Photo: istockphoto.com

A tiny house provides a great option for those looking to downsize, add an in-law suite, or have a home they can take anywhere. Of course, it’s also important to insure that tiny house to protect it in the event of damage and theft, as well as protect the owner in the event someone is injured in the home. This type of coverage typically is available through standard homeowners insurance; however, just as a tiny home is not a standard home, insurance for tiny homes is not the same as standard homeowners. Knowing the difference is crucial to finding the best tiny house insurance.

1. BEST OVERALL: Strategic Insurance Agency
2. RUNNER-UP: Foremost
3. BEST FOR BUNDLING: Progressive
4. BEST DISCOUNTS: American Family Insurance
5. ALSO CONSIDER: Allstate

Photo: istockphoto.com

What to Consider When Choosing One of the Best Tiny House Insurance Companies

As with all insurance companies, it’s important to research tiny house insurance companies to find the company that best meets the needs of the homeowner. This includes making sure the insurance company serves the location where the home is, provides the right coverage, and makes it easy to file a claim.

Coverage Area

Every insurance company provides its services to a specific coverage area. While there are states that offer coverage in all 50 states, not every company does. And for companies that specialize in a specific type of insurance—for instance, tiny home insurance—that coverage area could be more limited. Therefore, homeowners will always want to check to see if the insurance company provides coverage where the tiny home is located. This is typically the first step in researching tiny house companies; if the company doesn’t provide coverage where the tiny house is, it can be crossed off the list without wasting any more time.

Coverage Type

Because tiny house insurance is not like typical homeowners insurance, it’s important for homeowners to know what to look for when shopping for policies. Most insurance companies offer two types of insurance coverage for tiny homes. The first type of coverage is mobile home insurance for homes that are considered stationary homes and are certified by the National Organization of Alternative Housing (NOAH). The second type of coverage is recreational vehicle (RV) insurance for homes that are certified by the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA).

Regardless of which type, insurance for tiny homes typically includes coverage for damage and liability. If the tiny home may be moved in the future, additional coverage to protect it during the move would be necessary. Owners may also want to look for the best mobile home insurance that can offer coverage for some tiny homes and may include trip coverage protection.

Coverage Amount

As with all insurance, how much coverage is needed depends on a number of factors. The primary factor is how much it would cost to repair or replace the tiny house if damaged. The second factor is how much coverage is needed to repair or replace the personal property in the tiny home. The third factor is how much coverage is needed in the event of a liability claim. Liability coverage protects the homeowners if they are found responsible for someone else’s injuries or damages to others’ personal property.

These factors will vary based on the tiny house cost to rebuild if it is damaged or destroyed, the value of the contents, and the amount of liability coverage the homeowners want.

Insurance Premiums

Regardless of the type of insurance, premiums are dependent on the amount of coverage purchased in the policy. For insurance on a tiny backyard house, the more coverage purchased, the higher the insurance premiums will be. Insurance premiums can be reduced in a couple of ways. First, lowering the amount of coverage purchased will reduce the premiums. Second, changing the deductible on the insurance policy could change the amount of the premiums.

Typically, the lower the deductible for when a claim is filed, the higher the premiums will be. Conversely, the higher the deductible is, the lower the premiums will be. Deciding to pay more upfront or when a claim is filed will help in deciding what deductible to have, and, thus, what the insurance premiums will be.

Quote Process

When shopping for insurance for a backyard mini house, it’s important for homeowners to shop around for insurance quotes in order to compare them to find the best tiny home insurance at the best price. Ideally, homeowners will want to get at least three quotes from three different companies. Many insurance companies offer insurance quotes online, but others may provide quotes by phone or when talking with an agent.

Keep in mind that online quotes may be estimates and could change once the application process starts. Talking with a customer service representative or insurance agent often leads to a more accurate quote on insurance policies.

Claims Process

No one wants to file an insurance claim, which is why it’s important to work with an insurance company that makes the claims process as smooth as possible. Homeowners will want to always ask the insurance company what its claims process is. Can a claim be filed online? Is it necessary to speak with an agent? How long does it take to process a claim? What documents are required to file a claim? How long before a claim is paid?

These are vital questions to ask the insurance company when shopping for tiny home insurance. The answers could help the homeowner decide if a company is the right fit for their needs.

Discounts

Most people want to save when purchasing insurance, and that holds true for buying tiny home insurance as well. Therefore, it’s important for homeowners to ask the insurance company what discounts are available when purchasing tiny home insurance. Many insurance companies offer bundles, wherein policyholders who buy more than one policy from the same company can receive a discount.

However, insurance companies often offer discounts for many other actions, such as signing up for automatic payments, enrolling in paperless billing, and renewing the policy before it expires. Stacking these discounts could help homeowners save quite a bit on their insurance premiums.

Deductibles

Deductibles are the amount policyholders pay when they file a claim. The amount of a deductible depends on how much the insurance coverage is and how much the insurance premiums are. Reducing the amount of coverage could reduce the amount of the deductible. With premiums, the higher the premium—the amount paid upfront—the lower the deductible will typically be. Homeowners who want to save money up front may choose a lower premium in exchange for paying a higher deductible when filing a claim.

The good thing is deductibles can be changed, so homeowners can talk with their insurance company to see what adjustments can be made to keep the policy affordable.

AM Best Rating

AM Best is a company that researches insurance companies to evaluate their creditworthiness and financial strength. These factors help customers determine whether the companies are in a good position to pay their policyholders’ claims as agreed.

Ideally, it’s important for homeowners to look for insurance companies with an AM Best rating of A through A++, which indicates a company that is excellent (A to A-) or superior (A+ to A++). Companies with an AM Best rating of B+ to B++ (good) are worth a look as well.

Homeowners may want to skip any insurance companies with AM Best ratings of B through D, as they are seen as vulnerable when it comes to their financial strength. That means they may not be able to honor claims.

Our Top Picks

To determine the best tiny home insurance, we looked for companies that serve a large coverage area, offer a high coverage amount, and make it easy to get a quote or file a claim.

Photo: mystrategicinsurance.com

Why It Made the Cut: Strategic Insurance Agency specializes in tiny house insurance and offers a high coverage amount for this type of home, along with optional terms to expand coverage.

Unlike many other insurance companies, Strategic Insurance Agency offers specific tiny home insurance coverage, so policyholders can feel confident they are getting the right type of coverage for their needs. Strategic’s representatives will be able to help address any questions or concerns since they are familiar with tiny house insurance policies.

The company doesn’t have an AM Best rating at this time, which just means AM Best hasn’t evaluated the company yet. The high maximum coverage amount of $250,000 offered by Strategic is atypical for tiny home insurance, but can be very beneficial for homeowners with more expensive homes and amenities.

While the company does offer an online quote process, it doesn’t have an option for filing claims online, so policyholders will need to call in order to file their claim. Strategic also offers add-on options like replacement cost coverage and earthquake coverage, similar to the options available with standard homeowners insurance.

Specs

• Coverage Area: 48 states
• Coverage Amount: $250,000
• Quote Process: Online, phone
• Claims Process: Phone
• AM Best Rating: Unranked

Pros

• Specialty in tiny house insurance
• High $250,000 maximum coverage amount
• Replacement cost coverage offered
• Earthquake coverage available
• Specifics-driven customizable online quote process

Cons

• Currently unavailable AM Best rating
• No online claim option

Photo: foremost.com

Why It Made the Cut: Foremost offers a variety of coverage options, diminishing deductibles, and discounts for dwellings located in mobile home parks, plus it doesn’t have age restrictions for eligible tiny houses.

Foremost makes it easy to get the right coverage thanks to a variety of coverage options. These include coverage for older tiny homes, debris removal coverage, and replacement cost coverage (as an add-on). Getting an accurate quote on insurance coverage with Foremost can be difficult because the online quote tool is geared toward RVs instead of stationary homes, so some of the information requests are not applicable to many tiny home owners. In addition, online quotes are not immediate; instead, the site notes that homeowners will likely need to wait two to three days to receive a response for their online quote request. However, that can result in a more tailored quote for each customer.

Once the homeowner receives their quote, they could save on that price thanks to Foremost’s mobile home park discount and diminishing deductible option. The latter means that the policyholder’s deductible will decrease the longer they go without filing a claim.

Specs

• Coverage Area: 49 states
• Coverage Amount: $150,000
• Quote Process: Online, phone
• Claims Process: Online, phone
• AM Best Rating: A

Pros

• Coverage available for older tiny homes
• Replacement cost coverage offered
• Debris removal coverage standard with every tiny house insurance policy
• Generous mobile home park discount available
• Diminishing deductible available

Cons

• Somewhat confusing online quote process
• Lengthy 2 to 3-day response time for online quotes

Photo: progressive.com

Why It Made the Cut: Progressive offers a single deductible benefit for home and auto bundles, plus it holds a high rating from AM Best and includes trip collision coverage in its tiny house policies.

Earning an AM Best rating of A+, Progressive tiny house insurance provides customers who bundle their insurance with auto coverage the option to pay a single deductible for both home and auto policies. This way, if a covered event impacted both the policyholder’s home and vehicle, they would only need to pay one deductible when filing a claim, which could save money on their out-of-pocket expenses.

It’s important to note Progressive only underwrites tiny home insurance in 12 states. In other states, the policy could be underwritten by a third party, which could lead to communication issues or delays.

Progressive offers standard trip collision coverage that protects the tiny house when moving it from one location to another for a 30-day window. This makes it ideal for mobile tiny homes, but if the owner plans to move their home frequently they may find it hard to get coverage. Stationary tiny homes are more likely to be covered since they will not be moving to a new location, which decreases the risk of damage.

Specs

• Coverage Area: 47 states
• Coverage Amount: $150,000
• Quote Process: Phone, agent
• Claims Process: Online, phone
• AM Best Rating: A+

Pros

• Single deductible benefit for home and auto bundles
• Trip collision coverage standard with every tiny house insurance policy
• A+ AM Best Rating

Cons

• Coverage restrictions on mobile tiny houses
• Tiny house insurance policies may be underwritten by a third party

Photo: amfam.com

Why It Made the Cut: American Family Insurance provides many opportunities to save money on insurance through its exclusive discounts, including those for new homeowners and policyholders whose parents are already AmFam customers.

Available in 19 states, American Family Insurance offers many ways for policyholders to save on their tiny home insurance. For instance, AmFam’s “New Homeowners” discount offers a lower rate to homeowners who have purchased their tiny house within the last 3 years, regardless of how old the home is.

The company also rewards policyholders for their loyalty by offering specialty discounts. For instance, homeowners who have used AmFam as an insurance provider for a long time can receive a lower insurance premium. Also, the “All in the Family” discount gives a lower rate to tiny house owners between the ages of 18 and 30 whose parents are already AmFam customers.

In addition, policyholders can lower their deductible over time by not filing a claim on their insurance policy. This could help them reduce their out-of-pocket costs when they do eventually need to file a claim and save on the total cost of their insurance coverage.

Specs

• Coverage Area: 19 states
• Coverage Amount: Varies
• Quote Process: Phone, agent
• Claims Process: Online, phone
• AM Best Rating: A

Pros

• Discounted rates for new tiny house owners
• Unique loyalty discounts available
• Diminishing deductible available

Cons

• Limited 19 state coverage area

Photo: allstate.com

Why It Made the Cut: Allstate checks a lot of boxes as one of the best tiny home insurance companies because of its nationwide availability, A+ AM Best rating, and discount for retirees.

Unlike many other insurance companies that offer tiny home insurance, Allstate offers coverage nationwide, so homeowners can feel confident they will get coverage for their tiny house regardless of where it is located. Allstate’s maximum coverage amount is low for this type of insurance—homeowners can only insure their dwelling for $50,000 at most, which could mean that some policyholders will not be able to insure their tiny houses for their full value. However, homeowners may buy a house whose value is lower than $50,000, so this coverage limit may not impact them.

Sporting an AM Best rating of A+, Allstate helps retired policyholders over the age of 55 save thanks to a discount of up to 10 percent off their insurance premium. This discount can help retirees who may be on fixed incomes save money on their insurance costs.

Specs

• Coverage Area: 50 states and Washington, D.C.
• Coverage Amount: $50,000
• Quote Process: Phone, agent
• Claims Process: Online, phone
• AM Best Rating: A+

Pros

• Nationwide availability
• A+ AM Best rating
• Up to 10 percent rate discount for retirees

Cons

• Low $50,000 maximum coverage amount

Our Verdict

We chose Strategic Insurance Agency as Best Overall because, unlike many other insurance companies, it specializes in tiny home insurance. Foremost was chosen Runner-Up because policyholders can customize their coverage with a variety of different options.

How We Chose the Best Tiny House Insurance Companies

When considering the best tiny house insurance companies, we looked at factors that impact availability, affordability, coverage, and the customer experience. To that end, we focused on the companies’ service areas, looking for companies that offer coverage to a large segment of tiny house owners. We also look for companies with high coverage limits so tiny house owners could get enough insurance to cover the value of their tiny home. Other factors we reviewed included coverage options, discount opportunities, and claims and quote processes. Finally, we also looked at the AM Best ratings for each company, giving preference to companies with a rating of excellent or superior.

Before You Choose One of the Best Tiny House Insurance Companies

While our evaluation shows the companies listed here are some of the best tiny house insurance companies, that doesn’t mean they are the right choice for all tiny house owners. It’s important for tiny house owners to conduct independent research to determine whether one of these companies could be a good option for them. It’s also a good idea for homeowners to research companies not included in this list, which could mean getting a quote from insurance companies where homeowners already have car insurance, life insurance, or renters insurance coverage. It’s possible an insurance company not only may offer tiny house insurance to current customers, but also offer discounts for repeat business.

Cost of Opting for One of the Best Tiny House Insurance Companies

Regardless of type, pricing insurance coverage always varies based on a number of factors. Determining the cost of tiny house insurance is no different. Insurance companies will look at the value of the tiny home, which includes the home’s size and construction, as well as where the home is located. In addition, it will take into consideration how much coverage is purchased, the policyholder’s previous claims history, and how the tiny home will be used.

Every insurance company evaluates these factors differently, so it’s crucial for homeowners to get quotes from at least three different insurance companies. They’ll want to make sure they get quotes using the same information and coverage so the quotes are comparable.

The Advantages of Opting for One of the Best Tiny House Insurance Companies

Tiny house owners who opt to buy coverage from one of the best tiny house insurance companies can expect their insurance provider to have strong financial strength, making it more likely those companies will pay claims as agreed. In addition, most of these companies provide coverage in the majority of the nation, so tiny house owners have a good likelihood of finding the tiny house coverage they need.

• These companies have strong AM Best ratings.
• These companies offer coverage in much of the nation.
• Many of these companies offer high coverage amounts so tiny house owners can get the coverage they need.

FAQs

Because it’s not like standard homeowners insurance, shopping for tiny house insurance could be confusing. When doing so, these are some of the most common questions tiny house owners have regarding tiny home insurance.

Q: What type of coverage is needed to insure a tiny house?

The type of coverage depends on if the house is certified as a fixed, stationary home or as an RV.

Q: What are three negative features of a tiny house?

Tiny houses aren’t the right fit for every prospective home buyer. Some people may have reservations about the limited storage space, cramped living quarters, and potential zoning complications.

Q: Why are some homeowners against tiny homes?

While tiny houses are certainly more affordable than traditional single family homes, and some homeowners may appreciate the opportunity to shrink their environmental footprint, others will not enjoy downsizing their living space to such an extreme degree—no matter what potential benefits it can offer.

Q: Do tiny homes hold their value?

Compared with a single-family house, tiny homes often do not hold their value very well. In fact, it’s common for tiny houses to depreciate in value quite a bit over time. The best tiny home builders make homes at a variety of price points to suit a wide range of needs.

Q: How do I get good internet access in my tiny house?

Tiny house owners who live in or near urban areas may be able to get a reliable wired cable internet connection just like any other residential property. However, those living in more rural areas may be better off getting wireless internet from a phone company or satellite internet that can reach remote locations.

Q: Can you resell a tiny home?

It is possible for homeowners to sell their tiny house, but it may not be easy. The market for this type of home is much smaller compared with single family homes and condos, and homeowners may not even be able to list their house on real estate listing sites. Additionally, people may not be aware of where to buy a tiny house other than prefab kits from large sellers like Amazon.

Q: Is it cheaper to buy or build a tiny house?

People in the market for a tiny house will often find that it is cheaper to build one themselves than to buy a pre-built house. Building a tiny house requires a lot of time and labor, though, and inexperienced builders may wind up spending more fixing problems than if they had bought a pre-built house. Either way, buyers may need to take out one of the best tiny-house loans to help them pay for the house.