Does homeowners insurance cover fences?

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Homeowners insurance offers coverage for fence damage as long as the incident is not a result of the owner’s negligence. For instance, your insurance policy will pay for the repair if a well-maintained tree falls on a fence during a hurricane or a bad rainstorm.

But if the tree that caused damage to the fence was diseased or poorly maintained, then your insurer may refuse to cover the damage.

Whether home insurance covers the damaged fence depends on how it happened and what caused the damage.

Read on to learn more.

Key Takeaways

Insurance companies generally approve claims for fence damages connected to a covered peril.
One reason why an insurer may decline a home insurance claim is if the fence wasn’t properly maintained.
The ceiling amount for outdoor structures coverage runs around 10% of your total policy.
Normal wear and tear isn’t usually covered by home insurance.

What part of a homeowners insurance policy covers fences?

Fences are covered under the other structures part of a home insurance policy.

“Other structures on your property are typically covered for the same perils as your home. So if your dwelling coverage includes risks like theft, fire, falling objects and vandalism, your fence would likely be covered for those, too,” according to Allstate.

How much fence damage does home insurance cover?

Most policies cover other structures generally for about 10% of the dwelling insurance, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Consider your dwelling coverage was $500,000. That would apply to your house and other structures. With the 10% guideline, that would mean you have $50,000 in other structures coverage to put toward fences, gazebos, detached garages or sheds, among other items.

When does homeowners insurance cover fences?

Fence repair should be covered as long as your homeowners policy covers that peril or cause of the loss. Below are some of the common causes of fence damage that your home insurance policy covers:

Vandalism
Fire
Theft
Falling trees
Weather-related (as long as you maintain the proper upkeep of your property before the peril)
Car collision

Depending on the damage, you’ll also receive coverage for debris removal.

When doesn’t homeowners insurance fence damage?

If a flood or earthquake damages your fence, it won’t be covered by your homeowners insurance policy. In that situation, you would need to purchase a separate flood insurance or earthquake insurance policy to be compensated for the damage.

How do you file a fence damage claim?

Here are the steps to file a fence damage claim if the damage is caused by a storm, a tree that fell or other covered perils.

Document the damage: Take photos and note down the time of the incident. Your insurer will probably take their own pictures, but it is good to take photos or a video right after the damage.

Get an estimate for the repair cost: You might need to get an estimate of the damage before you file a claim. If the estimate is higher than your deductible, it might be worth it to file the claim for the fence damage.

Call your insurance company: After getting the estimate, call your insurance company to file a homeowners insurance claim.

Coordinate with the insurance adjuster: Your insurance company will send an insurance adjuster to inspect the damage and see what needs to be repaired. After the inspection, the insurer will tell you how much money they will give you to cover the damage.

Save your receipts: If the damage is so severe that it needs emergency repair, save all receipts to submit to your insurance company.

If you think the insurance company is not offering enough to fix the damage, you can try to negotiate with them. Once you agree on a settlement, you can use that money to repair the fence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I claim a broken fence on home insurance?

Whether homeowners insurance covers fence damage depends on how the fence was broken.

A storm or tornado damaging your fence will likely get covered. A healthy tree that falls on your fence should get covered if you file a claim. You damaging the fence in a landscaping mishap or not properly caring for the fence won’t likely be covered by your policy.

Is a blown over fence covered by homeowners insurance?

Your homeowners insurance policy will cover a blown-over fence as long as wind damage isn’t excluded from your insurance policy. However, the fence should have been in a good state before the incident.

What happens if a neighbor’s tree fell on your fence?

You can file a claim with your insurance company if a neighbor’s tree falls on your fence, according to Insurance Information Institute. Your insurer will try to collect from the neighbor’s insurance company if the neighbor’s tree is accountable for the damage.

Sources:

Allstate.“What is other structures coverage in a homeowners insurance policy?” Accessed January 2023.

Insurance Information Institute.“What is covered by standard homeowners insurance?” Accessed January 2023.

Progressive.“Does homeowners insurance cover fences?” Accessed January 2023.

Insurance Information Institute.“If a tree falls on your house, are you covered?” Accessed January 2023.

Shivani Gite

Contributing Writer

Shivani Gite is a personal finance and insurance writer with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She is passionate about making insurance topics easy to understand for people and helping them make better financial decisions.