IF your garden fence falls down, you might assume it’s covered by your home insurance – but this isn’t always the case.
Many a garden fence has fallen victim to the recent storms and high winds that have thrashed the UK.
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And while you might assume that your insurer will cover the damage, this isn’t always true.
Insurance policies will vary and there are often clauses detailing what the weather conditions need to have been to determine if you qualify for a claim.
Many insurers require the gusts to have reached a certain windspeed or for rainfall to have got to a minimum level in your postcode before they’ll pay out.
Your coverage will not only depend on your insurer but also your specific policy.
For example, your fence may initially be covered on your policy but not if it has been damaged in a storm, which is unfortunate for thousands of Brits whose fences were torn apart in Storm Eunice.
So it’s important to read the small print on your paperwork to fully understand what is covered before claiming.
If your policy doesn’t specifically mention a fence, it’s worth speaking to the insurer directly to find out what is covered.
In the meantime, here’s a couple general rules to keep in mind:
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Is a fence automatically covered under insurance?
Whether or not your fence is covered comes down to the small print and type of damage you’re claiming for.
Roughly speaking, if your house isn’t covered for certain problems, such as flooding, neither is your fence.
If you have contents insurance, it’s worth double checking whether your policy outlines anything that isn’t otherwise stated in your buildings insurance (which primarily covers the structure of your property).
It’s also worth noting that insurers are unlikely to pay out for a fence issue that you caused, like a lawnmower scrape or DIY shenanigans gone wrong.
The Sun spoke to Sarah Smith, insurance expert at LV= about storm damage.
She said: “You’re generally covered for things like impacts from fallen trees, and other things that have been damaged due to very high speed wind.”
Regardless, Sarah recommends carrying out general maintenance to your fence often, as wear and tear is usually excluded from policies.
“Regularly check your fencing for any signs of rotting and replace if needed,” she explained.
Doing so is crucial, as your insurer may ask for proof that you were maintaining your property to a sufficient standard.
Be sure to take photographic evidence both before and after the damage to prove the issue is newly arisen.
Is it cheaper not to claim?
Even if you are eligible to claim, there are a couple of things to bear in mind first.
Check what your excess is – this is the amount you’ll have to pay upfront before the insurer picks up the bill.
If your excess is more expensive than the work will be, then it’s not worth making the claim.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that making a claim can affect your renewal price next year, and it may go up if you’ve made a number of claims on your policy.
What if the fence is my neighbour’s?
If the fence belongs to your neighbour, then you might not have to foot the bill at all.
You’ll first need to establish whose responsibility it is by checking the property boundaries, which you can find in your property deeds.
If you don’t have these to hand, you can purchase them for a small fee from the Land Registry on the government’s webpage.
If it turns out that the damaged fence belongs to your neighbour, it’s worth putting in a friendly request for them to resolve the issue – their home insurance may fix the problem for the both of you.
If a fence is bordering a boundary line, it may hold both properties accountable for whatever the damage is.
The Sun explains what to do if your neighbour refuses to accept liability for a fence.
One homeowner had their house blocked in by their neighbours in a bitter feud and won £10,000 as a result.
While another property dispute forced the council to intervene due to a breach of privacy.
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