Are there any insurance companies out there who will insure straw bale homes?

Yes, there are insurance companies out there who will insure straw-bale homes. They key to insuring this type of home is finding the right insurer.

Sadly, there aren’t many insurers who insure these types of homes. However, because of the fact that the number of straw-bale homes is increasing, so are the number of insurers willing to provide policies for them.

There are two types of straw-bale homes: Nebraska style homes, where the bales are built so that they support the roof, and post-and-beam construction with straw-bale insulation.

It is important to know which house you have, because that is the information that you are going to need to know when buying a policy for your home.

The post-and-beam homes are built with typical wood, concrete or steel framework. Afterwards, bales of straw are put as insulation in the walls.

George Vince, an agent with Farm Bureau Insurance, says, “Straw-bale homes are actually a little more prevalent out here in Arizona. It is still a small percentage of our business, but we do more straw-bale homes ever year. Some weeks we’ll insure more straw-table homes than regular homes.”

There you have it. Apparently, finding a policy to insure straw-bale homes isn’t that difficult. Keep in mind that the walls of these homes are one of their distinctive features. Straw-bale walls are typically 18 to 24 inches wide.

Nationwide agent Ed Taylor, writer of a policy for a straw-bale home in Virginia, says, “They’re really nice homes. I don’t know any reason that an insurance company would not take them, except for not knowing anything about them.”

“We don’t see any problems insuring them. We don’t have any special criteria. In fact, there’s nothing on the insurance application that says these are straw-bale homes,” says Vince.

You see, finding a policy really isn’t that hard. As a matter of fact, many insurers are starting to make policies for consumers who need them because the number of straw-bale homes is gradually increasing.

Taylor says, “The straw is baled very tightly. It’s so tightly compacted that the air can’t get in. It’s not fireproof, but it is hard to burn. We also haven’t had many injuries about insuring them.