Donate a floating home
A floating home sits between a boat and a house, and the paperwork depends on which one your state and your moorage treat it as. We work through the moorage, the utilities, and any association or marina approval with you before anything moves.
Floating homes we accept
Is my floating home worth donating?
Floating homes can carry significant value, and much of it may depend on the moorage. A home on an owned or long-term leased slip in an established community is a very different donation from a home that has to be moved.
We look at the float (log, concrete, or foam, and its condition), the structure, the utilities, and the moorage terms. A recent float inspection or survey is very helpful.
Floating homes are complex, so we review each one individually and tell you honestly whether a donation works.
Not sure? Call (888) 228-7320 and describe it. That is often the fastest answer.
How a floating home donation works
A floating home is rarely picked up at all. The work is in the paperwork and approvals. Pickup is free, and timing depends on both sides' availability: sometimes a couple of days, sometimes a couple of weeks.
Paperwork for a floating home
Depending on your state and your home, the transfer may be a vessel title, a manufactured-home style title, or a deed, and it may involve county property taxes. We confirm which applies before anything is signed.
If the home is treated as real property, our sister program Real Estate with Causes may handle part of the transfer. Either way, you work with one team.
State-by-state rules are in our state guides. Lost the title? Read donating a boat without a title.
The tax deduction
If your floating home is treated as a vessel, the boat donation rules usually apply and the deduction is generally the sale price on Form 1098-C. If it is treated as real property, different rules apply and a qualified appraisal is typically required above $5,000.
This is an area to review carefully with your own tax advisor. Our tax guide covers the vessel rules.
We do not provide tax or legal advice. Consult your own advisor.
Read the tax guideWhere floating homes are common
Floating-home communities are concentrated in Washington (Seattle's Lake Union and Portage Bay), Oregon (the Columbia and Willamette rivers around Portland), California (Sausalito and the Sacramento Delta), and in smaller numbers on lakes and rivers across the country.
Not on the list? These are just the places we hear from most. We accept floating homes anywhere in the country, on any river, lake, or harbor, whatever the builder, age, or float type. A donation depends on the home's condition, the moorage, and the paperwork, so tell us about yours on the form even if your area is not named here.
Floating home donation questions
Is a floating home a boat or a house for donation purposes?
It depends on your state and how the home is recorded. Some are titled as vessels, and others are taxed and transferred like real property. We confirm which one applies at the start.
My moorage is leased. Can the lease transfer?
Sometimes. Many leases require the landlord or association to approve a new tenant. We review the lease terms with you early because they shape the donation.
Do I need to move out before the donation?
Before the transfer date, yes. We agree on a timeline that works for you, and the home stays insured and connected until then.
Start your floating home donation
Takes about three minutes. Your best guesses are fine, or call (888) 228-7320.
Free pickup by our trusted transport team · We handle title transfer and tax paperwork · No cost to you