Insuring Your Mobile Home

What’s Covered

Before you pick a plan for your mobile home insurance, understand the details of what’s covered under your policy. Here’s what you can expect in most standard policies, plus some extras you can typically add on for an additional cost. Then you can pick the best plan for your budget and your coverage needs.

Standard Policy Coverage

Most insurance plans for mobile homes cover the structure of the house as well as your belongings inside it. If you’ve added any other structures on your lot, like a deck or a garage, you may be able to get those included in your coverage as well.

Check the details of what kind of incidents are included. Some common causes of damage that are covered typically include:

• Fire
• Water damage from pipes
• Theft or vandalism
• Hail

Exclusions usually include things like water damage from flooding, wildfire, and other natural disasters. Look into these details carefully, especially if you live in an area that frequently gets hit by a specific type of extreme weather.

Liability Coverage

Most standard mobile home insurance policies also include some sort of liability coverage. If a guest is injured on your property and files a lawsuit, your coverage would cover whatever you’re found to be liable for, such as the injured party’s lost wages and medical bills. Your legal fees are also included in your coverage.

Of course, there will be a dollar limit to how much can be used in this situation and it may not be enough to cover all of the expenses associated with the event. Adding on an umbrella policy to your mobile home insurance plan can increase your liability maximum in the event something serious happens on your property.

Extras You Can Add On

Beyond the standard mobile home insurance coverage and liability, you can also add on extra policies to suit your individual needs. Many of these are specific to mobile homes and you may not even think of needing this coverage until an emergency situation arises. Here are some options to consider:

• Mismatched siding coverage (extra coverage to make sure your siding matches in the event of partial damage)
• Trip collision during a move
• Other structure policies

Consider how much extra these policies cost and whether or not they add enough value to actually purchase each year.

How to Insure a New Mobile Home

One of the key differences between a traditional homeowners policy and a mobile home policy is that you need to have extra coverage when you’re moving your mobile home to its final destination. Talk to your insurance company to figure out the best way to make sure it is properly insured while on the road. This protects you from any collision that occurs before it arrives and may also include liability for any damage the home does to anything or anyone else on the way. If you’re hiring a professional moving company, also see what kind of insurance they have and how it impacts your mobile home through the journey.

If you’re moving a home that has already been sitting at another lot, you may also need coverage to protect yourself in case something happens to the structure itself. There’s potential for cracks to occur, so make sure your coverage is inclusive of these scenarios during the move.

Mobile home insurance isn’t just for move-in day. You also need to cover your home before it arrives to your lot.

Once your mobile home arrives, you may also need alternative coverage while the plumbing and electricity are being finalized. When it’s set down, you may also need doors and windows to be adjusted since the frame is sitting on a different lot. Talk candidly with your insurance provider to see what the worst-case scenarios could be during a move and what coverage you can expect for each one.

Regardless of whether or not you have experience with purchasing or moving a mobile home, it’s always smart to acquaint yourself with the best type of insurance to protect your home every step of the way.

Claims Process

When an unfortunate incident happens and causes damage to your mobile home, it’s time to file a claim with your insurance provider. If you work with a specific agent, you can call that person directly. Otherwise, you can use any other option offered by your insurance company, such as a general call line, an online submission form, or a mobile app.

Once you report the damage, your insurance company will send an insurance adjuster to look at the damage and determine whether or not it’s covered under your policy. If it is, they’ll calculate how much is covered by your policy.

In most cases, you’ll have to pay a deductible before the coverage kicks in. Usually, your deductible is higher if you pick a plan with a lower premium, and lower if your premium is more expensive. After that amount is subtracted from the approved repair costs, you’ll get the green light to start fixing the damage.

You’ll receive the funds in one of two ways. The first way is for the insurance company to simply issue a check for the covered amount (minus your deductible). You can then oversee the repair process as you see fit.

The other way to get your damage fixed is for the insurance company to pay the contractor directly to perform the covered repairs. In some cases, your company may even have a network of approved contractors to work with. Even though you may not get to choose the person you work with, you can get the work guaranteed for a certain period of time.

Frequently Asked Questions

by Lauren Ward

Personal Finance Writer

Lauren Ward is a personal finance writer with nearly ten years of experience covering topics like loans, credit, and real estate. She lives in Virginia with her husband and three children.