Nobody Lives There — and That's Exactly Why You Can Get Sued.
Liability protection for the undeveloped land you own
Vacant land insurance covers the liability that comes with owning raw, undeveloped land. There is no building to insure, so this is not a property policy — it is liability coverage for the one exposure a bare parcel still creates: people. Anyone who walks, rides, hunts, or wanders onto land you own can be injured there, and as the owner you can be held responsible, whether or not you ever invited them.
Standard commercial and homeowners policies frequently exclude or limit liability for land you own but do not occupy, which leaves investors, developers, and landowners exposed on the very parcels they are simply holding. Vacant land insurance fills that gap.
What Vacant Land Insurance Covers
Coverage centers on the liability a bare parcel generates:
Premises Liability — Covers bodily injury and property damage to a third party arising out of the condition or use of the land you own.
Attractive Nuisance Claims — Responds when a feature that draws children — a pond, pit, abandoned equipment, or partial structure — leads to injury and an owner-liability suit.
Recreational & Access Liability — Covers injury to hunters, hikers, ATV riders, and others who enter the parcel, where state recreational-use statutes reduce but rarely eliminate the exposure.
Defense Costs — Pays the attorney fees, investigation, and court costs to defend a claim, even one that proves groundless.
Fallen-Tree & Natural-Condition Liability — Addresses damage to a neighbor's property or injury from a tree or natural condition on your land.
What It Does Not Cover
Vacant land liability is deliberately narrow, so several exposures sit outside it:
Pollution, contamination, and environmental cleanup on the parcel
Farming, grazing, timber, mining, or other active commercial operations on the land
Any structure later built on the parcel, which moves toward builders risk or property coverage
Damage to the land itself, since the policy insures liability, not the dirt
Injuries once the land becomes an active jobsite or occupied premises
Who Needs Vacant Land Insurance
This coverage fits anyone holding land they are not actively building on, including:
Investors and developers holding parcels pending sale or redevelopment
Land bankers holding raw acreage as a long-term asset
Owners of recreational, hunting, or timber parcels open to access
Heirs and estates holding inherited land nobody uses
Businesses that own undeveloped lots adjacent to their operations
Owners of a parcel awaiting permits or entitlement
Key Exposures on Undeveloped Land
The risk on a bare parcel is almost entirely about who comes onto it:
A trespasser or guest injured by terrain, water, or a hidden hazard
Children drawn to an unfenced pond, pit, or abandoned equipment (attractive nuisance)
Recreational users — hunters, hikers, ATV and dirt-bike riders — hurt on the land
Illegal dumping that creates a hazard or a cleanup demand
A tree or slope failing onto a neighbor's property or a passerby
The defining feature is that the liability follows ownership, not occupancy.
How Coverage Is Structured
Vacant land liability is simple to place, and the structure reflects a low-frequency, high-severity risk:
It is written either as a standalone vacant land liability policy or as a scheduled endorsement to an existing general liability or umbrella program
Each parcel is typically scheduled by location and acreage
Limits are commonly $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, with umbrella available above
Because there is no structure, premiums are generally modest relative to the defense costs a single claim can generate
Access control — signage, fencing, gates, and posting against trespass — supports both eligibility and defense
Real-World Claim Examples
A child slips into an unfenced pond on a vacant lot and the owner is sued under the attractive-nuisance doctrine
An ATV rider is injured on undeveloped acreage the owner never gave permission to use
A hunter with permission falls from a deteriorated stand and sues the landowner
Someone dumps waste on the parcel and the owner faces a cleanup and nuisance demand
A dead tree on the land falls onto a neighbor's fence and vehicle
Why Proper Placement Matters
The common mistake is assuming an empty parcel carries no risk, so placement turns on:
Scheduling every parcel you own, since an unlisted lot has no coverage
Matching limits to the severity of a serious-injury or wrongful-death claim, not the modest premium
Access, signage, and fencing, which affect both the exposure and the defense
Whether recreational use, easements, or neighboring occupancy raise the profile
Coordinating the land liability with the umbrella that sits above it
Our Approach
At Cory Washington & Co., we cover the liability a bare parcel quietly creates — scheduling each lot you own, sizing limits to the injury claim a parcel can produce rather than the small premium it costs, and placing it standalone or as an endorsement to the program you already carry. We coordinate it with your general liability and umbrella, and with vacant building coverage where a structure sits on or near the land.
Nobody lives there — but the liability still follows you, and we build the coverage so a parcel you are simply holding never becomes a claim you absorb.
All insurance descriptions on this website are provided by Cory Washington & Co. LLC strictly for general informational purposes. They are not intended to be, and should not be relied upon as, legal, financial, or insurance advice. The information presented is general in nature and does not guarantee the availability, terms, conditions, or scope of any insurance coverage. Actual coverage is determined solely by the specific policy language issued by the insurer and remains subject to underwriting approval. Nothing on this website creates or implies an agent-client relationship, binds coverage, or alters any existing policy. Cory Washington & Co. LLC expressly disclaims any liability for actions taken, or not taken, based on the content provided here. For advice regarding your particular situation, please consult directly with a licensed insurance professional at Cory Washington & Co. LLC or another qualified insurance professional, and always review your policy documents in full.
See what to confirm in a vacant land policy — what's standard, what's often limited, and what to add if needed — plus the gap most often missed, in the Vacant Land Policy Feature Checklist.
Complete the Vacant Land Supplemental online in a few guided steps, download the fillable PDF, or browse all applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get vacant land insurance through Cory Washington & Co.?
Request a quote or contact our team. We start with a short conversation about your operations, analyze your exposures, then negotiate vacant land insurance across multiple carriers that compete for your account and present options with the trade-offs explained. Cory Washington & Co. LLC is licensed in all 50 states.
What drives the cost of vacant land insurance?
There is no flat rate. The cost of vacant land insurance reflects your industry, your size (payroll and revenue), your claims history, and the limits and deductibles you choose. We market your account to multiple carriers, compare the real quotes side by side, and explain what is driving each number so you can weigh coverage against price with confidence.
Do I need vacant land insurance?
Requirements vary. Vacant land insurance may be mandated by statute, or required under your contracts, leases, or loan agreements — and in many cases it is simply prudent given the risks involved. We look at your specific obligations and exposures, then recommend the coverage and limits that fit.
What if another agency has already declined or non-renewed my coverage?
Difficult, specialty, and previously-declined placements are a core part of our work. We access excess & surplus (E&S) and specialty markets that many generalist agencies cannot, and we explain the trade-offs clearly so you can decide with confidence.
Available in all 50 states. See how requirements differ in California, Texas, Florida, New York, or choose your state.