Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Fences? The Ascent

Table of Content

• Am I covered if a tree falls on my fence?
• When is fence damage not covered by homeowners insurance?
• Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Vandalism?
• Better Insurance. They Shop You Save.
• Is a fence automatically covered under insurance?
• How do you file a claim for fence damage?

In fact, storm damage to gates and fences is a common exclusion. Not only can an insurer drop you after a single claim, it can drop you before you make any claims at all. Even asking about coverage but not filing it can be enough to panic an insurer into dropping you.

Your homeowners insurance company holds you responsible for performing the required maintenance around your home. It’s always a good idea to check with your insurance company to see what exactly is covered under your policy. That way, you’ll know what to expect if you ever need to file a claim.

Am I covered if a tree falls on my fence?

Review your policy specifics to see if you should seek out a windstorm insurance endorsement or your policy may already include a separate windstorm deductible for named storms. A “hurricane deductible” is typically 1 percent to 5 percent of your home’s insured value. Whether the tree was on your property or your neighbors, you can file a claim through your home insurance, since it was your property that was damaged. If your neighbor crashes their car into your fence, you’ll most likely be covered. However, it’s usually better to file the claim with the driver’s car insurance in this situation. After the accident, exchange insurance information with the driver — they’ll pay the damages with their liability car insurance.

Whether or not your fence is covered comes down to the small print and type of damage you're claiming for. IF your garden fence falls down, you might assume it's covered by your home insurance - but this isn't always the case. The Ascent is a Motley Fool service that rates and reviews essential products for your everyday money matters. We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.

When is fence damage not covered by homeowners insurance?

The resulting damage to your battered fence will likely be covered, but hopefully you and your neighbor are both taking steps to minimize the risk of tree damage to your property. It’s important to know the cause of your fence’s damage in order to understand if your insurance company would cover you or not. Your yard is a sanctuary — a place for relaxing, playing or letting the dog out. Damage to a fence is an annoyance that can take away from your space — luckily, Hippo can help restore your yard to its full potential by facilitating fence repairs painlessly and quickly.

You need to take pictures on several angles of the damaged area. Make sure the pictures you take will show what caused the damages. For vandalism and car damage (by other people’s car, of course), it may be supported by a police report. Call the police — If vandalism or a car collision was the reason for the damage, make sure to call the local police department and get a police report filed. A copy of this report should be filed with your insurance claim.

Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Vandalism?

We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money. All of our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts, who ensure everything we publish is objective, accurate and trustworthy. Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Discover. What home renovations can change the amount of coverage you need? We cover six common scenarios that could affect your insurance, so you can plan ahead.

If your home insurance company finds that the fence was already falling apart because you were not maintaining it properly, coverage might be denied. Kacie Goff is a personal finance and insurance writer with over seven years of experience covering personal and commercial coverage options. She writes for Bankrate, The Simple Dollar, NextAdvisor, Varo Money, Coverage, Best Credit Cards and more. She's covered a broad range of policy types — including less-talked-about coverages like wrap insurance and E&O — and she specializes in auto, homeowners and life insurance.

Better Insurance. They Shop You Save.

Similarly, if you own the tree but you hadn’t taken steps to maintain and ensure its safety before it fell, it’s unlikely your insurance policy will pay out. The first step before making a home insurance claim is to make sure everyone is safe. If you need temporary fencing installed or emergency repairs done to make you and your household safe, let us know when you make your claim and we can organise a professional to come out ASAP. Fences – like all other parts of the home – aren’t covered if they weren’t in good condition or in an obvious state of disrepair before the loss or damage you’re claiming for occurred. We also don’t cover wear, tear or deterioration, and some losses where home extensions, alterations or renovations aren’t complete.

An Act of God is an accident or event resulting from natural causes without human intervention, and one that could not have been prevented by reasonable foresight or care. For example, insurance companies often consider a flood, earthquake or storm to be an Act of God. Having trees checked regularly and dead wood removed is the most responsible – and wisest – thing you can therefore do.

Is a fence automatically covered under insurance?

After the accident, call the police and exchange insurance information with the driver. Since they’re at fault, they may pay you for the damages through their car insurance. Well, the standard homeowners insurance policy will cover your fence, so you don’t have to worry about that. The only thing to keep in mind is that there’s unfortunately no insurance policy that’ll ever pay for your fence’s full replacement value up to its original cost.

Wind-related damage caused by storms or tornadoes, as well as damage caused by other covered disasters, will be covered by your insurance. If the cost of repairing your fence costs less than your deductible, you won't be able to file a claim. Whether or not your fence is covered will depend on what caused the damage in the first place. After giving them details of the incident, they will send you forms which you need to fill out for your insurance claim.

Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Fences?

Table of Content

• Does Home Insurance Cover Fences?
• What kind of fence damage is covered by home insurance?
• If Your Neighbor’s Tree Falls on Your Fence
• Garden insurance
• Does home insurance cover my fences and gates?
• How do you file a claim for fence damage?

If a tree on your neighbor’s property – or some of its limbs – falls onto your fence and damages it, you may wonder how to deal with that damage. A standard homeowners insurance policy typically covers your fence if it is damaged by a sudden peril, like storms, fallen trees, or vandalism. However, your homeowners insurance policy will pay for repair costs up to the fence’s current cash value, not for the full replacement value of the fence’s original cost. Like cars, fences depreciate in value over time, due to wear and tear from being outdoors. Fences fall under the “other structures” coverage section of a standard homeowners insurance policy.

Let us talk about everything there is to know regarding this topic. So if your fence gets damaged by vandals or graffitied, your policy could pay out for the necessary repairs . Generally, if your tree falls onto your neighbor’s fence and causes damage, it would usually be covered by your neighbor’s insurance policy. Below, we’ll take a deep dive into the world of fences as they relate to your homeowners insurance. We’ll clarify which fence-related scenarios are likely covered by your insurance, and when you’ll have to pay for repair costs yourself. Once the damage has been assessed, you’ll want to determine whether or not it makes financial sense to file the claim.

Does Home Insurance Cover Fences?

So it's important to read the small print on your paperwork to fully understand what is covered before claiming. Your coverage will not only depend on your insurer but also your specific policy. Many insurers require the gusts to have reached a certain windspeed or for rainfall to have got to a minimum level in your postcode before they'll pay out. And while you might assume that your insurer will cover the damage, this isn't always true.

Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team. For example, if the home itself is insured for $250,000, the fence and other dwellings on the property would be covered up to $25,000. In both cases, you would still have a deductible apply in the event of the claim. This means that the deductible amount you chose will be deducted from your insurance provider’s claim payout amount. Our insurance team is composed of agents, data analysts, and customers like you.

What kind of fence damage is covered by home insurance?

If that’s the case, you likely need to purchase windstorm insurance. Generally, fences are considered other structures and are insured for up to 10% of your house's coverage limit. Most insurance companies apply depreciation to how much they'll pay to repair or replace a fence and your deductible will apply. Before filing a home insurance claim for fence damage, homeowners should take photos of the damage.

For information on more ways Hippo can help protect you and your home, get a home insurance quote today. There are a few other common scenarios in which your fence could be damaged, like by falling objects, but whether or not the fence would be covered is circumstantial. When getting a homeowners insurance, always remember to read all documents before you agree to by signing it.

If Your Neighbor’s Tree Falls on Your Fence

However, the average cost of homeowners insurance is $1,000 per year. To check if your homeowners policy has sufficient coverage or to get a quote from Travelers for homeowners coverage, contact yourlocal independent agent or Travelers representative. Trees can present a particularly significant danger during a storm. In all cases, keep in mind that you’d be responsible for your deductible before receiving any additional claim compensation. That means if your fence damage is minor, and the costs are less than your deductible, you’d be responsible for handling them out-of-pocket.

If you need to claim for any damage, typically covering the cost of this will fall under the car driver’s insurance. If the tree is on your property and it fell because of storm damage then, depending on your policy, you may not be covered. For example, your fence may initially be covered on your policy but not if it has been damaged in a storm, which is unfortunate for thousands of Brits whose fences were torn apart in Storm Eunice. If a fence isn't properly maintained and falls down or is devoured by termites, the homeowner is generally responsible for paying for the repairs. Bankrate is compensated in exchange for featured placement of sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website.

It’s natural behavior to immediately wonder if you can file for damages to your property when it happens. Filing an insurance claim, however, isn’t always the best route to go. Fence repair should be covered as long as your homeowners policy covers that peril or cause of the loss. Any vandalism damage that’s made to your fence or gates will fall under your buildings insurance. Yes, most home insurance policies will cover you for vandalism or malicious damage, even when you don’t know who the culprit is. You’ll be required to pay the excess if you want your insurance to help cover the costs of the repairs though.

If the cost of the repairs is lower than your deductible, you may want to pay out of pocket for the repairs to avoid higher insurance premiums in the future. If your neighbor’s tree falls on your fence, you’ll still file the claim with your own insurance company. Your insurance provider will open an investigation into why the tree fell. If the decision is that the tree fell due to your neighbor’s neglect, your insurance company will then work to get payment on your behalf. A standard homeowners insurance policy covers your fence under pretty much all the same scenarios as it does the rest of your property, or the actual dwelling of the home itself. Again, coverage will reimburse up to the fence’s current cash value.

Does home insurance cover my fences and gates?

Keep in mind, however, a homeowners claim involving a dilapidated fence might not get covered. The fence needs to have been in a good state of repair before the incident. A storm or tornado damaging your fence will likely get covered. A healthy tree falls on your fence should get covered if you file a claim.

Her work has appeared in MarketWatch, CNBC, PBS, Inverse, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and more. Save your receipts — If the damage is so severe that it needs emergency repair, save all receipts to submit to your insurance company after the fact. Call your agent — Alert your insurance agent or insurance company. They will walk you through every step of the way and should be able to answer any questions you have. As is the case with any insurance claim you file, you need to get every detail correct so that you can present a full picture and get the full extent of what you are owed.