Is Landscaping Covered Under My Homeowners Insurance Policy?

A Personal Insurance Update

Spring has arrived, and many people are gearing up for yard work.  Your yard is an essential part of the appeal of your home, and requires some care and expense to maintain it.  Many people install landscape lighting to enhance their yard’s look and safety.  You may be concerned about how your homeowner’s insurance will respond to damage to your landscaping, including trees, shrubs, lighting, fencing, and walkways.

Most standard homeowner’s insurance policies provide some limited coverage for landscaping under certain conditions.  This information is intended to be general in nature, and if you want specific information regarding your individual homeowner’s insurance, please call our office.

A “standard” homeowner’s insurance policy generally provides some coverage for landscaping if fire, explosion, lightning, vandalism, theft, or a vehicle (someone else’s) causes the damage.

If weather causes damage to your landscaping, it may not be covered.  Damage caused by disease or insects is also excluded under a standard homeowner’s insurance policy.

If your fence is damaged by high winds, that could be covered as it is considered property not landscaping.  If a tree falls on your home, the damage to your home may be covered, as well as the removal of the tree.

Each policy usually has sub-limits for landscaping.  You may also consider purchasing additional insurance to increase your landscaping coverage limits.  With some policies, landscaping coverage may be limited to a percentage of the total protection provided for the dwelling structure.