Mobile Hurricane Isaias Temporary Housing: Live in an RV on Your Own Lot

    By Michael Wojciak, founder, Agile RV Housing

    Updated October 7, 2026: The National Hurricane Center's 10:00 a.m. CDT advisory puts Mobile County inside the Hurricane Watch and forecasts 5 to 7 feet of storm surge in Mobile Bay (NHC Advisory 4).

    Agile RV Housing places a fully set up RV on your own lot in Mobile or anywhere in Mobile County when storm damage leaves your house unlivable. This service is for homeowners with homeowners insurance. The Loss of Use part of your policy, also called Coverage D or Additional Living Expense (ALE), usually pays for it once your adjuster approves it, and we work with your adjuster.

    Delivery is about four days from approval to move-in. The main variable is scheduling the electrical contractor. The rate is $120 to $140 a night, tax included, and our rate has not changed for the storm. Delivery and setup are priced separately for each property. We serve Mobile, Theodore, Grand Bay, Dauphin Island, and the rest of Mobile County, plus all 48 contiguous states.

    Call (614) 655-4286

    Isaias and Mobile County. At 10:00 a.m. CDT on October 7, Isaias was a tropical storm with 45 mph winds. The National Hurricane Center forecasts it to become a strong hurricane and approach the northern Gulf Coast Friday afternoon, October 9, with winds near 105 to 110 mph. Mobile County is inside both the Hurricane Watch and the Storm Surge Watch, NHC forecasts 5 to 7 feet of surge in Mobile Bay, and 3 to 6 inches of rain, locally 10, is expected Friday into the weekend. Coastwide updates are on our Hurricane Isaias temporary housing page.

    Can you live in a camper on your property in Alabama after a hurricane?

    In the City of Mobile and in unincorporated Mobile County, a homeowner whose house is unfit to live in after a hurricane can live in a camper or RV on the same lot, and the local rule sets the details.

    The City of Mobile's Unified Development Code allows an RV on the lot of a damaged single-family home for up to one year during active construction. Unincorporated Mobile County has no zoning, but a property on a septic tank needs Mobile County Health Department approval before an RV is added. Agile RV Housing checks the rule for your exact address before anything is delivered.

    City of Mobile

    The City of Mobile covers this in its Unified Development Code, Sec. 64-4-10, item 9(b), Temporary residential dwellings:

    • A manufactured home or RV may be placed on the lot of a single-family home that has become unfit to live in, while the home is repaired or rebuilt.
    • The unit has to meet setbacks and needs water and sanitary sewer hookups.
    • It can be lived in for up to one year during active construction, and the director can extend that with an active building permit.
    • The unit is vacated within 14 days after the home receives its certificate of occupancy.

    Unincorporated Mobile County (Theodore, Grand Bay, and other areas outside city limits)

    Mobile County says it directly: "There is no zoning in the unincorporated areas of Mobile County."

    The step that does apply is septic. If your property uses a septic tank, adding an RV needs approval from the Mobile County Health Department, and we start on that at the first call.

    Saraland, Semmes, Satsuma, Chickasaw, Prichard, Bayou La Batre, Dauphin Island, and other towns

    Inside another city or town limit, that town's rules apply, and they differ from town to town. Some require a permit, and some approve temporary housing on your own lot through an emergency order after a major storm.

    Those orders can come quickly. Diamondhead, Mississippi, passed a resolution authorizing campers for damaged homes six days after Hurricane Zeta in 2020. We track the current rule and check your exact address through our free zoning check.

    Lots in a flood zone

    A federal rule sits on top of the local ones. In a FEMA flood zone, an RV has to be on site fewer than 180 consecutive days, or be fully licensed and highway ready (on its wheels, with quick disconnect utilities). Otherwise it has to meet the rules for manufactured homes (44 CFR 60.3(c)(14)). We look up your flood zone when we check the property.

    Does homeowners insurance cover temporary housing in Mobile County after a hurricane?

    A Mobile County homeowners policy that includes wind coverage often pays Loss of Use when wind damage makes the house unlivable, and an RV on your own lot can be that housing once your adjuster approves it.

    Some Mobile County homes carry wind coverage through a separate Alabama Insurance Underwriting Association (AIUA) policy instead. AIUA's published rules list time element coverages, the category that includes living expenses, among the coverages it does not provide (AIUA). If your wind policy is with AIUA, ask your agent where your living expenses would come from before you plan housing.

    Three questions to ask your agent, in writing if you can:

    1. Which of my policies covers wind, and which one pays Loss of Use?
    2. What is my Loss of Use limit, in dollars and in months?
    3. How is my hurricane deductible applied to my claim?

    The deductible question matters. Under the standard ISO homeowners wording, the deductible applies to the total of all Section I loss, and Loss of Use is part of Section I. Alabama insurers apply it in different ways, so ask how yours works, including for living expenses. Our ALE coverage guide explains the limits.

    How long does loss of use coverage last?

    Under the standard ISO homeowners form, Loss of Use pays "for the shortest time required to repair or replace the damage," up to the dollar and time limits on your own policy (ISO HO 00 03). Your declarations page shows the limit.

    For a Mobile family, the practical question is how far that limit stretches. Agile RV Housing charges $120 to $140 a night, tax included, and a unit at the top of that range sleeps a family of up to five. That family would need two hotel rooms, and two rooms at typical ALE-approved rates cost more than $140 a night before meals, pet fees, and laundry. An RV on your lot draws substantially less against your ALE limit than an extended hotel stay. See what RV housing costs.

    Does flood insurance cover additional living expenses in Mobile County?

    No. A standard National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy excludes "any additional living expenses incurred while the insured building is being repaired or is unable to be occupied for any reason" (44 CFR Part 61, Appendix A(1), Section V.A.5).

    Isaias is forecast to bring both surge and hurricane winds to Mobile Bay, so one Mobile County house can have a flood claim and a wind claim. When a claim has both, the adjuster decides what each policy pays, and the wind side can still trigger Loss of Use under your homeowners policy. FEMA cannot pay for needs that insurance covers (FEMA), so insured Mobile County homeowners arrange temporary housing through their insurer. More in our flood insurance and temporary housing guide.

    Long-term RV rental in Mobile, delivered to your lot

    Agile RV Housing's long-term RV rental is housing for a Mobile homeowner whose house is being repaired after storm damage, set up on that homeowner's own lot. Loss of Use usually pays for it once your adjuster approves it. The rate is $120 to $140 a night, tax included. Delivery and setup are priced separately.

    Stays start at 60 days and then run month to month with no maximum, so you can rent an RV for six months or longer while the work gets finished. Most families stay about five months. The unit comes fully set up with a kitchen and separate sleeping space, pets are welcome, and your kids keep the same Mobile County school and bus stop.

    Temporary power pole for an RV in Mobile County

    A licensed electrical contractor installs the power for every Agile RV Housing placement in Mobile County, and we arrange that contractor for you. When utility power to the house has been cut, your electric utility and the electrician coordinate a temporary power pole on the lot.

    Scheduling that electrician is the main variable in our timeline, and delivery is about four days from approval to move-in. Agile RV Housing handles the water and sewer hookups. Inside the City of Mobile, the code requires water and sanitary sewer hookups for the unit. On a septic property in unincorporated Mobile County, the Health Department approval runs alongside the electrical work. See how RV utility setup works.

    How do you get temporary housing for an insurance claim near Mobile?

    Tell your adjuster you want an RV on your own property as your Loss of Use housing while the house is repaired, and ask for the approval in writing. An RV on your own lot is commonly approved as ALE housing even when it is not the first option offered, so a Mobile homeowner can ask after a hotel has been suggested.

    You choose who provides your temporary housing. Your insurer or its housing agency may suggest a provider, and the choice stays yours. If a temporary housing agency handles your housing, ask for Agile RV Housing by name. We are a preferred vendor with the national temporary housing agencies, including ALE Solutions, Alacrity, Sedgwick, CRS, and National Corporate Housing, and we work with all of them. You can also give your adjuster our number, (614) 655-4286, and we will work out the details with them.

    How we have done this

    Agile RV Housing has completed over 100 long-term placements in the last two years. Our founder, Michael Wojciak, has 10 years in RV rental and fleet operations, and we are a preferred vendor with the national temporary housing agencies.

    In Mobile County, that experience shows up in what we check before a unit is delivered to your lot: the city code or the septic approval, the flood zone, and where the electrical contractor can set the temporary power pole.

    Call (614) 655-4286. Give us your Mobile County address and your insurance company, and we will tell you whether your lot, your utilities, and your local rules work for an RV. You can also start with the free zoning check.

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    Frequently asked questions

    Can I live in an RV in my yard in the City of Mobile while my house is repaired?

    Yes. Under Sec. 64-4-10 of the City of Mobile's Unified Development Code, an RV can go on the lot of a single-family home made unfit to live in, with setbacks met and water and sewer connected. It can be occupied for up to one year during active construction, and the director can extend that with an active building permit.

    Do I need a permit for an RV on my land in Theodore or Grand Bay?

    Unincorporated Mobile County, which includes Theodore and Grand Bay, has no zoning, so there is no county zoning permit for an RV. If the property uses a septic tank, the Mobile County Health Department has to approve adding the RV. Agile RV Housing checks your address and handles that step with you.

    My wind coverage is through AIUA. Where would my living expenses come from?

    The Alabama Insurance Underwriting Association's published rules list time element coverages, which include living expenses, among those it does not provide. Ask your agent whether your homeowners policy pays Loss of Use when wind makes the house unlivable. If it does, an RV on your own Mobile County lot can be that housing once your adjuster approves it.

    Does an Alabama hurricane deductible reduce my Loss of Use money?

    It can. Under the standard ISO homeowners wording, the hurricane deductible applies to the total of all Section I loss, which includes Loss of Use. Alabama insurers apply it in different ways, so ask your agent how your hurricane deductible is applied to your claim.

    How long can an RV stay on my property in Mobile County?

    Agile RV Housing's minimum is 60 days, then month to month with no maximum. Inside the City of Mobile, the code allows up to one year during active construction, with extensions while a building permit is active. In a FEMA flood zone, a unit on site 180 consecutive days or more must stay licensed and highway ready.

    My Mobile house took wind and flood damage. Which policy pays for housing?

    A standard NFIP flood policy does not pay additional living expenses. When a Mobile County claim has both wind and water damage, the adjuster decides what each policy pays, and the wind side can still trigger Loss of Use under your homeowners policy. Ask your adjuster to approve an RV on your lot as that housing.

    Sources

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