Are Outdoor Patios And Paving Properly Covered By Home Insurance Policies?

patio home insurance poilicy

A home insurance policy helps cover the contents of a building as needed, but does this extend to the outdoors as well? What happens to your patio or paving in case of damage? The short answer is that most home insurance policies do indeed cover both of these features in case of damage and will pay to have them replaced. 

Your patio is usually covered under the buildings section of your home insurance policy. This section is also responsible for shed, paving, gates, and boundary wall coverage as well. In short, as long as your patio or paving doesn’t get damaged as a result of poor maintenance or your own negligence, your home insurance policy should have you covered.

Building Home Insurance Policies: What Do They Cover?

Filed under the building section of your policy, this section works to offer protection for the structure of your home. This understandably includes the roof, the four walls, and any existing permanent fixtures or fittings as well. These are usually best categorized as things like the sink, windows, doors, toilets, and any existing outdoors groundwork such as your deck, patio or paving.

Bear in mind, the building protection policy is significantly different from the contents cover. The contents cover is what provides protection in case of damage to the actual contents of your property such as your furniture and valuable possessions. Your building insurance policy is responsible for basically protecting the outline and structure of your home.

It’s worth noting that your insurance policy will only cover the amount that you insure your property for. In layman’s terms, this means if you weren’t accurate in reporting your home’s value along with what’s in your outdoor garden, you could have an issue but a lot of plans to include extended replacement cost – Make sure to ask your agent if you have this very important coverage.Paving Properly Covered By Home Insurance Policies

Will You Receive Coverage In Case Of Storm Damage?

Your buildings insurance will come into play during a large variety of damages incurred by your property— including storm damage. The following is a quick overview list of the most common types of damage covered by home insurance providers, but to stay on the safe side, always double check your own policy for any fine print.

Damage coverage includes protection for:

– Storm or wind (excluding any outdoor fencing, gates or hedges that are older than five years).

– Damage against *earthquakes (*this maybe a separate coverage you need to purchase), fire, lighting, and explosions.

– Malicious damage caused by someone illegally entering or defacing your home.

– Falling trees or broken branches.

– Any aerials, satellite dishes or masts that break and cause damage.

– Water bursts that are a result of plumbing or drainage problems.

Once again, your insurance policy won’t provide any amount of coverage if your patio or paving was neglected and became damaged as a result of that. To ensure that your outdoor fixtures are properly insured, always perform the necessary maintenance that prolongs their lifespan and prevents your insurance company from voiding your coverage.

What About Patio Damage Caused By A Neighbor’s Negligence?

You can claim insurance benefits if your patio or paving is damaged because your neighbor’s tree fell. According to Garden Tech, any incurred damages as well as labor costs are adequately covered by your buildings insurance as long as your policy is valid and paid for. Though you are actually covered in case damage such as this occurs, it’s important to keep in mind that the claims process will work a bit differently as it involves your neighbor’s land.

The moment you notice a tree or even a branch has fallen, you need to act quickly and calculate the monetary damage right away. This is fairly easy enough to do for your patio as you can check your paid invoice as to how much money was spent on the materials and the labor to install your patio or deck. Of course, things can get a bit more complex in nature if your garden or paving was damaged in any way due to the falling tree. The best course of action in this scenario is to provide the best guesstimate you can for costs. Keep in mind:

*How much would it cost to fix or replace everything?

*How much does it cost to remove the fallen debris from the tree and its branches?

*Would you need to hire a skip?

*Will your fence need replacement?

If you’re unsure where to begin or what to do in this case, make sure you give your insurance company a call. They can help walk you through the process from start to finish while working with you to properly file the necessary paperwork for compensation and damage coverage.

Getting The Proper Protection

If you live in a region that gets a lot of inclement weather and is prone to severe storms, make sure that when you purchase your home insurance policy, you opt for comprehensive coverage. Though most policies do provide adequate protection, there are many unforeseen circumstances that may arise and without reading the fine print, you may inadvertently skip over something important.

Usually, it’s advisable to purchase your coverage from an insurance broker because they can help you select the premium that will work best for your needs. It’s also important that when you consider the amount of coverage you’re paying for, you always accurately reflect the value of your property and your belongings. If you skimp on your valuation, it may lead to your next claim getting denied or your receiving less coverage than is necessary to pay for the incurred damage.

 

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