The Piper PA-28 family has been a mainstay in flight schools and private hangars since 1961. Learn what impacts your insurance costs for these popular aircraft, from pilot experience to storage choices, with real premium examples from 2025 policies.
Since its 1961 debut, Piper's PA-28 family—Cherokee, Warrior, Archer and their Arrow/Pathfinder cousins—has supplied more than 32,000 airframes to flight schools and private owners worldwide. Fixed gear, a constant-chord wing and cabin-wide doors make the PA-28 forgiving to fly and friendly to maintain. Horsepower spans 140-hp trainers to 235-hp cross-country machines, but each shares the same insurance DNA: four seats, simple systems and steady demand.
What Drives a PA-28 Premium?
SkyWatch quotes hinge on the same five levers highlighted in our master article—hours on make & model, pilot credentials, storage, liability limit and claims history.
The table below shows how those factors combine on five real 2025 Skywatch Cherokee-series policies.
Key insights from the sample
- Hours on make & model still lead the parade: the ATP with 800 recent Cherokee hours pays ≈ $880, while a 20-hour student sits near $1,250 despite similar hull value.
- Training multiplies proficiency: instrument-rated/commercial pilots trend hundreds below student or private-only peers at like limits.
- Storage matters but can't outrun hours: hangaring the 150-hp student cuts hail risk, yet low hours keep that premium above the tie-down ATP.
- Higher-horsepower, newer airframes (115k hull) push the baseline up, but strong recency keeps them competitive (≈ $1,550).
For a deeper look at each pricing lever—hours, ratings, storage, liability and claims—see "5 Data-Backed Factors That Shape Your Light-Aircraft Insurance Premium."
Common Claim Patterns on PA-28s
- Nose-wheel collapses on soft turf or over-braked landings (fixed-gear Cherokees).
- Hangar-rash wingtip dents while maneuvering in tight T-hangars.
- Gear-up or gear-partial-extension landings on retractable Arrow/R-series variants.
Staying ahead of these patterns keeps your loss record spotless and renewal options wide open.
Get a Personal Quote in 90 Seconds
SkyWatch acts as your digital broker: enter your PA-28 details, connect a digital logbook and pick your liability limit. You'll see a live quote in about 90 seconds—no phone tag, no paperwork. If you lease hangar space, confirm the operator's insurance covers fire, flood and ramp liability; a sturdy roof is great protection, a well-insured roof is even better.
