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Kara McGinley is a former senior editor and licensed home insurance expert at Policygenius, where she specialized in homeowners and renters insurance. As a journalist and as an insurance expert, her work and insights have been featured in Forbes Advisor, Kiplinger, Lifehacker, MSN, WRAL.com, and elsewhere. Few things are more inviting than a swimming pool on a hot summer day.
Any insurance policy premium quotes or ranges displayed are non-binding. The final insurance policy premium for any policy is determined by the underwriting insurance company following application. When you file a claim, you first have to pay your deductible, which is the amount you’re responsible for paying out of pocket before insurance kicks in. You won’t be able to file a claim if the cost of repairing your fence is less than your deductible. 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.
If a Tree Falls on Your Fence
The amount of coverage you have for structures other than your main dwelling is usually capped at 10% of your total policy coverage. For example, if you have $200,000 of coverage on your house, the "other structures" coverage will be capped at $20,000, meaning a maximum of $20,000 of damage will be reimbursed by your insurer. Whether home insurance will cover fence damage or not depends on how it was broken. Would it cost you more to pay the deductible and the long-term premium increase than it would to just fix the repairs out of your own pocket? Compare your deductible and potential premium increase with the cost of repairing the damage yourself. Fences are expensive, but is this damage so extensive that you couldn’t afford to pay out-of-pocket?
Insurance companies generally approve claims for fence damages connected to a covered peril. Depending on how it happened, chances are your fence will be covered by your homeowners insurance. Policygenius Inc. (“Policygenius”), a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in New York, New York, is a licensed independent insurance broker. The information provided on this site has been developed by Policygenius for general informational and educational purposes. We do our best to ensure that this information is up-to-date and accurate.
Here’s How To Secure The Perimeter of Your Property
At Insure.com, we are committed to providing honest and reliable information so that you can make the best financial decisions for you and your family. All of our content is written and reviewed by industry professionals and insurance experts. We maintain strict editorial independence from insurance companies to maintain our editorial integrity, so our recommendations are unbiased and are based on a comprehensive list of criteria. Other structures like your fence are typically insured for up to 10% of your dwelling coverage limit . For example, say your house is insured for $500,000, then you’d have a $50,000 claim limit for other structures like your fence. If the fallen tree was on your neighbor’s property, you should still file a claim with your insurance company, according to the Insurance Information Institute .
Contact the best fence company today if you are interested in a privacy fence for your pool, pets, or home security needs. A fence from Long Fence not only keeps a homeowner’s pet inside of a designated perimeter, it also assists in keeping unwanted, stray animals out of yard. This is better protection for all, especially homes with young children or a prized fruit and vegetable garden. However, if the tree doesn’t damage a covered building, your insurance company may not help cover the cost for damages or removal. That tree should have been well-maintained to get the home insurance provider to pay for the damage.
Risks Faced by Homeowners
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. Fences are covered under the Other Structures part of a home insurance policy. Never overpay for car insurance Jerry automatically shops for your insurance before every renewal. One of the major issues with an invisible dog fence is that large dogs may ignore the shock if they are motivated enough. In addition, wires and electrical currents can be interrupted, causing disarmament to the fence. This can be worrisome, especially if you are relying on the shock as a deterrent rather than the actual training.
By monitoring your property with security cameras, you can be quickly alerted to any potential intruders and take appropriate action. Modern systems can transmit to a base monitoring system or handily alert you via smartphone or other device notifications. While stone walls offer good security and privacy, not to mention considerable protection against gunfire, they are also one of the most expensive and slow-to-build fence options available. Chain link fences are a popular choice for security fencing, as they are sturdy and difficult to breach.
Wholeheartedly weigh the cost of replacing the fence versus the potential rate increase due to a new claim submission. There are some carriers that are more likely to lower your rates with the addition of a fence. This is something you should look into with your current insurance provider. So you won’t have to worry about paying more than your deductible to cover the damage. Your homeowners insurance will cover the costs of damage to your fence, depending on the cause of the damage.
Another option is to install security features in such a way that they are too hard to reach or difficult to damage. This will prevent criminals and thieves from damaging your property without fear of repercussion. Access control systems allow you to restrict access to your property interior by unauthorized individuals while easing the passage of family members and visitors. By installing an alarm system, you can be confident that your property is as safe as possible. Alarm systems come in a variety of types, from simple jitter or tilt switches to complex vibration and infrared sensors with AI assessment of false positives.
Check our blog frequently for all the latest on fences, decks, patios, and everything you need for spectacular outdoor living. We dealt with just that issue in our upper pasture where s pipeline runs across. Thankfully for us, it just meant putting in additional gates that I got the gas company to pay for. Barbed wire must be properly and firmly secured, stretched and maintained to remain in compliance with state laws. In addition to being forced to adhere to state boundary fence laws, regulations regarding pastures, fields, and hay coral also exist.
Most people buy umbrella coverage as an individual policy from the same insurance company that provides their home insurance. “Some companies may write a package policy that includes home and umbrella,” Foley says. Those statistics prompt some home insurers to refuse to sell coverage if a home has a pool but lacks a backyard fence. A fence can keep uninvited children from taking a dip in a homeowner’s pool. Creating a perimeter fence using only barbed wire may not be legal in your state. Common barbed wire allowable fencing heights are typically, 36, 48, or 52 inches tall.
Keep in mind, however, a homeowners claim involving a dilapidated fence might not get covered. The fence needs to have been in a good state of repair before the incident. Your fence is protected under the other structures coverage component of homeowners insurance. Other structures covers detached structures on your property, like a detached garage, shed, or fence. In my time as a pet owner, I’ve had everything from an energetic puppy who sprints out the door in a moment’s notice, to an older pup who respects the rules and stays in the yard. No matter what kind of dog you have, there is always a chance they could run in front of a car or chase a wild animal.
In some states, you are allowed to establish some type of fencing across waterways on your property to allow livestock to water by not escape or to keep domestic pets from leaving the property. Just like with fencing, copious amounts of regulations also pertain to gates. Not just the setting of gates, but the type of material that can be used, as well. In some states where it is illegal to fence across a waterway, you place a cattle guard in place of a gate to keep livestock in. Being able to control entry point onto your property will help ensure the safety of your loved ones, and the security patrol team tasked with monitoring the area. Your fence is usually covered for the same unexpected events as your home, for instance damage from wind storms, hail, lightning, vehicle damage, fire and smoke, as well as vandalism.
It will also serve as security in keeping uninvited guests away from the fun yard area while the homeowners are not present at the residential dwelling. States with stringent waterway fencing laws also require an inspection of the barrier after it is built – some during the planning stages. If the government official does not approve the waterway fencing, appeals and court petitions are available to property owners to try and overturn the determination. Electric fences are available in a variety of voltages and styles, and can be customized to fit the security needs of any property owner. Take great caution when installing and depending upon electric fencing as its use is highly regulated, especially near residential areas. Whether a tornado or a fierce wind-storm destroyed your fence, wind-related damage is covered by your home insurance.
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