Houseboat Insurance Coverage

Your houseboat is your home away from home — and there’s nothing like heading to the water to unwind. American Family Insurance knows what it takes to protect your boat, and your local agent will work with you to customize your coverage and ensure you’re proactively protecting your sanctuary on the water.

Houseboat Insurance Coverages

Apart from your standard coverage options, like physical damage, bodily injury and property damage (liability), and medical expense coverage, we’ve highlighted some additional coverages you’ll want to consider adding on to protect your boat and everything on it:

Personal effects coverage

Consider adding personal effects coverage to help protect all those important accessories you keep on your houseboat — things like furniture, clothes and other personal property. We offer coverage up to $100,000 for your personal effects if they’re stolen, damaged or fall into the water.

Watercraft equipment coverage

Covers all the important equipment on your boat, such as the trailer, anchor, bilge pump, installed boat cd player or stereo, boat cover, extra fuel container, installed appliances, installed cabinets or storage, boat cushions, life preservers, first aid, flares, CB radio, depth finder, etc.

Houseboat repair cost

This coverage will help ensure your houseboat will be repaired without depreciation. So, we’ll pay what it costs to return your boat to its pre-accident condition or better.

Total loss agreed value

You’ll need to have this coverage if you want to know exactly what you’ll be paid in the event of a total loss. You’ll send proof of the current market value of your boat and if you face a total loss, we’ll pay that amount. This coverage also includes repair cost coverage for partial losses.

Houseboat Insurance Limitations

Though we offer coverage for all kinds of houseboats, there are some limitations:

• Your houseboat cannot be used as a permanent residence
• It cannot be used for business pursuits (unless a business owner policy is purchased)
• 54’ length maximum (Georgia insures boats up to 40’)
• MSRP must be less than $250K
• Max horsepower is 500 for one engine and 1,000 for dual engine boats

Do You Need a Marine Survey to Get Houseboat Insurance?

In certain cases, a houseboat marine survey may be necessary in order for it to qualify for coverage. If your houseboat does require a survey, a representative from a third-party marine survey group will stop by and take a look at the vessel.

Typically, you’ll be billed for a marine survey — they are usually performed on houseboats that are over 10 years old, prior to activating coverage. The assessor will usually inspect your houseboat in order to:

• Assess its condition
• Determine seaworthiness
• Determine its current market value

If you should later decide to sell your houseboat or require a valuation, this assessment will come in handy. Prospective buyers will be able to use the houseboat’s marine survey inspection documents when applying for financing. And that can go a long way to help facilitate the smooth sale of your houseboat.

Get a Houseboat Insurance Quote Today

Connect with your American Family Insurance agent to learn more about houseboat insurance and get the best coverage for all your water adventures.