The best homeowners insurance for tiny houses depends on your coverage needs and priorities. Foremost is the best company for stationary tiny houses, while American Family is the best option if you're looking to protect your tiny house on wheels.
Best for stationary tiny houses
Rating: N/A
Perk: Lower deductible for every year without filing a claim
Requirements: House must be certified by the NOAH or RVIA
Availability: 51 states
Best for tiny houses on wheels
Rating: 4.4/5 ★
Perk: Lower deductible for every year you renew your policy
Requirements: None
Availability: 19 states
Most tiny houses won’t qualify for coverage with a standard home insurance policy. Instead, you’ll need to purchase coverage through a specialty insurer for tiny houses — like Strategic Insurance Agency — or an RV or manufactured home insurance policy through a traditional home insurance company.
5 best tiny house insurance companies of 2023
Best for DIY tiny houses: Strategic Insurance Agency
Best for stationary tiny houses: Foremost
Best for tiny houses on wheels: American Family
Best for vacation tiny houses: American Modern
Best for tiny house rentals: State Farm
Methodology: How we chose the best tiny house insurance companies
When choosing the best tiny house insurance companies, we looked for insurers that offer special tiny house insurance or mobile home or RV insurance that extends to tiny houses. We then looked at each company’s coverage options and state availability. We paid special attention to companies that offered rental, vacant, or seasonal home insurance options, since we know many tiny home owners don’t live in them full time.
Best for DIY tiny houses: Strategic Insurance Agency
Strategic Insurance Agency specializes in home insurance for tiny houses. It offers a slew of coverage options, and your home doesn’t need to be a certified tiny house to qualify — making it ideal for DIY tiny home owners.
Pros
Offers all of the standard coverages that come with traditional home insurance policies, including dwelling, personal property, theft, personal liability, and medical payments coverage
Choose from high coverage limits — including up to $250,000 in dwelling coverage, $25,000 in personal property coverage, and up to $1 million in personal liability protection
Coverage add-ons include detached structures coverage, replacement cost protection for your personal property, trip endorsement if you move your tiny home, and more
Doesn’t require your home to be certified by the NOAH or RVIA
Available in 48 states throughout the U.S.
Same-day quotes available online
Cons
Not many reviews available online, so difficult to gauge customer satisfaction with this insurer
Best for stationary tiny houses: Foremost
A subsidiary of Farmers Insurance, Foremost sells both manufactured and mobile home insurance and RV insurance — including coverage for homeowners who live in their tiny house full time.
Pros
Offers all of the basic coverages, including dwelling, personal property, and additional living expenses coverage if your home is damaged and you have to live elsewhere while it’s being rebuilt
Diminishing deductible program rewards you with lower deductibles for every year you go without filing a claim
Includes coverage for tiny houses with built-in solar panels
Online quotes available
Available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Cons
Your tiny house must be certified by the NOAH or the RVIA to qualify for coverage
Dwelling coverage limits max out at $150,000
Best for tiny houses on wheels: American Family
American Family offers both mobile home insurance with trip collision coverage if you move your stationary tiny house, as well as RV insurance for tiny houses on wheels.
Pros
Offers all of the standard protections for you and your home, including dwelling coverage, personal property protection, and liability coverage
Coverage add-ons available, including matching siding endorsement, other structures coverage, trip collision coverage, and hidden water damage protection
Diminishing deductible program rewards you for every year you renew your policy with American Family
Online quotes available
Cons
Only available in 19 states
Best for vacation tiny houses: American Modern
American Modern is one of the first insurance companies to actually specialize in mobile home insurance. It also offers seasonal and vacant home insurance options if you don’t live in your tiny house full time.
Pros
Offers all of the standard protections, including replacement cost dwelling coverage, personal property protection, and personal liability coverage
Can purchase additional coverages, including water damage coverage and mold and remediation protection
Coverage available for vacation tiny houses you only use seasonally and those that are vacant for months at a time
Available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Cons
Can’t get a quote online — must contact an American Modern agent over the phone
Best for tiny house rentals: State Farm
State Farm offers mobile home insurance and RV policies for qualified tiny houses — along with rental dwelling policies that can help pay for property damage, liability claims, and even loss of rental income if you rent out your tiny home.
Pros
Offers dwelling, personal property, loss of use, additional living expenses, fair rental value, liability, and medical payments to others coverages
Has rental dwelling policies available for tiny houses you rent out
Add on replacement cost coverage for your home and personal property, identity restoration coverage, earthquake protection, and volcanic explosion coverage for even more protection
Save on premiums based on the number of consecutive years that you keep an active home insurance policy with State Farm
Available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Cons
Can’t get a quote online — must contact a State Farm agent over the phone
Compare tiny house insurance companies
Home insurance experts recommend comparing quotes from at least three different insurance companies to ensure you’re getting the best deal. Looking at factors like the company’s A.M. Best rating, cost, and coverage options can all help you find the best home insurance company for your tiny house. And if you’re not sure where to begin, our licensed insurance experts at Policygenius can help.
Insurance company | Best for … | A.M. Best rating | Average annual cost | Coverage options | How to get a quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Strategic Insurance Agency | DIY tiny houses | Not rated | Rates only available by quote | Tiny house insurance, vacation rental insurance | Online |
Foremost | Stationary tiny houses | A (Excellent) | Rates only available by quote | Mobile home insurance, RV insurance, vacant home insurance, landlord insurance, seasonal home insurance | Online |
American Family | Tiny houses on wheels | A (Excellent) | Rates only available by quote | Mobile home insurance, RV insurance | Online |
American Modern | Vacation tiny houses | A+ (Superior) | Rates only available by quote | Mobile home insurance, vacant mobile home insurance, seasonal mobile home insurance, rental mobile home insurance | Over the phone |
State Farm | Tiny house rentals | A+ (Superior) | Rates only available by quote | Manufactured home insurance, RV insurance, rental property insurance | Over the phone |
What type of insurance do I need for a tiny house?
The type of coverage you need depends on your tiny house’s build — a fixed-foundation tiny house is going to need different coverage than a tiny house on wheels that you use to travel from one spot to the next.
Here are three insurance options based on the type of tiny house you own.
1. Insurance for certified stationary tiny houses
Some insurers like Foremost will only insure your tiny house if it’s certified by the National Organization of Alternative Housing (NOAH).
If your tiny house was built by a NOAH-certified builder and you only move it a couple of times a year, your easiest insurance option would probably be a mobile and manufactured home policy.
These policies are offered by most insurance companies and protect the structure of your tiny house, your personal belongings, and include liability protection.
→ Learn more about mobile and manufactured home insurance
2. Insurance for tiny houses that are certified RVs
If your tiny house is on wheels and it’s certified by the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), you should first look into an RV policy.
RV insurance will cover your tiny house both when it’s parked and when it’s moving. Most major insurers offer RV policies, which include protection for the structure of your RV and liability coverages. It also includes coverage specific to auto insurance, like collision coverage and uninsured motorist protection.
→ Learn more about RV insurance
3. Insurance for DIY tiny houses
Most large home insurance carriers won’t insure tiny homes that aren’t certified by the RVIA or the NOAH, but there are a number of specialized tiny home insurers like Stratietic Insurance Agency that will.
Since your home isn’t certified, your insurer may want evidence that the build materials, wiring, and plumbing are up to code. To better assist your insurer during the inspection and make your home more insurable, it’s a good idea to take photos of the wiring as it’s being built.
How much does tiny house insurance cost?
The cost of tiny house insurance can run anywhere from $400 to over $1,500 per year — it varies widely depending on the type of tiny house you own, where you live, how you use it, and whether it’s certified.
For example, tiny home insurer Darrell Grenz of Insure My Tiny Home in Portland, Oregon says insurance can cost around $600 a year. Meanwhile, MAC Insurance, a Portland-based company that insures tiny homes throughout the country, says it can cost as little as $400 or as much as $1,500 annually.
Is tiny house insurance required?
As long as your tiny house is stationary and you finance it yourself or with a personal loan, you’re not legally required to insure it. However, once your tiny house hits the road, it’s subject to the same state insurance requirements as cars and RVs. That means that depending on your state, you’ll likely need liability car insurance at the very least.
If you plan on financing your tiny home with an RV loan, your RV lender may also require that you get insurance before letting you take out the loan. Your RV lender’s insurance requirement works like any mortgage lenders’ requirement for home insurance — once the loan is paid off, you’re no longer required to have insurance.
Frequently asked questions
What is tiny house insurance?
Some specialty insurance providers offer a product called “tiny house insurance,” which is an insurance policy specifically created for tiny homes. Otherwise, traditional home insurance providers might not offer “tiny house insurance,” but they can still help you find a policy to insure your tiny home through its mobile home or RV insurance products.
What does tiny house insurance cover?
Tiny house insurance typically covers the structure of your tiny house, your belongings inside of it, your personal liability if a guest is injured or their property is damaged and they sue you, and additional living expenses if you need to live elsewhere while your tiny house is being repaired after a covered loss. Like with traditional home insurance companies, you can often purchase additional coverage add-ons to further protect your tiny home.
Is it hard to insure a tiny home?
While there aren’t too many specialty insurers that offer tiny house insurance specifically, it’s relatively easy to find an insurer that offers mobile home insurance or RV insurance that you can use to insure your tiny house. The one exception is if you have a tiny house that isn’t certified — many insurance companies won’t insure your tiny home unless it’s up to code.
Who insures tiny homes in Florida?
Some of the best insurance companies in Florida that will insure tiny homes include State Farm, American Modern, Foremost, and Strategic Insurance Agency.
