Mobile home insurance policies — sometimes referred to as manufactured home insurance — offer two main types of insurance coverage: physical damage coverage for the mobile home and your belongings, and personal liability coverage.

Mark Friedlander, director of corporate communications at the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I), explains that these coverage options are generally available for the following types of mobile homes: mobile homes located in a park or on private property, commercial mobile homes, seasonally used mobile homes, and rental mobile homes.

If you have a mobile home in any of these locations, here’s what you need to know about manufactured home insurance.

Why do you need mobile home insurance?

Mobile home insurance financially protects both the structure of your mobile home and your personal property. This coverage isn’t required by law, but if you have a mortgage on the mobile home, your lender will likely require you to have insurance.

“Just like any other property insurance policy, mobile home insurance should be purchased to financially protect you and your family from catastrophic losses,” Friedlander says.

Not having mobile home insurance can leave you on the hook for an expensive bill if your home is damaged or completely destroyed by fire, a severe weather event, or another peril.

What does mobile home insurance cover?

Mobile home coverage typically provides protection against physical damage, personal liability, and loss of your property’s use. Here’s a deeper look at the coverages included in most mobile home policies.

What does mobile home insurance not cover?

Just like homeowners insurance, mobile home insurance doesn’t cover everything that could happen to your home.

Mobile home insurance generally excludes:

• Flood damage: You typically need to buy separate flood insurance to help protect against flood damage. This coverage can be quite expensive, and you can purchase it from some private insurers or through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). You should consider this coverage if you live in an area prone to flooding.1

• Earthquake damage: You can usually buy earthquake coverage as an add-on benefit to your mobile home insurance policy. If you live somewhere prone to earthquakes, this type of coverage can potentially save you a lot of money. Like flood insurance, earthquake coverage is usually excluded from conventional insurance policies due to the expensive damage earthquakes cause.

• Damage from negligence or wear and tear: Mobile home insurance is designed to protect against accidental damage, so it excludes issues that relate to how someone maintains their mobile home. It won’t cover rust, mold, wet or dry rot, vermin, rodents, water damage from sewers, drain back-ups, or other damage that occurs from negligence, poor maintenance, or wear and tear.

• Damage done while moving: Mobile home insurance policies don’t cover the home while it’s in transit. You’ll likely need a temporary policy or special endorsement for coverage during moves.

How much does mobile home insurance cost?

The cost of your mobile home insurance can range widely based on the insurer, your location, and more. In Louisiana, the average mobile home insurance premium is $2,181 per year, according to insurance company Kin. In Florida, it’s $1,912. The national annual average tends to range anywhere from $300 to $2,000, according to TGS Insurance.

Many other factors can influence how much you’ll spend on mobile home insurance, too, including:

• The age of the mobile home

• The home’s condition

• Security and safety features of the home

• The home’s value

• Coverage limits

• Claims history of both the policyholder and the property

• Deductibles

• The value of your personal property

• Whether you own or rent the lot your mobile home is on

Discounts for mobile homeowners

Most insurance companies offer discounts that can help you reduce the cost of your coverage. They may offer these when you first take out the policy or at renewal.

Here’s a look at some discounts you might be able to get on your mobile home insurance policy:

• New-home discount: Some insurers offer premium discounts for newly bought properties.

• Tie-down/skirted discount: These discounts reduce your premium if you have your mobile home tied down and fully skirted.

• Claim-free discount: If you made no insurance claims in the last policy period, you may be eligible for a discount at renewal.

• Original owner discount: You may qualify for this discount if you’re the first and original owner of your property.

• Multi-line discount: Insurers offer this discount to customers who have multiple policies with them. You can qualify by using the same insurance company for your mobile home insurance and car insurance, for example.

• Retiree/senior discount: If you’re retired or age 55 or older, insurers may offer you a discount on your premium.

• Security discount: Having protective devices like security systems or cameras in your home could qualify you for a discount, too.

Where to buy mobile home insurance

Many different insurance companies offer mobile home insurance, including large companies like Allstate, GEICO, State Farm, and Progressive. Here are some of the best mobile home insurance companies to consider for your policy.

Allstate

American Family

American Modern Insurance Group

Farmers

How to get cheaper mobile home insurance

Leveraging discounts is one way to reduce your mobile home insurance premiums, but you have other options, too. Here are some strategies that may help you secure a lower premium:

• Compare several insurance companies. Once you know how much coverage you need, get quotes from multiple insurers and compare each company based on its rates and discounts. Using a reliable quote-comparison site can help streamline this process.

• Choose a higher deductible. Deductibles and premiums move in opposite directions, so if you opt for a higher deductible, your premium will decline (and vice versa). Just make sure you have enough in savings to cover that deductible should you need to.

• Make your home safer. Installing security devices or weather-resistant features can put your home at lower risk for theft and damage. This could also qualify you for lower premiums.

• Boost your credit score. Many states allow insurers to consider your credit history when pricing their policies, and they reward people with better credit scores with lower premiums.

How to file a mobile home insurance claim

If your mobile home is damaged in a covered event, you‘ll want to file a claim as soon as possible. The faster you file, the quicker you’ll get the funds needed to repair your property.

To file a claim, you’ll need to:

1. Call the police or fire department (if necessary). If someone vandalizes your home, it’s burglarized, or on fire, call the police and fire department. You’ll need to file an official report and submit this to your insurer.

2. Take photos and videos of the damage. Your insurer will want documentation of any damage done to the property.

3. Contact your insurance company. You’ll likely need to fill out a form to report the claim and give your insurer a detailed account of what happened. Be sure to have your policy number on hand when you make this call.

4. Meet the adjuster. Your insurance company will send out an adjuster to assess the damage and determine how much your policy will cover.

Once that’s all done, your insurance company will process your claim and send you a check for the amount covered. You can then use the funds to repair any damage done to your property or belongings. How long this process takes depends on your insurer and where you’re located. In Texas, for example, insurance companies must accept or reject your claim within 15 business days. Once they’ve accepted it, they have five business days to pay out.3

Keep in mind that filing a claim against your home insurance policy may increase your premiums come renewal time, though it depends on the nature and extent of the claim. It may also mean forgoing any claim-free discounts your insurer offers.

Mobile home insurance FAQs