Will Homeowners' Insurance Cover Damage To My Barn?

Insurance policies differ from company to company, homeowner to homeowner. Although there is no uniform answer to this question, many homeowners' insurance policies provide coverage for repairs to outlying structures on a policyholder's property, including barns, sheds, garages and swimming pools. However, these same insurance companies often will try to narrowly interpret their policies in a bid to pay as little as they can for your damages.

The best way to find out if your barn is covered under homeowners' insurance is to ask your broker first, and if you are not satisfied with their answer, then file a claim and see. The amount of coverage you get for your damaged barn will also likely be determined by the condition the barn was in before the accident, which may be difficult to determine. If you own a barn and it was part of your farm, then basic homeowners' insurance may not cover barn damages. You may want to look into getting farm insurance or a special type of business insurance if your barn was part of how you made money.

Coverage also depends on what sort of cause contributed to the damaging of your barn. Different insurance policies are offered for specific kinds of accidents that may not be covered by general homeowners' insurance. If your barn was damaged by a flood for example, you may need to possess flood insurance for your barn to be covered, unless provisions for flood damage are included in your current plan. Again, it depends on which homeowners' insurance policy you possess, so if you have a question regarding coverage, consult your broker.