Flood Insurance for Mobile Homes

A flood insurance policy for a mobile home covers the structure of your home and your personal property from flood damage. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is the largest flood insurance provider in the United States, defines a flood as “a general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of 2 or more acres of normally dry land area or of 2 or more properties” from:

So, mobile home flood insurance would financially protect you from these scenarios that cause floods, which commonly result from heavy rains, storm surges, or flood waters brought by hurricanes and tornadoes.

Mobile home flood insurance covers the structure of your mobile home and your personal property inside it. Some policies will cover other structures attached to your home or on your property but not part of your dwelling, such as fences and sheds.

Floods are one of the most common and costly natural disasters. Like traditional homeowners insurance, the HO3 form, mobile home insurance, the HO7 form, typically excludes flood damage. Insurance companies believe accounting for the likelihood and possible destruction of floods would raise premiums for policyholders nationwide.

Mobile home flood insurance policies from the NFIP also cover manufactured homes. Its policies are the same as policies for standard houses. While private flood insurers may have slightly different requirements, their mobile home flood insurance policies should cover manufactured homes, too.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which runs the NFIP, doesn’t distinguish between a manufactured home and a mobile home as long as both were built on a permanent chassis, transported to their current site in one or more sections, and affixed to a permanent foundation.

Since FEMA defines mobile homes and manufactured homes similarly, their flood insurance for manufactured homes is no different from their flood insurance for mobile homes. As we refer to mobile home flood insurance throughout this page, know that it applies to flood insurance for manufactured homes, too.

The cost of flood insurance for mobile homes varies based on location, provider, and coverage limits, although it will likely be between a few hundred to over a thousand dollars per year.

Mobile and manufactured homes typically don’t have basements, which lowers the cost of their flood insurance. Homes with basements tend to pay more for flood insurance because basements are often the first rooms to flood. Basements are usually below the base flood elevation on FEMA maps.

Mobile homes in high-risk flood zones will likely pay more for flood insurance than those in low-risk areas. Since the payout chances are higher in high-risk locations, flood providers will charge more for insurance.

The NFIP has strict dwelling limits of $250,000 and contents limits of $100,000. If you go with a private provider, you’ll pay higher rates if you spring for higher coverage limits or opt for additional coverage for things like other structures.

The NFIP will cover your mobile home as long as it satisfies their eligibility criteria. You may also find mobile or manufactured home flood insurance from a private company, which may be more selective but have better coverage.

The NFIP will write a policy for your mobile home no matter where it is in the country as long as it meets FEMA mobile home requirements relating to its construction.

As we touched on earlier, your mobile home must be on a permanent chassis and affixed to a permanent foundation. The foundation may be a poured masonry slab, foundation walls, piers, or blocks so that the wheels and axles of the mobile home do not support its weight. 

A mobile home can also be anchored to a permanent foundation to resist flotation, collapse, or lateral movement. Over-the-top ties, ground anchors, frame slab anchors, or frame connectors can attach your mobile home to a permanent foundation.

The NFIP will also want to verify that your mobile or manufactured home was installed according to either manufacturer’s specifications, local floodplain management standards, or state and local building standards. 

Your mobile home could also be a travel trailer without wheels as long as it’s built on a chassis and affixed to a permanent foundation and regulated under the community’s floodplain management and

building ordinances and laws. Basically, if you have a mobile home with wheels, you must remove the wheels to make your dwelling eligible for NFIP coverage.

For NFIP flood insurance for manufactured homes, you must list the year of manufacture, the make, model number, and the serial number of your house when getting a policy. You must also indicate when the building has had substantial improvements made, if any, and whether you’re located in a mobile home park or not.

If your dwelling doesn’t meet all the flood insurance requirements for mobile homes, you won’t be eligible for an NFIP policy. You may be able to find coverage from a private flood insurer. However, their requirements for coverage may vary by company and state.

Flood insurance isn’t required for mobile homes unless your mortgage lender mandates you have a policy. Lenders require mobile home owners who live in FEMA-designated high-risk flood zones to have flood policies.

FEMA creates flood maps for the country. Mortgage companies who lend to residential property owners in high-risk FEMA flood zones always require the resident to get flood protection. 

If you don’t live in a high-risk flood zone, or you do and you’ve fully paid off or don’t have a mortgage, no one will require you to get flood insurance. But, getting a policy is a wise investment. 

In 2021, the average flood claim payout from the NFIP was over $40,000. Flood insurance can cost you less than $1,000 per year. You can pay hundreds to protect yourself from tens of thousands of dollars worth of flood damage, saving you money and headaches in the long term.

You can buy mobile home flood insurance from the NFIP or a private flood insurance company. An independent insurance agent can help you find a policy by comparing your private and public options.

As a federally-backed offering, the NFIP is available nationwide to anyone who wants flood insurance. Their goal is not to make a profit, as they run at a loss every year, but rather to give as many people flood protection as possible. It may be easier to get coverage from the NFIP, but they have less comprehensive coverage.

You may also be able to get mobile home flood insurance from a private company. Private carriers can have more writing restrictions against mobile homes or less availability in your area. But, they can offer higher coverage limits than the NFIP, often at competitive rates.

Clovered can help you find flood insurance for your mobile home. You can answer some quick questions and submit our flood insurance form online. One of our licensed agents will get back to you with flood insurance options for your mobile home.

Or, you can call one of our team members at 833-255-4117 to get a policy over the phone. As an independent insurance agency, we partner with several flood insurance providers in the country, including the NFIP. We can help you find the coverage you need at the price you want.