Can you insure a tiny home?

What is a tiny home?

There are different ideas of what a tiny home is, but it's typically a dwelling designed to save space that falls between 100 and 400 square feet. Tiny houses can be built on mobile foundations similar to RVs or on a solid foundation. According to the 2018 International Residential Code, a tiny home is a dwelling unit with 400 square feet of floor space or less, not including lofts.

Is insurance for a tiny house required?

If you own your tiny house, insurance coverage isn't required by law. However, if you finance the purchase of the home, your bank or lender may require you to insure the tiny home like you would for a traditional home or vehicle.

Does standard homeowners insurance cover tiny homes?

No. If it's stationary, you'll need a mobile/manufactured home insurance policy.

Insurance for a stationary tiny house

Requirements for coverage on a tiny home may vary by insurer and state. Progressive requires the tiny home to be factory-constructed and prefers certification from NOAH. Self-constructed units are ineligible.

Mobile/manufactured home insurance policies may provide coverage similar to a traditional homeowners insurance policy for stationary tiny homes:

• Dwelling: If your mobile home (in this case, a tiny home) is damaged, dwelling coverage may pay to repair or replace the physical structure.
• Personal property: Anything you own inside the home may be covered up to a set limited amount if lost or damaged in a covered incident.
• Liability: If you're responsible for someone else's injuries or damages, personal liability coverage may cover you up to your policy's limits.
• Loss of use: If your home is damaged in a covered loss, making it uninhabitable until the repairs are complete, loss of use coverage may pay for living expenses, such as meals and lodging, above what you normally spend.

Insurance for a tiny house on wheels

Since a tiny house on wheels will be traveling, there's a higher risk it can be damaged more easily than a tiny stationary house. Note that Progressive won't provide coverage if you're moving your home on a regular basis.

What to do if you're moving your tiny house

In order to protect your property and belongings while you're on the road, some companies offer a transit endorsement option that extends coverage to your tiny house while you're moving between locations. Progressive offers Trip Collision coverage for a specific 30-day period while you're moving your home. Trip collision coverage protects the structure of the property only, up to your policy's limits, and not the contents inside.

Check with your insurer to see if your policy's coverages are in effect at your destination. Some insurance companies won't provide coverage in specific geographic regions due to risks like flooding or wildfires.