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Other Structures Coverage in a Home Insurance Policy

What exactly is Other Structures Coverage in a Home Insurance Policy?

In most circumstances, your homeowner’s insurance covers secondary structures on your property for 10% of the cost of the primary residence, such as detached garages and fences. Coverage B in your insurance describes the protections these structures receive, whereas Coverage A protects your primary house.

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Coverages A and B function identically. For example, your shed is still protected from windstorm damage. The same exclusions apply since your other structures coverage is an extension of your dwelling coverage. Coverage B, on the other hand, contains specific restrictions for other sorts of structures that it excludes.

Which Structures Are Covered Under Homeowners’ Insurance's Coverage B?

Coverage B protects the majority of structures on your property, whether they are fully distinct from your home or are linked to it by pipes or electrical wiring.

Other structures that are occasionally covered by your home’s insurance are examples of protected structures.

•Sheds

•Awnings

•Garages that are detached

•Fences

•Pool residences

•Dock

•Barns

•Greenhouses

•Piers

•Gazebos

•Boathouses

•Mailboxes

•Hotels and Inns

Your coverage covers these constructions against the same risks as your home. Coverage B protects the other structures on your property against damage caused by wind, fire, lightning, unintentional water discharge, and other people's autos.

You're also covered from falling items, such as trees, if you've kept up on property maintenance before to the disaster. For example, if you know a tree on your property is rotten and that it falls through the roof of your detached garage, you will not be compensated by your insurance company.

When Does Coverage B Not Apply To Your Property?

There are a few Coverages B limits that may influence which of your additional structures are covered by your homeowner’s insurance. Coverage B excludes the land on which your property is built. Structures that you rent to others are likewise not covered by policies. This implies that your insurance will not always cover your guest house.

For example, if you utilise a home-sharing service like Airbnb, a guest house you rent out will not be covered under Coverage B.

Your insurance will not cover any additional structures you use for commercial reasons. If you own a barn, your insurance will only cover it if you don't utilize it for commercial farming. If you do, you will need to get specific insurance to be protected.

Coverage B's exclusions are comparable to those of your policy's dwelling protection because it is an extension of your policy's dwelling protection. Your homes insurance coverage does not cover damage to your other structures caused by earthquakes, floods, cold, mildew or fungus, or normal wear and tear. Your construction is not protected against defective, insufficient, or poor craftsmanship, as well as improper upkeep.

Damage caused by birds, rodents, insects, or your pets is not covered by your home’s insurance. You would be unable to establish a valid claim if your detached garage or barn was infested with termites or bats.

Is It Possible To Improve Your Coverage B Protection?

You can boost the protection provided to your other structures by raising the limits of your policy's dwelling coverage. Because Coverage B only covers 10% of your policy's dwelling limit, you should think about how much it would cost to repair your property's additional structures when getting homeowners insurance.

A $250,000 policy, for example, only provides $25,000 of coverage for your detached garage, but boosting your overall coverage to $500,000 provides a lot more assurance if something were to happen to the entire property.

You can buy floaters or endorsements to safeguard certain objects in your other constructions. If you keep valuables like gold, guns, money, or bullion in your other structures, this might be a smart idea. In most cases, homeowners’ insurance limits the amount of compensation that may be awarded for these things.