Your home insurance covers the house itself. But how far beyond the walls of your home does that policy extend? If something happens to your fence or your lawn, are you covered? Here's what you need to know:
- Outdoor property — such as fences and sheds — are generally going to be covered. You'll want to check your insurance policy, and you'll want to keep them up to date on new structures. But structures outside of the home are generally covered the same as the home itself.
- Outdoor property is covered under the same "protected perils" as the home itself.
- Natural property —such as a lawn or shrubs — may be covered. But, many of the most common risks to a lawn are generally not covered by a typical policy. If you lose a stretch of lawn to vandalism or fire, you're probably covered. But you might not be when it comes to pests and severe weather.
- Removing a fallen tree is generally only going to be covered if it falls on protected property. That is, if it lands on a fence and destroys it. Otherwise, the homeowner may be expected to pay for the removal of the tree.
- As with any other area of home insurance, damages won't be covered when they owe to homeowner negligence. If you put off the felling of a rotting tree and it falls on your shed, you likely won't be able to collect an insurance payout for the damages.
- Home insurance may cover the typical homeowner's exterior property, but there are going to be limits if you own a lot of land. If your home qualifies as a farm or a ranch, you can't expect your homeowners policy to cover your livestock or crops, and will need to seek an insurance provider who specializes in farm policies.
- Liability policies will generally extend beyond the walls of the house. Some of the most common liability cases involve slips on front steps and dog bites in the yard, so liability protection won't be of much use if it doesn't cover the yard, driveway and path.
The building is the house, but the home is the entire stretch of property, from front fence to back fence. Most home insurance policies will be written to reflect this.
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