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For vandalism and car damage (by other people’s car, of course), it may be supported by a police report. 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. As its name suggests, this coverage extends to structures on your property that are not attached to your house. That could be a fully finished detached garage or a simple backyard shed.
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. Your homeowners insurance will cover the costs of damage to your fence, depending on the cause of the damage. The "other structures" coverage in your home insurance policy covers damage to your fence from storms and vandalism, but not from the dings of a lawnmower or landscaping gone wrong.
A car hit the fence
So in the case of a windstorm, your fallen fence is likely covered. So if your neighbor’s tree fell on your fence, they are liable for the repairs, either directly, or for recouped costs. Your homeowners insurance will include dwelling insurance to cover the cost of rebuilding your home itself. However, you will need the additional coverage offered by detached structures insurance to cover storage sheds and other construction. This coverage is usually included with most standard home insurance policies. If a storm causes the wind to knock down or damage your fence, your homeowners insurance policy will cover the damage up to your coverage limits.
Before you tackle any repairs or clean up, take pictures of the fence. Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers. Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that we’re putting your interests first.
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This means that your insurance provider will deduct the amount of your chosen deductible from the payout amount. But if you live in a coastal area, especially if you get a lot of hurricanes, your policy might exclude windstorms. Review your policy specifics to see if you should seek out a windstorm insurance endorsement or a separate windstorm policy. 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.
Any hold up on your end could mean a delay on the insurance company’s end. With the wild weather over the past couple of years, it’s safe to say more than a few fences have taken a hit from Mother Nature. Ashlee, a former managing editor, insurance, at QuinStreet, is a journalist and business professional. She has more than 15 years of hands-on experience in the finance industry.
What kind of fence damage is covered by home insurance?
Whether the tree was on your property or your neighbors, you can file a claim through your home insurance, according to the Triple-I. You purchase home insurance to help financially protect you against the cost of repairs if your house gets damaged by life’s what-ifs. The good news is that your policy extends coverage well beyond the walls of your home, too.
Police may be filed in cases when your fence was vandalized or damaged by a neighbor’s or other people’s car. For example, a neighbor or anybody for that matter goes out of his mind and runs amok. A hurricane deductible that applies to damage caused by a named storm. So, having your trees checked regularly and removing any dead wood is the best thing you can do to help prevent damage or having to make a claim. 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. Home insurance does not cover wear and tear on your fence or other parts of your home.
This depends on a few factors, but home insurance will typically cover you if your fence is damaged by falling trees or branches. Although to make sure you’ll need to check the exclusions on your cover as policies do vary. You’ll need to check your documentation, but most standard home insurance policies will include some level of protection for structural elements outside, like fences, gates and sheds. So, supposed that you have $150,000 worth of dwelling insurance in your homeowners policy. Your other structures coverage is likely only to be 10% of that limit, or $15,000.
Filing an insurance claim, however, isn’t always the best route to go. One reason why an insurer may decline a home insurance claim is if the fence wasn’t properly maintained. After giving them details of the incident, they will send you forms which you need to fill out for your insurance claim. You’ll need to have the driver’s name, address, registration number and, if possible, their insurance details. You should take photographs of the scene and report the incident to the police, you’ll also need to let your home insurance provider know.
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.
Wood rot in a fence is typically only covered when it’s caused by a covered peril. A car careening through your fence may seem unlikely, but it does happen. This situation can be covered by either your home insurance or by the driver’s auto insurance. But what if a giant wind or heavy snow causes your neighbor’s tree to fall on your fence? Fences are a valuable, attractive and useful part of your property.
However, as we mentioned before, if there’s a heavy storm and wind causes damage to your fence, that would be covered. 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. Many home insurance policies provide coverage for damage caused by a hailstorm or windstorm.
The same goes for damage caused by a neighbor who is pruning their trees. If you file that claim on your policy, then your insurer may look to get compensated by your neighbor’s insurance company. Ask what sort of policy coverage is available for your privacy or other fence and how it would affect your monthly premium.
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