Does home insurance cover garages?

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Home insurance will cover your garage if it was damaged by a covered peril. However, if it’s simply getting old and not longer stable due to wear and tear, home insurance won’t cover that.

Garages are covered either by the dwelling coverage or the other structures coverage, standard parts of a home insurance policy. You policy will pay to repair or replace the garage if the damage isn’t excluded from the policy.

Homeowners insurance doesn’t cover wear and tear, buildings getting old or damage from lack of maintenance.

Key Takeaways

If your garage is was damaged by a covered peril, file a claim right away.
Home insurance covers detached garages under the other structures portion of your home insurance; attached garages are considered part of the dwelling.
Home insurance doesn’t cover wear and tear or damage due to age or poor maintenance.

Does home insurance cover a garage?

Most perils that aren’t your fault and are not tied to maintenance issues are covered by standard home insurance, but there are exceptions. Earthquakes and floods, for instance, are not covered by home insurance. You must buy separate policies for protection from those disasters. Read your home insurance policy and talk to your insurance agent to understand what’s covered and what’s excluded.

If the garage is unstable or damaged because of lack of maintenance over the years or sloppy construction, then it’s your responsibility to pay for fixing it. Home insurance generally does not cover damage that stems from maintenance issues, such as termite infestation or water damage from a slow leak, because the problem was preventable.

An unstable or damaged structure on your property is a huge risk; someone could get hurt. If you know the building is at risk of collapse, all an expert to take it down immediately or repair it. You can be held liable if someone is injured.

What part of home insurance covers a garage?

An attached garage is part of the home’s structure, and is covered under your dwelling coverage. If it’s a detached garage, it will be covered by the other structures portion of your policy. Both cover the garage at replacement cost.

Other structures coverage is limited to 10% of the dwelling coverage, so if you have a large detached garage, you might need to increase the coverage.

In either case, you will be responsible for the deductible before the coverage kicks in.