For a small California parcel, expect vacant land liability insurance to cost roughly $1,000 a year for a $1 million limit, all in. In September 2026, one customer's request for a 1–10 acre parcel drew two quotes: $980.60 a year from USLI's Mount Vernon Fire Insurance Company through BTIS ($805 premium plus a $150 wholesaler fee and state tax and stamping fee), and an indicative $1,018.39 from Green Shield ($537 premium plus $481.39 in fees and taxes).[1][2] Those are two quotes for one parcel, not an average, and larger, busier or wetter land costs more.
Vacant land insurance is liability only: it pays when someone is hurt on your land or damage spreads from it, not for damage to the land itself. This guide covers what drives the price, which programs write California land, the acreage and term limits, and what to have ready. To get your own number, use our vacant land insurance application.
Vacant land insurance
What did real vacant land quotes cost in California?
Here are the two quotes published for one real customer request in September 2026, for land in California of 1 to 10 acres. We've left out anything that identifies the customer or the parcel.
| USLI (Mount Vernon Fire) via BTIS | Green Shield | |
|---|---|---|
| Insurer status | Non-admitted, A.M. Best A++ (Superior)[1] | Not shown on the indicative quote[2] |
| Coverage | Comprehensive personal liability $1,000,000. Medical payments $5,000[1] | Premises liability $1,000,000 / $2,000,000. Medical payments $1,000[2] |
| Premium | $805.00[1] | $537.00[2] |
| Fees and taxes | $175.60: $150 wholesaler fee, 3% surplus lines tax and 0.18% stamping fee[1] | $481.39[2] |
| Total per year | $980.60[1] | $1,018.39 (indicative)[2] |
Source: Menlo quote records, September 2026. Green Shield's figure was an indicative premium that the carrier said "will form the basis of the quote," and it noted that a credit may be available.[2] The USLI quote was valid for about two months.[1]
The pattern is worth noticing. The lower premium didn't make the lower total, because fees are fixed amounts and weigh heavily on a small premium. Always compare the total payable.
What makes vacant land insurance cost more or less?
- Acreage. Both programs ask how many acres are at the location. USLI's commercial form asks for acres (rounding under one acre up to one), and Green Shield rates by acreage band.[3][2]
- The limit. USLI offers $100,000, $300,000, $500,000 or $1,000,000 per occurrence.[3] Lower limits cost less but leave you more exposed.
- Water. USLI asks whether there are lakes or ponds, and Green Shield excludes levees, dams and reservoirs over one acre.[3][4]
- Use. Farming, hunting, business activity, leasing the land to others or any construction moves the parcel out of these programs or into a different class.[3][4]
- Hazards on the land. Green Shield declines dump sites, abandoned equipment, caves, oil and gas wells, mines, quarries, railroads and underground fuel storage.[4] USLI asks about logging, landfills, quarries, mines, caves, wells, dams and vehicle bridges.[3]
- Term. USLI's commercial form offers 3, 6 and 9 months as well as annual, so a parcel you'll sell soon doesn't need a full year.[3]
- Taxes and fees. On a non-admitted policy California adds 3% surplus lines tax and a 0.18% stamping fee, plus any wholesaler or policy fee.[5][1]
Which programs write vacant land in California?
| Program | Form | Acreage | Limits | What must be true |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USLI Vacant Land (Personal Liability), via BTIS | Personal liability | Up to 250 acres combined, including RV pad sites[3] | $100,000 to $1,000,000[3] | No boat dock, no structures (a small maintenance shed allowed), no construction scheduled[3] |
| USLI Vacant Land (commercial GL), via BTIS | Commercial general liability | Up to 1,000 acres at one location[3] | Up to $1M per occurrence, $2M aggregate[3] | Not cancelled or non-renewed in 3 years for reasons other than vacancy, no activities, not leased to others[3] |
| Green Shield Vacant Land | Standard ISO premises liability | Up to 500 acres, one location per policy[4] | Up to $1M per occurrence, $2M aggregate[4] | 100% vacant, no structures, no construction, not in use[4] |
Individuals usually fit the personal form, and an LLC, a business or a larger parcel the commercial one. Our vacant land page takes land owned by a person, an LLC or a trust. If there is a house on the land, it isn't vacant land. See our guide to insuring a vacant or inherited home instead.
Does vacant land insurance cover fire spreading from my land?
It covers your liability if a fire or other damage that starts on your land harms someone else's property and you are found responsible, within the policy's terms. It doesn't pay to restore your own land. Green Shield's program excludes structures and construction activity entirely, so a shed or a building project needs other coverage.[4]
What do I need to get a quote?
Owner and address
The exact owner name (you, the LLC or the trust), the parcel address or APN, and a mailing address.
Acreage and a legal description
Green Shield asks for a legal description and acreage confirmation.[4]
What is on the land
Water, structures, equipment, trails, fencing and any "no trespassing" signs, and whether anyone uses it for farming, hunting or recreation.
Plans
Written confirmation
Green Shield asks for written confirmation that the land is vacant and not in use.[4]
Frequently asked questions
How much is vacant land insurance per year in California?
Do I need insurance on vacant land?
Usually it's your choice, unless a lender, a buyer or a purchase contract asks for it. Without it, the owner defends and pays any injury claim from its own pocket, and that is just as true when the owner is an LLC or a trust.
Can I buy vacant land insurance for less than a year?
Yes on USLI's commercial land form, which offers 3-, 6- and 9-month terms as well as annual.[3]
Does homeowners insurance cover a separate vacant lot?
Ask your insurer. Some homeowners policies extend liability to other land you own and some don't. Get the answer in writing, or buy a separate land policy.
This guide is for educational purposes and summarizes carrier program guides, the carrier applications as Menlo walked them in September 2026, and two quote records for one customer request in September 2026. Prices, programs and eligibility change, and your policy's terms control. Menlo Insurance Services (CA license 6020106) is a licensed broker that may earn a commission on a placement and does not guarantee that any coverage or price will be available. Mount Vernon Fire Insurance Company is non-admitted in California, and non-admitted insurers are not backed by the California Insurance Guarantee Association.
The Bottom Line
Vacant land insurance is liability coverage, and for a small California parcel it cost about $1,000 a year all in on the two real quotes we received in September 2026: $980.60 from USLI via BTIS and $1,018.39 indicative from Green Shield.[1][2] Fees are a large share of a small policy, so compare totals. Keep the land empty and unused, check the acreage limit (250, 500 or 1,000 acres depending on the form), and ask about a short term if you'll sell or build soon.[3][4]
References
- 1.United States Liability Insurance Group (via BTIS). “Vacant Land (Personal Liability) quote, Mount Vernon Fire Insurance Company, September 2026 (Menlo quote record; customer details withheld).” Accessed 2026-09-27. https://www.usli.com/ ↩
- 2.Green Shield Risk Solutions. “Vacant Land indicative premium, September 2026 (Menlo quote record; customer details withheld), and Vacant Land program sheet.” Accessed 2026-09-27. https://6041899.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/6041899/Green%20Shield%20Risk/Vacant%20Land%20-%20Specialy%20Lines.pdf ↩
- 3.BTIS / USLI. “USLI Vacant Land (commercial and personal liability) applications as walked by Menlo, September 2026.” Accessed 2026-09-27. https://marketplace.btisinc.com/Products/General-Liability/USLI-General-Liability/ ↩
- 4.Green Shield Risk Solutions. “Vacant Land, Specialty Lines.” 2026. https://6041899.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/6041899/Green%20Shield%20Risk/Vacant%20Land%20-%20Specialy%20Lines.pdf ↩
- 5.Surplus Line Association of California. “Broker Taxes and Fees.” Accessed 2026-09-27. https://www.slacal.com/resources/broker-taxes-fees ↩