300 being the average in the United States.
- Insuring a single-wide mobile home typically costs about $250 to $700 per year.
- Double-wide mobile homes, the most commonly sized units, insure at about $300 to $800 per year.
- Insurance for triple-wide mobile homes will cost about $550 to $1,300 per year.
Be aware that these figures are averages, with higher or lower numbers being possible depending on a number of factors. These factors include:
- Size of the mobile home
- Age
- Location/ZIP code
- Purchase price
- Current value
- Coverage limits and options you select
- Your deductible
Additional insurance coverage will also affect your mobile home policy premiums:
- Earthquake insurance: Expect to pay an additional $50 to $120 per year for earthquake insurance on a single-wide unit.
- Flood insurance: Expect to pay about $130 to $2,900 per year from private insurers. However, when flood insurance is purchased separately through the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA), the cost for a single-wide mobile home in a low-risk area could be $130 to $600 per year.
If you’re looking for discounts or price reductions for mobile home insurance, consult an independent insurance agent. They can recommend simple measures to take to reduce premiums, such as bundling your policy with an auto policy or installing carbon monoxide alarms for discounts. They can also rapidly compare insurers and find the right mobile home insurance in your area.
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What’s the Difference between Mobile Home Insurance and Modular Home Insurance?
If you’re searching for insurance policies, you may have been confused by mobile home insurance versus modular home insurance.
The distinction lies in the fact that mobile homes rest on a movable chassis and usually never are built above a single level. By contrast, modular homes have more in common with traditional houses, sitting on a foundation and with the ability to incorporate multiple stories. Because mobile homes are built less sturdily and have more risk factors, mobile home insurance is usually more expensive for the same amount of coverage as for modular home insurance.
Where Can I Buy Mobile Home Insurance?
While there are many insurers that offer homeowners insurance, there are far fewer that offer it for mobile homes due to the increased risks and specialized needs of such policies. That being said, the following insurers currently offer coverage for mobile homes either directly or through a third party:
- Allstate
- American Family
- American Modern
- Assurant
- Farmers
- Foremost
- Geico
- MetLife
- Progressive
- State Farm
Consulting an independent insurance agent can help you compare multiple quotes from companies to get the most competitive price for mobile home insurance. Independent insurance agents aren’t tied to a specific company, so you can get unbiased comparisons for the lowest premium is in the highest amount of coverage for your mobile home.
Questions to Discuss with an Independent Insurance Agent
When contacting an independent insurance agent about mobile home insurance, be sure to ask the following questions to get a clearer picture of which policy is the best fit for your needs:
- What types of coverage are available for my mobile home?
- How much coverage can I get for each price point?
- What is the coverage for my mobile home while it is in transit?
- Are there any discounts that I qualify for?
- Can I bundle any of my other insurance policies under one insurer?
- Which optional coverages will I most likely need?
Save on Home Insurance
Our independent agents shop around to find you the best coverage.
Benefits of an Independent Insurance Agent
Independent insurance agents have access to multiple insurance companies, ultimately finding you the best coverage, accessibility, and competitive pricing while working for you. Find an independent insurance agent in your community here.