What is mobile and manufactured home insurance?
Mobile and manufactured home insurance covers a factory-built home, your belongings, and your liability, much like a homeowners policy does for a site-built house. Many standard homeowners carriers do not write these homes, so they are usually insured through carriers that focus on factory-built housing.
Whether your home sits on its own lot or in a park, it needs coverage that fits how it was built and where it sits. The home’s age, foundation, location, and fire risk all shape which carriers will write it and what the policy can include. Comparing more than one specialty carrier is usually the best way to find the right fit.
Oakview is an independent agency with access to more than 100 carriers, including 30+ primary A-rated carriers, and we are appointed with Foremost and American Modern for mobile and manufactured homes. Call (530) 674-5054 to talk with a licensed advisor.
What is the difference between a mobile home and a manufactured home?
The terms are often used interchangeably. Under federal standards, a manufactured home is a factory-built home built on or after June 15, 1976, to the HUD construction and safety code, while a mobile home generally refers to one built before that date. Carriers insure both, but a home’s age and construction can affect which carriers will write it and how it is valued.
Carriers also use different policy forms. Some add a mobile home endorsement to a homeowners policy, and specialty carriers often use their own mobile or manufactured home forms. The form’s name matters less than what it covers, so we compare dwelling limits, valuation, other structures, and transport coverage between options.
What does a mobile home policy cover?
Most policies are built from the same parts as a homeowners policy. The table shows the usual coverages. Limits, options, and eligibility depend on the carrier.
| Coverage | What it does | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Dwelling | Repairs or replaces the home after a covered loss | Set the limit by what it would cost to replace the home now, not what you paid |
| Other structures | Covers detached carports, sheds, garages, and fences | Make sure the limit covers a workshop or larger outbuilding |
| Personal property | Covers furniture, appliances, clothing, and other belongings | Check whether it pays replacement cost or actual cash value |
| Additional living expense | Pays extra living costs if a covered loss forces you out | Limits and time frames vary |
| Personal liability | Covers injuries or damage you are legally responsible for | The park’s insurance does not cover you on your own space |
| Transport (trip) coverage | Covers the home while it is moved, if included | Often limited or optional, so ask before a move |
Should you choose replacement cost or actual cash value?
Actual cash value pays what the home or belongings are worth at the time of the loss, after depreciation. Replacement cost pays to repair or replace with materials of like kind and quality without a deduction for depreciation, subject to the policy terms and limits. Replacement cost generally costs more, and it may not be available for every home. Some policies also offer agreed loss settlement for a covered total loss, paying the insured amount less any applicable deductible, subject to the policy terms. We compare these options where they are available so you can decide.
What do parks and lenders require?
If you live in a park, the park’s insurance generally covers the park’s property and common areas, not your home, your belongings, or your liability on your own space. Check your rental agreement and park rules for insurance requirements. California law prohibits a park from requiring liability insurance to use common facilities for certain protected resident meetings and activities, although management may require a liability insurance binder when alcoholic beverages will be served at a meeting or private function.
If your home is financed, your lender generally requires proof of insurance and may set minimum dwelling limits. If coverage lapses, the lender may buy force-placed insurance and add the cost to the loan. That coverage is usually more expensive and protects the lender’s interest rather than yours. We handle lender requests and provide same-day certificates of insurance in most cases.
How does wildfire risk affect mobile home insurance?
Fire, including wildfire, is generally a covered peril on mobile home policies. The harder question is availability. Carriers may limit where they write new policies in higher fire-risk areas, including parts of the foothills in Yuba and Butte Counties, and factory-built homes can face fewer options than site-built homes. Smoke damage from distant fires can also be a concern, and how a policy handles it depends on the policy wording.
If a home cannot be placed in the standard market, a last-resort program may provide basic fire coverage, which can be paired with a difference in conditions policy for other coverages where one is available for the home. If you have received a non-renewal or been told coverage is unavailable, call us before your policy ends. Our high fire and DIC insurance page explains how those programs work.
What does a mobile home policy usually exclude?
Common exclusions include flood, earthquake, wear and tear, gradual deterioration, settling or problems with the foundation or blocking, and intentional damage. Flood coverage is available separately through the National Flood Insurance Program or private flood insurers, and our team includes agents with National Flood Insurance Program certification. Earthquake coverage generally requires a separate policy or endorsement. California Earthquake Authority mobilehome earthquake policies are available to eligible customers through participating residential insurers, and other insurers may offer non-CEA earthquake coverage, subject to current availability and eligibility. See our flood insurance and earthquake insurance pages for more. The policy wording controls, so we point out the exclusions on any policy we quote.
Which carriers do we use for mobile homes?
We are appointed with Foremost and American Modern, both of which write mobile and manufactured homes in California. They differ in the homes, ages, locations, and options they will accept, so we quote your home with both where it qualifies and compare the coverage side by side. If neither fits, we look at other options, including the last-resort program for fire.
Serving Yuba City and the Yuba-Sutter region
We insure mobile and manufactured homes in Yuba City, Marysville, Olivehurst, Linda, Live Oak, Gridley, and Wheatland, and across Yuba, Sutter, Colusa, and Butte Counties, with statewide California reach. Oakview has 850+ verified Google five-star reviews and was voted Best Insurance Company, Favorite Agent, and Favorite Customer Service by readers of the Appeal-Democrat in the Best of Yuba, Sutter and Colusa 2026.
Mobile home insurance FAQs
What is the difference between a mobile home and a manufactured home?
The terms are often used interchangeably. Under federal standards, a manufactured home is a factory-built home built on or after June 15, 1976, to the HUD construction and safety code, while a mobile home generally refers to one built before that date. Carriers insure both, but a home’s age and construction can affect which carriers will write it and how it is valued.
Does standard homeowners insurance cover a manufactured home?
Not always. Many standard homeowners carriers do not write mobile or manufactured homes, and those that do may require the home to meet age, foundation, or other guidelines. Most mobile and manufactured homes are insured on a specialty policy form or on a homeowners form with a mobile home endorsement, through carriers that focus on factory-built housing.
What policy form is used for a mobile home?
Carriers use different forms. Some add a mobile home endorsement to a homeowners policy, and specialty carriers often use their own mobile or manufactured home policy forms. The name of the form matters less than what it covers, so Oakview compares dwelling limits, valuation, other structures, and transport coverage between options.
Can an older mobile home be insured in California?
Often, yes. Specialty carriers write many older homes that standard carriers decline, though the home’s age, condition, and location affect eligibility and price, and older homes may be offered actual cash value rather than replacement cost. Oakview checks which carriers will consider a specific home.
Does a mobile home owner in a park need their own insurance?
In most cases, yes. A park’s insurance generally covers the park’s property and common areas, not a resident’s home, belongings, or liability on their own space. The rental agreement should be checked for insurance requirements. California law prohibits a park from requiring liability insurance to use common facilities for certain protected resident meetings and activities, although management may require a liability insurance binder when alcoholic beverages will be served at a meeting or private function.
Does a mobile home policy cover wildfire?
Fire, including wildfire, is generally a covered peril on mobile home policies, but carriers may limit where they write new policies in higher fire-risk areas. If a home cannot be placed in the standard market, a last-resort program may provide basic fire coverage, often paired with a difference in conditions policy for other coverages.
What is the difference between replacement cost and actual cash value on a mobile home?
Actual cash value pays what the home or belongings are worth at the time of the loss, after depreciation. Replacement cost pays to repair or replace with materials of like kind and quality without a deduction for depreciation, subject to the policy terms and limits. Replacement cost generally costs more, and it may not be available for every home.
Does a lender require insurance on a financed manufactured home?
Lenders generally require proof of insurance on a financed home and may set minimum dwelling limits. If coverage lapses, the lender may buy force-placed insurance and add the cost to the loan. Force-placed coverage is usually more expensive and is written to protect the lender’s interest rather than the owner’s.
Are flood and earthquake included in a mobile home policy?
Generally not. Flood is excluded and is available separately through the National Flood Insurance Program or private flood insurers. Earthquake is also excluded and generally requires a separate policy or endorsement. California Earthquake Authority mobilehome earthquake policies are available to eligible customers through participating residential insurers, and other insurers may offer non-CEA earthquake coverage, subject to current availability and eligibility.
Talk to Oakview
Call (530) 674-5054 or email info@oakviewins.com. Have the year, make, size, and location of your home ready, whether it sits on a permanent foundation, and any detached structures, and we will compare the options and explain the differences in plain terms. There are no broker fees.