Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Fences?

Standard homeowners insurance policies provide coverage for other structures in your home. These include fences, sheds, garages and other detached structures.

Fences receive Coverage B protection under your dwelling coverage. The cost of coverage for other structures is capped at 10% of your total policy coverage. Therefore, if your homeowners policy has a coverage limit of $250,000, your maximum coverage for other structures like fences would be $25,000.

The dwelling coverage from your homeowners policy covers fence damage, but this is subject to coverage limits. It is crucial to understand the perils covered to know what type of fence damage will be paid for by your policy.

Any damage to your fence caused by covered perils should be paid for by homeowners insurance. For instance, if your fence is vandalized or someone crashes their car into it, your insurer will reimburse you for the damage.

You will also be covered if strong wind knocks down your fence during a storm. Additionally, your homeowners policy should cover fence damage caused by trees, provided the tree was in good health and not considered a preventable hazard.

Homeowners insurance doesn’t cover fences if non-covered perils, like earthquakes or floods, cause the damage. For any peril excluded from your homeowners policy, the insurer will not compensate you if it causes damage to your fence.

If your fence is damaged due to natural wear and tear or causes such as mold or termites, your homeowners policy will not cover this type of damage. In case of tree damage, if a tree in your yard is unhealthy or old and ends up falling on your fence, you will not be compensated since that is considered a preventable occurrence.

Your homeowners insurance covers fences, but the coverage is subject to your policy limits and only applies to specified perils. Safeguarding your fence can help you avoid unnecessary damage and limit your losses due to uncovered perils.

You can purchase homeowners insurance from major insurers such as State Farm. Smaller insurance companies such as Hippo also sell homeowners insurance policies.

It is important to shop around and compare homeowners insurance quotes and coverage benefits to get the best coverage for your needs. On average, homeowners insurance will cost you $175 per month, but this varies depending on factors like the value of your personal property.

Use MoneyGeek’s personal property calculator to compare homeowners insurance rates for different coverage levels.