Sheds, fences and gates: what outbuildings actually means

Most explanations of outbuildings and garden cover stop at the point where it starts to matter. This one carries on.

The fence exclusion is near-universal

Most home policies exclude storm damage to fences, gates and hedges, and it is one of the most consistently applied exclusions in the market. The reason is frequency: boundary structures fail in ordinary high winds and are often already in poor condition. A peril that damages a large proportion of insured items every windy season cannot be pooled cheaply.

The exclusion is usually a single line in the buildings section and catches people every winter.

What counts as an outbuilding

Detached garages, sheds, greenhouses and summerhouses are typically covered under buildings, subject to the wording's definition. Definitions often require permanent construction and sometimes exclude structures that are not fixed to a base.

Their contents fall under contents cover, usually with a low outbuildings sub-limit that bicycles and tools exceed easily. Checking that sub-limit against the actual value of what is in the shed is a two-minute job.

Storm requires a storm

Storm cover normally requires abnormal weather at the time, and insurers verify wind speeds and rainfall against meteorological records. Damage during ordinary weather to something already deteriorating is treated as wear and tear rather than storm. A roof that fails in moderate wind will usually be assessed as a maintenance issue, and photographs of its previous condition matter.

This is why claims for a shed roof lost in a mild gust are frequently declined.

Garden contents and plants

Plants, trees and turf are often excluded or covered only for a small sum, and usually only for named perils such as fire or theft. Garden furniture, barbecues and machinery may be covered as contents in the open, again with a low limit. Some policies exclude contents in the open entirely, which is worth checking before leaving anything valuable outside.

Ride-on mowers and similar machinery frequently need to be specified separately.

Trees and what they fall on

Damage caused by a falling tree to the house is normally covered as a named peril. The cost of removing the fallen tree itself may be covered only where it caused insured damage, and clearing a tree that fell harmlessly is often yours. Damage from your tree to a neighbour's property is a liability question and turns on whether you knew or should have known it was dangerous.

For most people, regular inspection of large trees is therefore both a safety and a liability matter.

Adjust the size of it until it is something you would actually do tired.

Boundary responsibility

Who owns a fence is a property law question determined by deeds and local custom, not by insurance. Insurers will not resolve a boundary dispute, and cover for the structure follows ownership. These rules differ significantly between jurisdictions, so check your own deeds and local conventions.

The insurance point is simply that storm damage to it is usually excluded either way.

The takeaway

Check the outbuildings sub-limit against what is actually in your shed.

Small and repeatable beats ambitious and abandoned, almost every time.