What is mobile home insurance?

Mobile home insurance, or manufactured home insurance, is a type of insurance that covers any dwelling that falls under the manufactured home definition. This may include any repairs to damages on the structure of your home and replacements to utilities that came with your mobile home. These homes always have a HUD label and are typically built on a metal frame and delivered as a completed structure.

Mobile home insurance is considered the equivalent of homeowner’s insurance for owners of manufactured homes. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average price of a new mobile home was $111,900 in 2021, while the median sale price of a new house was $400,600.While manufactured homes are typically much cheaper to buy, it’s still important to have mobile home insurance coverage to protect your investment and family’s finances. After all, many people don’t have $119,000 of disposable income to replace their home in the event it is destroyed.

What does mobile home insurance cover?

Mobile home insurance provides coverage for the following essentials:

• Dwelling coverage: This coverage is for the dwelling and other permanent structures on the property. In other words, any damage done to your home or other structures on the property (like a deck, garage or shed) that are listed in your policy is covered under your dwelling coverage.
• Personal property coverage: This coverage is for your personal belongings. If the items you own are damaged or stolen, your policy covers you.
• Liability coverage: This coverage is to protect you in the event someone is injured on your property and you are held liable. Liability protection may cover legal fees and medical costs up to your coverage limit.
• Loss of Use/Additional Living Expenses (ALE): You may need to live somewhere else temporarily while your mobile home is repaired, and this coverage could help cover your temporary relocation costs. ALE may cover hotel costs, rent of a temporary home and restaurant meals after damage from a covered peril.

Some manufactured homeowners opt to purchase peril policies, a type of mobile home insurance with low premiums but high risk. Peril policies cover very limited causes of damage, meaning you will be responsible for any costs not resulting from one of the listed perils. If you’re looking into a peril policy, it is best to understand the full scope of what is and isn’t covered, and ensure you can afford the full cost of repairs that are not covered.

What does a mobile home insurance policy not cover?

Standard mobile home insurance policies have several exclusions. Some of these require add-ons or additional policies for coverage and may or may not be needed depending on your geographic location:

• In-transit damage
• Flood insurance
• Earthquake insurance
• Hurricane windstorm insurance

Mobile home insurance companies

Although homeowners insurance and mobile home insurance share some similarities, not all property insurance companies offer mobile home insurance in all states. Still, if you have a standard homeowners insurance policy or auto coverage, the best place to start is by contacting your insurer or agent to see if you can bundle policies and get a discount on your mobile home insurance. Some national insurers, such as USAA and Geico, partner with third-party mobile home insurers to offer more specific coverage.

Not all mobile home insurance providers are the same, so the best mobile home insurance provider for you will depend on several factors such as your geographic area and the type of coverage you need. These are a few of the most popular mobile home insurers in the U.S.:

• Allstate: Allstate is a national carrier that offers standard mobile home coverage options such as dwelling coverage, personal property protection and other structures coverage. It also offers some unique optional coverage features like water backup and identity theft restoration.
• American Modern: American Modern offers mobile home insurance for different use types such as rental and seasonal homes. Coverage highlights include comprehensive protection, stated value loss settlement, liability and personal property. American Modern offers multiple options for potential policyholders to adjust their policy based on their needs.
• Assurant: Assurant’s User-friendly quoting tools are available online for a quick quote. With Assurant, there is also the option for a stated value loss settlement.
• Farmers: Farmers is a national property insurer that provides mobile home insurance coverage. Though you cannot get a quote online, which may be an inconvenience, Farmers has a wide variety of additional coverage options many insurers do not offer. Speak to an agent to understand the coverage options and what they offer.
• Foremost: A super-regional subsidiary of Farmers, Foremost is known for exceptional customer service and minimal customer complaints. Quotes requests can be made over the phone or on their website but are not instant. Among Foremost’s options is extended replacement cost coverage.
• HomeFirst: With over 20 years of experience insuring manufactured homes, HomeFirst might be a great choice when it comes to the specialized insurance needs of prefabricated homeowners. The policies include flood coverage, which is often not standard. You can request a quote via its website and an agent will follow up with you.

Similar to how you would shop for home and auto insurance, the best way to find the most affordable mobile home insurance with the best coverage is by shopping around and obtaining quotes from insurers who specialize in writing mobile home policies. The Triple-I recommends you obtain a minimum of three quotes to compare coverages and costs.

How much does mobile home insurance cost?

Since mobile home insurance is less common than a standard homeowners insurance, you may be wondering how much the average cost of mobile home insurance is. The answer to that depends on several factors such as your insurance company, location, type of mobile home, and other factors. Each insurance company has its own way of underwriting policies, but most will calculate rates based on risk.

Mobile home insurance policies often cost more than the cost of standard homeowners insurance policies due to the higher risks associated with manufactured homes. While the average cost of mobile home insurance throughout the nation is not available, the best way to estimate how much you’ll pay is by shopping around and comparing coverage options as well as quotes.

Many factors determine the cost of mobile home insurance. They include:

• The area you live in
• Weather risks, including hurricanes, tornadoes and flood
• Wildfire risks
• The crime rate in your neighborhood
• Proximity of first responders, such as police and fire departments
• Value, age and condition of your mobile or manufactured home
• Policy limits for basic coverages: dwelling, liability and contents
• Additional coverages such as flood, earthquake and windstorm
• Deductible levels

Regardless of your mobile home insurance rates, there are several ways to potentially earn discounts on your mobile home insurance. Some of these discounts are straightforward and can be applied to lower your annual premium. Common discounts include:

• Being the original titleholder of the mobile home
• Bundling your mobile home insurance with other policies through the same insurer, such as your auto coverage
• Installing a home security system
• Retirement and/or senior discounts

What is the difference between mobile home insurance and standard home insurance?

Mobile home insurance is different from standard homeowners insurance coverage because of the major structural differences between the dwellings being covered. While a traditional home is attached to a foundation, mobile homes do not have the same structural foundation. Although the mobility can be convenient, it comes with a few more inherent risks due to the lack of foundation, which makes it easier for a mobile home to be impacted by natural disasters and be prone to other hazards.

Fires, wind and broken pipes pose a bigger threat to a mobile or manufactured home than to a traditional home. Mobile homes are also more likely to be targeted for theft. On the other hand, the total value of a mobile home is usually lower than a stick-built home. Since they carry such distinct risks, insurers prefer to group mobile homes into their own type of policy.