Although it may not be at the top of the list when comparing policies, a good question to ask is, “is my fence covered by homeowners insurance?” The simple answer is yes, although coverage will vary by policy and company. Your fence falls under the “other structures” coverage and will be covered, depending on the cause of the damage. If the fence is damaged from storms, trees falling, or vandalism, your insurance company likely covers it. Things like unfortunate landscaping decisions and dents from mowing the lawn will not be covered. The homeowners policy will only reimburse up to the fence’s current cash value, so keep that in mind. This is because fences lose value over time, similarly to vehicles. Also, most insurance companies cover fence damage only up to a certain amount of your total coverage (usually 10%).
Damage scenarios and their coverage
Some situations, like vandalism and storms, were discussed in the intro. To further explore the question, “can you claim for a fence on house insurance?”, let’s look at other scenarios. If your neighbor’s tree falls on your fence, file the claim with your insurance company. It doesn’t matter who owns the tree. If the claims adjuster finds evidence that your neighbor overlooked basic maintenance or ignored disease, your insurance company may try to recover its costs from the other company. Similarly, if your own tree damages your fence, contact your insurance company. They may also help with removing the debris. If your fence is vandalized, struck by a vehicle, or damaged by covered storms (lightning, fire, hail, and windstorms), you’re covered. Damage by fungus, mold, insects, mudslides, floods, earthquakes, and sewer backups is not covered.
Actions to take before filing
Just like you would with damage done to your house, take pictures before you clean or move anything. Your insurance company will look for proof that the fence was destroyed due to vandalism, natural causes, or a driving accident. It helps if you can provide a police report for vandalism or reckless driving. The next step is to call a contractor to get an estimate of repairs for your fence. It might make sense to pay for the repairs yourself if the total cost of the estimate for repairing the fence is less than the cost of your insurance deductible. If you decide it does make financial sense to file a claim, look over the "other structures" coverage in your homeowners policy. This section will help you answer, “does homeowners insurance cover fences?”
Actions to take when filing
Contact your agent for help filing an insurance claim once you have pictures of the damage to your fence and an estimate for the cost of repairing it. You will be asked a few questions, mainly to see if your deductible or cost of repair is higher. Then, you will be asked to fill out claim forms. After that, an insurance adjuster will assess the damage and tell what damage is covered. Point out damage the adjuster misses, providing photos and the police report at this time. If you feel they're not offering enough reimbursement, state that. Having the estimate from your contractor is helpful. The company must tell you why the claim was denied or why the payout is low. You can have another adjuster come out for a second opinion. Upon reaching a settlement, the company may give partial payment before the repairs and the rest after.