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Mobile home insurance: what do you need?

Enter what it would cost to replace the home. See a rough yearly premium, the coverages to ask for, and where earthquake and the FAIR Plan fit.

$

Not the price you paid. In a park most of the price can be the space, not the box. Ask the agent for a replacement cost estimate; a new double-wide in the West averaged about $176,000 (Census, 5/2026).

Land
High wildfire area?
Add earthquake?
Certified bracing (ERBS)?

Not sure about wildfire? Look up the address on the CAL FIRE hazard map: FHSZ map. Hills above San Jose, Milpitas, Fremont, Hayward, Oakland and Castro Valley are the usual spots.

Estimated premium per year
$0 /yr
Mobile home policyFire, wind, theft, water, liability (estimate)$0
Earthquake (CEA mobilehome)$0
Per monthPut this in T145$0

Coverage checklist

Suggested amounts for your home. Tick what your quote already has.

What's different for a mobile home

Earthquake: the CEA has a mobilehome policyYou buy it through the company that writes your mobile home policy. Dwelling up to your policy limit, personal property up to $25,000, loss of use up to $100,000, deductible 5% to 25%. Certified bracing or an approved foundation can get you 21% off.
FAIR Plan now covers mobile homesSB 525 (Chapter 476, 2025) added manufactured homes and mobilehomes to the FAIR Plan, the last-resort fire policy, starting January 1, 2026. FAIR Plan is fire and smoke only, so you'd pair it with a "difference in conditions" policy for theft, water and liability.
Park rules on insuranceThe park can't make you carry liability insurance just to use the clubhouse or pool. The one exception: if you serve alcohol at an event, it can ask for proof of coverage (Civil Code §798.51). Your lender, not the park, is who requires the home to be insured.
Bracing matters in a quakeHomes on piers can slide off in a quake. An HCD-certified earthquake resistant bracing system (ERBS) usually costs under $5,000 and needs an HCD permit (form MP 50 ERBS) before it goes in.
Replacement cost vs. actual cash valueMany mobile home policies pay actual cash value, meaning the depreciated value. After a fire that can be far below what a new home costs. Ask for replacement cost in writing.
Ask Ken Watch 15-sec video

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Next steps

  1. Get quotes before you remove contingencies. Mobile home policies take longer to place than house policies, and older homes may get turned down.
  2. Ask each agent three things: replacement cost or actual cash value? Is earthquake offered (CEA mobilehome)? What's the wildfire surcharge?
  3. No bracing yet? Get a bid from an installer with an HCD-certified system and the HCD permit. Check the CEA discount after it's done: CEA mobilehome guide.
  4. Add the monthly number to T145. Buying a regular house instead? Use T133. Older home? Check T166 first.

Many people get this wrong: "Insure it for what I paid." In a park you might pay $300,000 for a home that costs $150,000 to replace, because the rest is the space and the location. Insure the replacement cost. Over-insuring the box just burns premium.