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Termites and insect damage, bird or rodent damage, rust, rot, mold, and general wear and tear are not covered. Damage caused by smog or smoke from industrial or agricultural operations is also not covered. If something is poorly made or has a hidden defect, this is generally excluded and won't be covered. While making a claim will not affect your current premium, the frequency of claims will affect your peril score. A variety of opinions exists on what is a safe frequency to file claims without increasing your rates, but generally, one or two claims per decade should not increase your premiums unexpectedly. Regardless, Sarah recommends carrying out general maintenance to your fence often, as wear and tear is usually excluded from policies.
Our editors and reporters thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate. We maintain a firewall between our advertisers and our editorial team. Our editorial team does not receive direct compensation from our advertisers. Protect your home the way it protects you by choosing the property insurance coverage that meets your needs.
Does Home Insurance Cover Fences?
The protection you get from your home insurance policy depends heavily on what caused the damage to the fence. As such, it can be helpful to review and understand your homeowners insurance policy details. To help you do that, Bankrate has summarized below the key things to know about home insurance coverage for fences. A standard home insurance policy provides you with other structures coverage, typically 10 percent of your overall dwelling coverage. So if your dwelling is insured for $400,000, you would usually have $40,000 in other structures coverage that can go toward things like fence repairs if damaged from a covered claim. The specific amount of other structures coverage is listed on the declaration page of your homeowners policy.
Most states require drivers to carry liability insurance, which pays to repair others' property the driver damages in an accident, among other things. Typically, the driver's policy would cover damages to the fence. But a homeowner may still file a fence damage claim with their insurer. Their insurance company may pay out and go after the driver for reimbursement. If a neighbor's tree falls on a policyholder's fence, the policyholder can file an insurance claim with their own insurance company.
What kind of fence damage is covered by home insurance?
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We do our best to ensure that this information is up-to-date and accurate. Any insurance policy premium quotes or ranges displayed are non-binding. The final insurance policy premium for any policy is determined by the underwriting insurance company following application. After negotiations, once you and your insurer agree upon the amount, then it is time for them to pay you. Payment may be done if full, meaning the whole amount of the claim will be given to you right away. It may also be done partially, part outright and the balance after the repairs on the damaged fence is done.
If Your Neighbor’s Tree Falls on Your Fence
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.
As is frequently the case, if a fence isn’t correctly maintained, it will likely begin to rot and become more vulnerable to damage from the elements. Be aware that this type of coverage does not include wear and tear, so damage that is caused by slack maintenance will not be covered. So in this instance, you will not have to be concerned about paying more than your deductible to cover the damage. Fences are covered under a home insurance policy's other structures coverage. Items covered under this policy are usually covered up to 10% of the policy's dwelling coverage. If your fence happens to collect rain and breaks under its weight, your homeowners insurance won’t cover the damage.
If a neighbor’s rotten tree falls on your fence, then they will be accountable for it. Usually, your neighbor will assume 50% of the damage, because of a fence as a boundary between your properties. There are storms which can be strong enough to destroy your fence. If there is a storm, and your fence gets damaged because of it, then your homeowners insurance can cover it.
Hippo is there every step of the way to make the process as quick and easy as possible. For Hippo customers, all you need to do is take photos of the damage as soon as possible and then call Hippo, who will set up a contractor appointment to assess the damage. If the damage was due to reckless driving or vandalism, you’d also want to contact the police to file a report. Hurricanes and floods have coverage under their own plans, so damage to a fence from a flood wouldn’t be covered under a standard policy.
This may include structures like a fully finished detached garage or a simple backyard shed, and may also include coverage for in-ground pools, driveways and gazebos. Bankrate’s editorial team writes on behalf of YOU – the reader. Our goal is to give you the best advice to help you make smart personal finance decisions. We follow strict guidelines to ensure that our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers.
Before you can get homeowners insurance, you must first purchase a home. Once you have done so, you will then need to find an insurance policy that fits your needs and budget. There are many different types of homeowners insurance policies available, so it is important to do your research before selecting one. Did your healthy tree collapse due to ‘natural’ reasons, such as a heavy windstorm?
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