What Is Other Structures Coverage in Home Insurance?

Other structures coverage is aptly named – it’s insurance coverage for additional structures on your property that are separate (physically) from your main home. It’s usually a component of your home insurance policy.

If you have a typical homeowners insurance policy but live on a property with sheds, barns or other structures, you might want to take a closer look at your policy’s other structures coverage.

What does other structures coverage cover?

If you’re wondering why you’d need this, the answer is simple: Homeowners Insurance alone may not provide enough protection for other structures on your property. A standard insurance policy only includes  limited protection for other structures.

Other structures coverage can protect several types of construction on your property beyond your main home:

• Detached garages
• Sheds
• Barns or stables
• Gazebos
• Greenhouses
• In-ground swimming pools
• Children’s play structures and treehouses
• Other construction like fences and driveways

What’s not included in other structures coverage?

The first thing to note is that Other Structures Coverage does not cover structures used for business purposes, like office buildings or workshops. If your property includes structures like these, they may not be covered – you’ll need a business owner's policy to protect them. 

Additionally, other structures coverage typically does not protect from:

• Damage from flooding
• Earthquake-related damage
• Normal wear and tear

Finally, other structures coverage doesn’t protect items within the buildings on your property. For that, you’ll need personal property coverage. You can always ask about adding specific protection for things like flooding and earthquakes, too.

How much other structures coverage do I need?

As always, the answer to this question depends on your needs. Most home insurance policies typically contain some other structures coverage, but it’s usually limited to 10% of the policy’s dwelling coverage. For example, if your dwelling coverage is $200,000, your other structures coverage is $20,000.

If you’re improving your property – building additional structures or updating current ones – you should investigate how much other structures coverage you have.

One thing to consider is how your policy will reimburse damage to other structures; find out whether it offers Actual Cash Value (ACV) or Replacement Cost coverage.

If you decide you need more insurance coverage, talk to your insurance agent about adding more to your policy.

Updated 5-1-24