Insuring Garden Buildings, Sheds and Outbuildings
Home insurance typically includes cover for structures separate from the main building — sheds, garages, greenhouses, summerhouses — under a heading such as other structures or outbuildings.
The limit is commonly expressed as a percentage of the buildings sum insured, and the contents of those structures are treated differently again.
Structure versus contents
The building itself is covered under buildings insurance up to the outbuildings limit.
What is inside is contents, and most policies apply a separate and considerably lower limit for contents in outbuildings than for contents in the house.
A garden office with a computer, a shed with several thousand pounds of tools, or a garage with a bicycle collection frequently exceeds that outbuilding contents limit substantially.
Security conditions
Cover for theft from an outbuilding is usually conditional on it being locked, and many policies specify the type of lock or require the door to be of a certain construction.
Some require items above a value to be secured to the structure, or exclude theft entirely where there is no sign of forced entry.
Padlocks with exposed shackles and hasps fixed with ordinary screws are the common weak points, and insurers do inspect after a claim.
Garden offices and home working
A garden building used as a workspace changes the picture. Business equipment and stock are frequently excluded from domestic cover, and business use may need declaring.
Where the building is substantial, has power and is used daily, some insurers treat it as an extension of the home and others require it to be specified separately.
Tell the insurer what it is used for. A brief conversation now prevents a declined claim later.
What is commonly excluded
Contents left in the open, including garden furniture, barbecues and plants, are usually covered only under a specific garden contents extension if at all.
Storm damage to fences, gates and hedges is excluded by most policies as standard, which surprises people after every winter storm.
Buildings in poor repair, since insurers exclude damage attributable to lack of maintenance. A shed with a failing roof that then leaks is a maintenance issue rather than an insured event.
Practical steps
Total the replacement value of everything stored outside the house, then compare it with the outbuildings contents limit on your schedule.
Upgrade locks and hasps to a standard the policy accepts, and fix them with security screws or bolts rather than ordinary screws.
Photograph tools and equipment with serial numbers, and consider ground anchors for bicycles and machinery.
Where the total is well above the limit, ask the insurer to increase it or specify individual items rather than assuming the general cover will respond.
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