How to Find the Best Manufactured and Mobile Home Insurance
Learn which companies will insure mobile and manufactured homes and what your policy will cover.
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Manufactured and mobile homes typically need a different type of insurance than site-built homes.
Mobile home insurance varies from one policy to the next but usually covers your stuff and the structure of your home.
Companies offering mobile home insurance include American Modern, Foremost and State Farm.
The average cost of mobile home insurance is generally between $800 and $2,000 per year.
Due to their unique construction and vulnerability to certain weather, such as windstorms, manufactured and mobile homes may not qualify for traditional homeowners insurance. Instead, you need to look into manufactured or mobile home insurance.
To find the best policy for your home, it’s important to understand what’s covered, what’s not, and which companies offer manufactured and mobile home insurance.
What mobile home insurance covers
A standard mobile home insurance policy generally includes the following types of coverage.
Dwelling coverage
Dwelling coverage pays to repair or replace the structure of your mobile home if it’s damaged by events your policy covers, up to a limit you choose. (A deductible may apply.) Manufactured home policies usually cover events such as:
Fire and lightning.
Explosions.
Vandalism.
Falling objects.
Wind and hail.
Weight of ice and snow.
Burst pipes.
When selecting a limit for this part of your policy, make sure you understand how the coverage works. Depending on the policy, you may have one of the following types of coverage for the structure of your home:
Replacement cost. If your home is destroyed, this type of coverage will pay enough to replace it with a brand-new home, minus your deductible. You may need to pay extra for replacement cost coverage.
Agreed value. With this option, you and your insurer will agree up front on a certain amount of coverage, which may or may not be enough to buy a brand-new home if yours is destroyed.
Actual cash value. This option bases your claim payout on what your home is worth at the time it’s damaged or destroyed. So if your home loses value over the years, your payout after a claim may not be enough to cover repairs or replacement.
You may have different types of coverage for “partial losses” and “total losses.” A total loss is when your home is destroyed and can’t be salvaged — for example, if a tornado blows through your neighborhood. A partial loss could be something like a burst pipe that causes water damage to your kitchen. Read your policy carefully or talk to your agent to make sure you understand which type of coverage applies to which scenarios.
Other structures coverage
Other structures coverage pays to repair a fence, shed or other structure that isn’t attached to your home if it’s damaged by an event your policy covers.
Personal property coverage
Personal property coverage pays to repair or replace furniture, electronics and other belongings if they’re damaged or stolen.
A standard mobile home policy will typically cover your items on an actual cash value basis. That means it’ll pay the estimated amount your belongings were worth at the time of the claim, minus your deductible. To receive enough of a payout to buy brand-new items, you may want to upgrade to replacement cost coverage.
Liability insurance
Personal liability insurance pays if a visitor is hurt and sues you, or you accidentally cause property damage or injuries to others. It may also cover related legal expenses.
Not sure how much liability insurance you need? Consider getting at least enough to cover your net worth.
Loss of use
Also called additional living expenses, this coverage can reimburse the cost of a hotel in case a disaster makes your home temporarily unlivable. It can also cover other expenses associated with living away from home, such as restaurant meals or increased commuting costs.
Read your policy carefully. Some companies may not include all the coverage types above in their base policies.
Additional coverage
Depending on your insurance company, you may have other options such as:
Trip collision coverage to repair your mobile home if it’s damaged while moving between locations.
Scheduled personal property coverage for valuables like jewelry, fine art and musical instruments. A standard mobile home policy may not fully cover these items.
Equipment breakdown coverage in case a major appliance or home system fails.
Identity theft coverage to help you recover from the theft of your personal information.
What’s not covered
As with any insurance policy, there are limits to your coverage:
Flooding. Manufactured home insurance generally doesn't pay for flood damage. If you live in an at-risk area, buying separate flood insurance is a good idea.
Earthquakes. Similarly, if your home is in a seismically active region, you’ll likely need separate earthquake insurance. Homeowners policies usually don't cover “earth movement."
Wear and tear. Insurance covers sudden, accidental damage, not everyday maintenance.
Insect or animal infestation. Insurers consider pest prevention part of ordinary maintenance.
Damage associated with using your home for business purposes. For this coverage, you may need a commercial policy.
How much is mobile home insurance?
The average cost of mobile home insurance is typically between $800 and $2,000 per year, according to American Modern Insurance Group. Foremost, another manufactured home insurer, puts its average cost at about $1,267 per year.
A slew of factors can affect your specific rates, including:
Where you live and the risk of natural disasters there.
The age of your home.
The cost to replace your home.
The limits and coverage options you select.
Your deductible.
Your claims history.
Many companies offer discounts on mobile home insurance. For example, you may get a bundling discount for buying mobile home insurance along with another policy such as auto insurance.
Many insurers also give discounts for having a home security system, smoke alarms or other protective devices.
Manufactured and mobile home insurance companies to consider
Not all insurers sell mobile home insurance, but the following providers do, either directly or through a third-party affiliate. An independent insurance agent may be able to help you find other options in your area.
Allstate
Allstate offers standard coverage for your manufactured home and belongings, plus numerous ways to customize your policy. For example, extra coverage is available for valuables, sports equipment or trees and shrubs. You can also add 30-day collision coverage in case the home is damaged in transit.
You can get a discount on your Allstate policy if you’re the original owner of your home, or if you're over age 55 and retired.
American Family
Add “diminishing deductible” coverage to an American Family mobile home policy, and your chosen deductible will immediately go down by $100. It’ll continue to drop by another $100 each year you don't make a claim, up to $500. You can also add coverage to pay for failures to home systems or damage from hidden water leaks.
American Family offers discounts for bundling multiple policies, having certain smart-home devices and paying your bill in full.
American Modern
American Modern has been insuring mobile homes since 1965. The company covers homes valued up to $300,000, without an age restriction. It can also cover vacant mobile homes.
The company offers optional coverage for expenses due to the breakdown of an HVAC system or major appliance. Other choices include identity theft insurance and earthquake coverage.
Farmers
You can add earthquake or flood coverage to a Farmers manufactured home policy. The company offers a bundling discount if you combine your mobile home policy with another Farmers policy such as auto, life or umbrella insurance.
Farmers draws fewer consumer complaints to state regulators than expected for a company of its size, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
Foremost
Now a subsidiary of Farmers, Foremost was originally founded to insure mobile homes. It offers coverage options such as identity fraud management, trip coverage while moving your home, earthquake coverage and insurance for valuables.
You can save on a Foremost manufactured home policy if you are 50 or older, have a newer home or live in an approved mobile home park. If you’re an AARP member looking for mobile home insurance, Foremost is the third-party company that will provide it through the membership.
GEICO
GEICO doesn’t issue mobile or manufactured home policies itself but instead partners with third parties such as Assurant, Foremost and American Modern. If you need to file a claim or change your coverage, you’ll need to work with the partner directly, not GEICO.
You can add extra coverage for jewelry, sports equipment or musical instruments to a standard policy. Discounts may be available for newer homes or those that are tied down and fully skirted.
Progressive
Like GEICO, Progressive works with third parties to sell mobile home insurance in most states. That means you’ll likely need to contact the third party to change your policy or file a claim.
Replacement cost coverage is an optional add-on that ensures you can buy a brand-new mobile home if yours is destroyed. You can also add trip collision coverage to pay for damage during a move. Flood insurance may be available in at-risk areas.
State Farm
State Farm offers several ways to save on your manufactured home insurance, including discounts for protective devices such as burglar and smoke alarms. You may be eligible for discounts depending on how long you’ve been insured with State Farm or the age of your manufactured home.
Add-on options include identity theft coverage and replacement cost coverage for your home and belongings so you can get brand-new stuff if yours is destroyed. There’s also an add-on for damage from volcanoes or earthquakes.
USAA
USAA partners with Foremost and American Modern to sell coverage for mobile, manufactured and tiny homes. People with modular homes should apply for a standard USAA homeowners policy. USAA primarily serves active military, veterans and their families.
You may be able to add 30 days of trip coverage while your mobile home is being moved. Replacement cost coverage for your belongings and the structure of the home may also be available.
How to find the best mobile home insurance
Don’t just choose the cheapest manufactured home policy and call it a day. Here are a few things to consider when comparing quotes from different insurers.
Because rates vary among mobile home insurance companies, make sure to compare several quotes to get the most competitive price.
Coverage options
Start by looking at the coverage limits on each quote. Does the least expensive option also offer the smallest amount of coverage? It might leave you underinsured in a disaster. Does one company offer actual cash value coverage while another will pay enough to replace your home and belongings with brand-new versions? The latter may offer more value even if it costs a little more.
You can also check which types of optional coverage are available. For example, if you’re hoping to add equipment breakdown insurance and one company doesn’t offer it, you may want to keep looking.
Learn more about home insurance coverage.
Deductibles
A deductible is the amount of a claim you’ll have to pay. The higher the deductible, the less your policy will cost, but the more you’ll have to come up with in an emergency. Avoid choosing a deductible you’d have trouble paying.
Depending on where you live, you may have different deductibles for different types of claims. In hurricane-prone states, for instance, you may have a separate wind or hurricane deductible that’s higher than what you’d pay for other types of claims. Make sure you’re comfortable with these amounts.
Company strength and customer service
You don’t want to wait till a natural disaster strikes to discover that your insurance company has lousy customer service or can’t afford to pay its claims. Read reviews of each insurer you’re considering to get a sense of how long they’ve been around and how well they treat their customers. Here’s where to find NerdWallet’s home insurance reviews.
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