Do I Need to Add My New $20,000 Fence to My Home Insurance Policy?
Question: I recently built a new fence for $20,000. Is it covered by my home insurance, or do I need to add it separately?
Short Answer: Your new fence is automatically covered under Coverage B – Other Structures on your HO3 home insurance policy — but only up to a point. You’ll want to check your policy limits to make sure you’re fully protected. Let’s walk through exactly what that means.
What Is Coverage B in a Homeowners Policy?
Coverage B protects detached structures on your property that are not physically connected to your primary home.
These include:
- Fences
- Detached garages
- Sheds
- Pools
- Driveway lighting
- Guest houses
- Gazebos
Your fence falls under this category — so yes, it’s technically already included in your policy.
How Much Coverage Do You Get for a Fence?
Most HO3 policies allocate 10% of your Dwelling Coverage (Coverage A) to Coverage B.
So, if your main home is insured for $800,000, then you automatically get:
$80,000 of coverage for other structures — including your fence.
That means your $20,000 fence is well within the included limits. However…
When Should You Add Extra Coverage?
Here’s the key issue:
If you’ve made multiple upgrades to your property — say, a $30,000 detached garage and a $40,000 pool — that 10% limit may not be enough.
If the total value of your detached structures exceeds your Coverage B limit, you may be underinsured.
In that case, it’s time to talk to your insurance agent about increasing that limit. Adding a higher limit for other structures is a simple endorsement and usually doesn’t drastically change your premium — but it gives you peace of mind.
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How Much Does It Cost to Increase Coverage B on an HO3 Policy in Massachusetts?
If your detached structures — like a fence, pool, or shed — are worth more than 10% of your home’s dwelling coverage, you’ll want to raise your Coverage B limit. But how much does that actually cost?
In Massachusetts, increasing Coverage B is done through an endorsement to your existing HO3 policy. The cost typically depends on:
- How much additional coverage you need
- Your insurance carrier
- Your home’s location and risk factors
On average, here’s what you can expect:
- Adding $10,000–$20,000 in extra Coverage B: ~$10–$50/year
- Adding $50,000+ in Coverage B: ~$50–$100/year
These numbers are just estimates and can vary based on your specific insurance company’s rates.
The good news? Increasing your Coverage B limit is usually very affordable — especially when you compare it to the cost of rebuilding a structure like a fence or detached garage out of pocket.
To find out exactly what it would cost for your policy, just reach out to your insurance broker. Most carriers in Massachusetts can update your coverage quickly — often in just a few minutes.
What Happens if You Don’t Increase the Limit?
Let’s say a storm knocks down your new fence — and the repair estimate is $20,000.
If your other structures (like a shed, pool house, or lighting) already eat up $70,000 of your $80,000 Coverage B, you might only have $10,000 left to put toward your fence.
That means you’re left footing the rest of the bill.
Final Thoughts: Should You Update Your Insurance After Installing a Fence?
You don’t need to “add” your fence to your policy, because it’s already covered under Coverage B.
BUT — you do need to make sure your total Coverage B limit is enough to protect everything you’ve built on your property.
Next step:
Have a quick conversation with your insurance agent. It takes five minutes to confirm whether your limits are still appropriate — and it could save you thousands later.
Conclusion: What You Should Do Next
At the end of the day, you’ve invested real money into making your property look and feel the way you want. Whether it’s a $20,000 fence or a new garage, you deserve to know it’s protected.
Now that you understand how your HO3 policy works — and how Coverage B applies to detached structures — it’s time to review your policy limits and ask: “If something happened tomorrow, would I be covered?”
If you’re unsure, we’re here to help you walk through your policy step by step and find the coverage that’s right for your home.
