Compare manufactured home insurance

What manufactured home coverage do I need?

Insuring a manufactured home involves similar coverage to onsite homes, except that you might need extra coverage when moving the home to its location. Coverage options include:

• Dwelling
• Belongings, also known as personal property
• Valuable belongings
• Detached structures
• Replacement cost for dwelling or belongings
• Trip collision for transporting the home to your land
• Liability
• Medical expenses to others
• Loss of use
• Flood
• Water backups
• Matching siding if your home only needs partial repairs
• Identity theft
• Landscaping

Do different manufactured homes have different insurance requirements?

For the most part, manufactured homes require the same basic coverage no matter the size or customizations. However, you’ll see a different premium for smaller homes versus larger ones.

What’s the difference between manufactured homes vs. mobile homes?

Both manufactured and mobile homes are built at a factory in two sections and then transported to their location. These homes can be placed on a basement or crawlspace and include many customizations.

Some people consider smaller, trailer-like homes to be mobile homes. But the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) specifies that mobile homes are factory-built homes constructed before June 15, 1976. These homes are treated the same as manufactured homes for insurance purposes.

How can I get cheap manufactured home insurance?

Your manufactured home may cost less to insure because of its lower replacement cost. But you can still find easy ways to save even more on your homeowners insurance:

• Look at the coverage included. A few companies may include coverage like replacement cost in a standard policy, removing the need to buy extra coverage.
• Install home safety devices. Land discounts for making sure your home has deadbolts, smoke detectors or a theft alarm.
• Bundle with car insurance. Save easily when you use the same company for your home and car insurance.
• Save on payments. Set up automatic payments or choose to pay your premium in full for a discount.

What should I watch out for?

Insuring a manufactured home can be straightforward, but you can take extra steps to prevent damage. Situations to watch when insuring your home:

• Changing home value. Your manufactured home can appreciate or depreciate in value for similar reasons as homes built on site. You should update your policy frequently based on its current replacement cost.
• Weather safety. Consider reinforcing doors and windows and removing nearby trees to protect yourself from future claims for weather damage.
• Animal damage. To protect the underside of your house from animals, you can add skirting to your home, use a mesh wire net called hardware cloth or install motion-sensor lights to frighten critters away. Also, keep trash, debris, bird feeders or animal cages away from your house.

Bottom line

Manufactured homes face a variety of risks from weather to animal damage, although you can prevent some damage simply by taking a few precautions. To find the best protection when damage does befall your home, look at several home insurance companies that cater to manufactured homes.

Frequently asked questions about manufactured home insurance

• Can I get insurance on an old manufactured home?

  Yes, you should find coverage for many older manufactured homes. However, homes built before 1976 may need updates to meet safety regulations or specialty manufactured home insurance. But even updated mobile homes can’t become fully HUD certified.

• How much does manufactured home insurance cost?

  Insurance for manufactured homes vary widely. However, you might expect to pay the same as or less than standard homeowners insurance. Factors that influence your insurance premium include:

  • Age
  • Construction materials
  • Replacement value
  • Location, including local weather conditions
  • Safety features

• Why do traditional homes and manufactured homes have different insurance costs?

  Traditional and manufactured homes have different types of risks that an insurance company needs to cover. Traditional homes can cost more to repair or replace due to their permanent structure, but manufactured homes have less stability and weather resistance.

• Do I need title insurance on my manufactured home?

  You might need title insurance if the home’s title is being transferred to you from another owner. Title insurance protects against a mistake in the title’s history, such as seller fraud, an unknown heir or another lender’s stake in your home.