Liability only, for land that sits empty
Premises liability for up to five hundred acres of vacant, undeveloped land: held for sale, held for investment, or waiting on a build. No structures, no construction activity.
Vacant Land Insurance in California
Own empty land, covered in days not weeks. Start a quote in minutes and a licensed California broker shops the premises liability markets for you.
We shop the market for you, no broker fees
Green Shield
Vacant land premises liability, to 500 acres
Aegis
Vacant property liability programs
Kinsale
Vacant land liability
Markel
Land and premises liability
Starr
Liability for undeveloped land
Great American
Specialty liability
QBE
Specialty real estate liability
Zurich
Specialty liability programs
What the vacant land market writes in California
Limits from 100 to a million dollars
Per occurrence limits from one hundred thousand to one million, paired with medical payments from five hundred to ten thousand dollars.
Water changes everything
Land with water on it is written differently: up to one acre of water hazard is permitted, and more than that needs a different market. The broker checks the parcel first.
Short terms that match the hold
Three, six, nine and twelve month terms with terrorism coverage offered, so a parcel held for a season does not pay for a year it does not need.
How it works
10 minute form
A few questions about your business or home.
We shop the market
We compare carriers and read the forms line by line.
Pick the best policy
We explain what is covered, what is not, and what it costs.
The lender asked for liability on dirt
Nobody insures empty land until the lender, the sale, or the first injury on it forces the question. The coverage is simple and cheap, and the only mistake is buying the wrong acreage or hiding the pond.
It is liability, not property
There is no building to insure, so the policy is premises liability plus medical payments: someone hurt on the land, or a fire that starts on it and spreads.
The pond is the question
Water hazard up to one acre is written; beyond that the risk class changes and so does the market. The broker asks about water before quoting because the claim will.
Acreage bands price the policy
From one to five hundred acres in bands, with fenced and posted land, and no trespassing signage all reducing the premium. Three questions decide the price.
Written for California landowners, including:
- Vacant, undeveloped land to 500 acres
- Land held for sale or investment
- Land awaiting future construction
- Parcels with up to one acre of water
- Land that is 100 percent not in use
- Three to twelve month terms
What changes your premium
There is no flat rate for this coverage. These are the inputs a carrier prices against, and they are the same things the quote form asks you for.
- Acreage band, from 1 to 10 up to 401 to 500
- Water hazard, up to one acre permitted
- Fenced and posted, no trespassing signage
- Liability limit chosen
- Prior losses or claims on the land
Text us. We're by your side.
Questions we get asked
Does vacant land insurance cover the land itself?
No structures and no land value: the policy is premises liability plus medical payments, covering injuries to people on the land and damage the land causes, like a fire that spreads.
How many acres can be insured?
Up to five hundred acres of vacant land in bands from one to ten acres up to four hundred one to five hundred.
Can the land have a pond or creek?
Up to one acre of water hazard is permitted. More than that needs a different market, which is why the broker asks about water first.
Does construction activity count?
No. Construction activities are excluded; land under active construction needs a different liability form.
How long does a policy run?
Three, six, nine and twelve month terms, with terrorism coverage offered, matched to how long you expect to hold the parcel.
Can you write this where my business is?
We are licensed in California, Texas, Pennsylvania and New York, and applications in Ohio, North Carolina and Michigan are with those states now. We do not quote a state before its license is issued. Start a quote and we will tell you where you stand before you spend time on it.
What actually happens after I start a quote?
You answer a short set of questions, and a licensed broker at Menlo reads them, maps your operation to a class, and shops it with the carriers we are appointed with. There is no instant bind and no black box. You talk to a person before anything is quoted.
Get it placed by someone who reads the fine print
Start a quote and a licensed broker takes it from there, or talk to one now.