Does Your Home Insurance Protect Your Patio?

When you have a patio, deck, or other outdoor space, your home insurance will usually extend to it. How it does depends on what's damaged and the specific terms of your insurance policy. 

Moveable Things Not Attached to Anything

 Anything that moves and isn't permanently attached to anything will usually fall under the personal property portion of your home insurance policy. This may include things like outdoor furniture, pool toys, portable grills, coolers and similar items. You'll generally have coverage for both theft and damage in covered incidents.

Be aware of any limits and exclusions. Exclusions may vary from specific items to where and how you store your items. Your personal property coverage usually has a primary overall limit and may also limit coverage for individual items even if the claim would otherwise be below your insurance limits. 

Things Permanently Attached to Your House 

Decks, walls, built-in grills, outdoor kitchens and other items that are permanently attached to your home generally fall under your dwelling coverage. If they're damaged by fire, hail, wind or other disasters, you can usually make a dwelling coverage claim.

Again, you need to be familiar with your specific policy. Screened enclosures are a common exclusion because of how easily they can be damaged by wind or other causes. For screens or other exclusions, you can choose to self-insure. Or your insurance company will usually offer an optional coverage add-on. 

Permanent Structures Not Attached to Your House 

Sheds, carports, above-ground pools and other permanent structures that stand away from your home typically fall under your other structures coverage. “Other structures” covers similar types of incidents as your dwelling coverage, but it usually has much lower limits. If you have multiple "other structures" or one that is high-value, you may need to add additional coverage. 

Don't Forget Liability Coverage 

If your patio includes a pool, hot tube, playset, fire pit or another potentially dangerous feature, you're at additional risk of a guest getting hurt in your home. These injuries would usually fall under your liability coverage. But, with the added risk of a more serious injury, you may want to request a higher limit. Another option is adding an umbrella policy to your home insurance policy.