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Yurt Insurance

Jafo

Jafo

Administrator
Staff member
Having a hard time getting Yurt insurance.. I have a local agent looking around for someone to underwrite a policy but am not holding out much hope. If anyone knows of any companies that offer it, please post here in this thread!
 
So far my local brokers have come up with nothing, but they are still trying.

I contacted Geico and had a good conversation with them. They were helpful, but in the end they considered it a "unique structure" and they could not cover it.

I had read somewhere online that someone had gotten a policy through Nationwide insurance, but when I tried, they balked at the roof. No go with them.

A friend of mine said that Mutual Insurance Services have found policies for yurts. I contacted them by email and they referred me to a wholesaler in New York: Risk Placement Services. I spoke with a Jerry Silver who explained that he only dealt with licensed brokers, but he believed they could insure yurts. He recommended I have my brokers contact them and they could talk it over. He said they have no minimums that brokers had to achieve as far as business, so it would be fine if this was just a one time deal. I will contact our broker tomorrow and see what they think.
 
My only progress today was handing off the wholesalers contact info to my broker. Still searching for yurt insurance!
 
Ok, my broker called me and did find a policy though it will not cover wind or snow damage, which is fine for now.. The company she worked with said to her that the structures were just way too new to them to go that far. I am stopping in her office tomorrow to purchase the policy ($298 a year). Once I have it in hand, I will post the details here.
 
OK, my agent Dawn came through and I have a yurt insurance policy in New York!!! They would not cover wind or snow load damage, but they cover fire ($25,000) and contents ($10,000) for $298/yr.

I asked Dawn if I could refer you all to her and she welcomed it. She said even if they can't do policies in your state, she can probably refer you to a broker in your state who uses the same underwriter. She asked that you contact her at her office here:

Dawn Wiedmer
WB Payne Co., INC.
46 Schuyler Street
Boonville, NY 13309
315-942-4434

She said you can email her too if you prefer at dwiedmer::email::wbpayneco.com
 
If anyone has contacted these guys and had no success, please let me know!
 
As far as I know, we were the first to be successful in getting insurance for yurt owners statewide. Our contact here is Herb Spector, I'd have to dig up his information. They'll insure any permitted yurt here now, on the Big Island and Kauai. The angle we took was to find someone who is motivated and then present them with 40 potential yurt insurance policies (no names, just knowing that we have permitted that many), explaining that they're missing the boat... It didn't take long for him to get an underwriter to come around. You may look at doing the same thing, with this forum, you'll likely come across many people looking for the same things. If you go with a company that has done adequate engineering for snow and wind loads, and I mean PROVEN, stamped, etc. engineering, these should be minor obstacles as well.

Good luck!

Melissa
 
I believe the biggest thing is finding a motivated agent. I mean, we are not talking about insuring a million dollar home or anything, but basically a $10,000 - $50,000 structure/contents policy. Since yurts continue to fall under the "unique structure" category, many agents may not want to do the footwork for such a small policy. Fortunately my agent will. :)

If you could post your info on your agent, that would be great!
 
He is specifically for Hawaii only, he was clear about that, but maybe he can help other agents? I don't know. Yes, Jafo, it's not much money for them, exactly. That's why it may help to gather together as a group and dangle the bait!

Here's our guy: Herb Spector of the Royal Insurance Agency in Hilo at (808) 935-2766
 
Thanks!

I'm so happy to read about the insurance that is available 'out there.' I just joined Nomad Shelter.com last week and am loving it! I've always liked yurts but never knew much about them. LOL I still don't but I'm learning more every day! Finding this site has been fabulous. I was under the impression that no insurance was available, ever, for the yurt. Looks like it's got a remedy .. and it makes sense. If it makes them money, they'll underwrite it! Don't hear of many yurts burning to the ground, or flying away in the wind, or being crushed under snow.

We had the worst winter since 1954 this last one - and not one yurt collapsed anywhere! LOTS of small sheds, carports, and even some roofs caved but not on a single one of our yurts! My associate, Nulani, lives in a yurt, up on the ridge above town, and had about 5 ft of snow on her roof. No damages!

I'm trying to find financing for them, insurance, and even put together some deals with speculators about yurt communities. One is already going in here now! I'm sure there will be more soon, maybe even specialized ones for people who need some supervision (instead of closing down institutions for those unable to protect & help themselves, why NOT yurt clinical communities?! Beats having them homeless, and victims.)

EVERYONE wants the American Dream of home ownership but at today's prices? HOW? Yurts are one of the ways to achieve this dream.

Yah, yah - I'm preachin' to the choir, huh? :D Anywho, thanks to all for the info, the answers and questions! ~~ Terry
 
Terry, sounds like Shelter Designs have gained a motivated and sensible new yurt person for their team! Yeah! You're thinking along a lot of the same lines I have thought, and we've done quite a bit of work in that direction along with other members of NAYA. I'm pretty sure Shelter Design is part of NAYA. We'll be having a group call in the coming month. You may want to sit in on that or speak with me or another NAYA member about what we've done/where we're going in those directions and see how we can pool our efforts! Welcome to the 'choir' ;)
 
Terry welcome aboard! I have heard great things about Nomad Shelter Yurts and would love to read whatever you can add here! :)

Insurance is a business about risk. As long as an insurance company can get enough factual information about yurts so they can make accurate calculations of their risk, then they will offer policies on anything. If there are too many unknowns, then they will not. It is my sincere hope that what we all do here will provide some clarity for insurers.

Melissa's permitting thread is a good start. I believe insurance companies leverage some of their decision making on what localities will permit in their areas.
 
Heehee.. I'm sure the folks down in Montana love hearing you say good things about them, HAWAII, but I think they may be scratching their heads, too. Teehee! I'm with Nomad SHELTER in Homer, Alaska. But I get how that bit of confusion could happen .. shelter. Shelter ... :-) No worries.

I REALLY liked reading how we are thinking along the same lines! I have never heard of NAYA but then I've only been working for a whopping three part-time days, with the bosses gone! I'll be looking it up this morning, you can bet on that! THANKS!! Please do include me in anything to do with it; if we aren't members, I'll see why and remedy it - especially if NAYA is headed where we hope to go ourselves: mainstream! One yurt at a time. :-D
 
Ahh! Oops! :) Yes, with the Tenhoffs, right? Jessica and... Lee I want to say? Right on, they're good people from what I've learned. And yes, I do believe they are a part of NAYA, or are planning on it. I'll have to check. Thanks for setting me straight!
 
Vermont Yurt Insurance

Jenny and I got insurance for our 30 foot yurt through:

Rock Insurance Agency, Inc. 802-525-3734 and 800-675-3724
Peter Tarbox is the agent. The company is part of Coop Insurance a local Vermont agency that has been around a while here. They write farm policies in Vermont and New Hampshire. They have no problem insuring yurts, but there is no coverage for collapse. The coverage is very good including, fire, left, and liability. Can't remember the numbers now, and Jenny is off with the dog to the vet.
 
As a note; I worked with a client who had funds from an insurance claim and was replacing a homemade yurt that colapsed under a snow load. Their homeowners policy covered their yurt. They had a policy for their home and the yurt was considered an out building and not their primary residence. This may help some yurt owners.:D
 
Jafo,

I will be contacting your insurance agent in N.Y. regarding insurance. I will let you know how it goes.

Glad that I stumbled on this website!


Peter
 
Thanks for this info. We're in Upstate NY and our yurt does have a a C of O so we're legit officially... and having a hard time. Our car insurance is through USAA but they won't do anything for yurt insurance.

I'll try contacting Dawn as you suggested and keep looking around.
Thanks
 
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