How to Insure a Cabin

While escaping the city certainly does have its perks, owning a cabin still comes with its own unique set of risks, many of which are very similar to those found in your regular home. Luckily, cabin insurance can help reduce the financial burden many potential disasters, such as fires, can cause. The right cabin insurance policy can help protect your home away from home from damage caused by risks like lightning strikes, break-ins, frozen pipes, and more.

An independent insurance agent can help you get set up with all the cabin insurance you need. They'll match you to a policy that meets your unique needs based on your cabin's size and other details. To get started, though, here's a breakdown of cabin insurance and why you need it.

What Is Cabin Insurance?

Cabin insurance, also called “seasonal home insurance,” is an agreement between the cabin owner and an insurance company in which the insurer agrees to cover financial losses relating to damage and liabilities involving the cabin. The insurance company will cover only the specific perils stated in the policy. Cabin insurance is designed to help protect owners from losing their vacation homes should disaster strike.

Though peaceful by nature, cabins still come with a host of potential risks. The most common perils affecting cabins include fire damage, natural disasters, theft or vandalism, and liability issues. It’s necessary to purchase a cabin insurance policy if you want coverage for your vacation home because your existing homeowners insurance policy won’t cover an additional living structure like a cabin. An independent insurance agent can help you get set up with the coverage you need.

What’s the Difference between a Cabin, Home, and Vacation Home?

A cabin is technically part of the vacation home category, which also includes things like lake houses and other seasonal getaway homes. Your everyday house is what gets insured by a traditional homeowners policy. Still, this coverage isn’t designed to protect vacation homes, which is why seasonal or vacation home insurance becomes necessary. Also, if you’re covering more than one living structure of any kind, you’ll need more than one insurance policy.

However, if you own two standard homes, a type of coverage known as “second home insurance” is what's necessary for you. This coverage is basically just a second homeowners policy for your additional house. However, seasonal or vacation home insurance is a particular type of homeowners insurance packaged and designed to cover the unique risks associated with owning a cabin, lake house, etc. Your independent insurance agent can help you find exactly which type of coverage you need for your second home, no matter what kind it is.

What Does Cabin Insurance Cover?

Cabins are a unique type of home, so while cabin insurance offers many of the same coverages as traditional homeowners insurance, it also comes with its own unique set of perks tailored to your seasonal or vacation home. Though you can work with your independent insurance agent to customize your policy, here’s a breakdown of the most common coverages included in a cabin insurance package:

Dwelling coverage: This protects the actual building from things like fire, certain natural disasters, theft or vandalism, and more. In the unique case of a cabin, your structure is also protected against damage due to wild animals and even firearms used during hunting season.
Personal property coverage: This covers your personal belongings, like furniture, clothing, electronics, knickknacks, silverware, etc., that are stored in the cabin or surrounding sheds from perils such as fire or theft.
Liability coverage: This covers legal expenses such as attorney and court fees if you get sued for bodily injury or property damage by a third party. Coverage can protect against mishaps concerning guests who visit your cabin as well.

These three components make up the core of cabin insurance packages. Working with an independent insurance agent is a great way to get the right amount of coverage in each category for your unique seasonal home.

What Doesn't Cabin Insurance Cover?

Like every other kind of insurance out there, cabin insurance comes with a list of specified covered perils and non-covered perils. Becoming familiar with what your cabin insurance policy doesn’t cover can save you the hassle of filing claims that are bound to get denied.

Cabin insurance doesn't cover the following perils:

Certain natural disasters (i.e., floods, earthquakes, and mudslides)
Maintenance-related losses
Wear and tear damage (i.e., failure of the owner to maintain upkeep of the cabin)
Insect damage or infestations
Damage from war or nuclear fallout
Business-related liability

Perhaps it's unlikely, but if you run a business out of your cabin, cabin insurance typically won’t cover any liability-related mishaps. Cabin insurance policies also tend to limit liability coverage for certain types of vehicles, including aircraft, ATVs, and boats, and have very specific exceptions for certain powered vehicles, such as riding lawnmowers. Double-check your particular policy to be sure of coverage for special vehicles.

To protect your cabin against flood or earthquake damage, you’ll need a flood insurance or earthquake insurance policy. Cabin owners may want to seriously consider getting a policy if their vacation home is located in an area prone to flooding or earthquakes.

What Are the Benefits of Cabin Insurance?

When you’re on vacation, the goal is often to relax. But without the proper protection, this might be a challenge. Aside from the risk of property or liability damage that you might have to cover out of pocket without adequate protection, you also risk losing your vacation home entirely if you’re hit with a huge and costly peril that causes severe damage or destruction. Standard cabin insurance packages provide coverage for many common threats, including:

Theft
Vandalism
Explosions
Fire and smoke
Water damage
Aircraft or vehicle damage
Riots
Falling objects and trees
Certain natural disasters (i.e., windstorms, hail, lightning, and blizzards)

Your independent insurance agent can help you review your cabin insurance policy to answer any remaining questions about your coverage. They’ll also help you determine whether you’ve got enough coverage or if you should purchase more.

How Much Does Cabin Insurance Cost?

Many factors influence the cost of a cabin insurance policy, including the size and location of your cabin, the value of the structure, the contents inside, and any upgrades you’ve made. Owners of cabins in areas prone to severe weather or other risks like crime often have to pay more for their insurance policies than those living in calmer, safer areas.

The frequency with which you use your cabin also affects the type of policy you purchase. If your cabin is vacant many months out of the year, you may also need seasonal cabin insurance to protect it while no inhabitants are watching over it. Even while the structure is empty, it’s still prone to risks like natural disasters, fire, and theft or vandalism.

It's hard to offer an exact figure without knowing your unique situation and the specs of your cabin. Still, your cabin insurance policy more than likely will be less expensive than your regular homeowners policy. Still, you might pay anywhere in the low hundreds to just over a thousand dollars annually. An independent insurance agent can help find more exact quotes for cabin insurance near you.

Benefits of an Independent Insurance Agent

Independent insurance agents have access to multiple insurance companies, ultimately finding the best cabin insurance coverage, accessibility, and competitive pricing while working for you. They'll help you find a cabin insurance policy that offers the best blend of coverage and cost from a local carrier.

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