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Compare your deductible and potential premium increase with the cost of repairing the damage yourself. One reason why an insurer may decline a home insurance claim is if the fence wasn’t properly maintained. Depending on how it happened, chances are your fence will be covered by your homeowners insurance. Your fences and gates are important in looking after your boundary and if they receive regular care and maintenance they can last for around 20 years. 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.
If a fence is bordering a boundary line, it may hold both properties accountable for whatever the damage is. Doing so is crucial, as your insurer may ask for proof that you were maintaining your property to a sufficient standard. Insurance policies will vary and there are often clauses detailing what the weather conditions need to have been to determine if you qualify for a claim.
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Trim dead branches or cut down diseased trees that could fall on the fence. Compensation may impact the order of which offers appear on page, but our editorial opinions and ratings are not influenced by compensation. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades.
Standard home policies exclude coverage for flood and earthquake damage. So if a tree falls on your fence because of an earthquake or flood, you’d need a separate earthquake coverage or flood insurance policy to cover it. Your fence is protected under the other structures coverage component of homeowners insurance.
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You damaging the fence in a landscaping mishap or not properly caring for the fence won’t likely get the OK from the home insurance company. That said, if someone else caused the damage or if it is a major repair, such as a neighbor’s tree falls on yoru fence, you’ll likely want to file the claim. Homeowners who need to file a claim for fence damage should begin by taking photos of the damage before they initiate any repairs or remove any debris. If the homeowner has any receipts showing the cost of the fence, they may want to submit these as well. Homeowners insurance is one of those things that you hope you never have to use but are glad to have in case something bad happens. It covers a lot of bases, from your home’s structure to your personal belongings inside.
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.
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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.
Check what your excess is - this is the amount you'll have to pay upfront before the insurer picks up the bill. All providers discussed on our site are vetted based on the value they provide. And we constantly review our criteria to ensure we’re putting accuracy first. Founded in 1976, Bankrate has a long track record of helping people make smart financial choices.
It depends on your specific policy and what type of damage was done to the fence. In this blog post, we will explore the different scenarios in which fences may or may not be covered by homeowners insurance. If your fence catches fire and burns down or is vandalized by an angry stranger, both instances should be covered by your homeowners insurance policy. Ditto if your fence gets knocked over by heavy winds during a storm.
However, if the damage is caused by wear and tear or lack of upkeep, it’s likely not covered. No matter the cause of the damage to the fence, you’ll be responsible for the deductible. It’s also important to note that filing claims may also raise your insurance premium. If the cost of the repairs exceeds the deductible cost, it makes financial sense to file the claim.
You’ll also always be at a bit of a loss when repairing your fence after it’s depreciated in value. Keeping your fence in the best condition you can will help to retain its value as much as possible. Your fence gets damaged by covered storms or natural disasters (e.g., windstorms, hail, lightning, and fires).
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.
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