When you think of a home, the image that pops into your mind may include walls, a roof, doors, and windows. Maybe add a chimney if you’re drawing it on a piece of paper—or, you know, your house has a chimney.

But your homeowners insurance provider designs your policy to cover you for other things you own on your property, too. 

The part of your homeowners insurance that deals with physical property coverage breaks down into three parts:

  • Dwelling coverage for your main house structure—walls, roof, chimney, etc. 
  • Other structures coverage for separate structures on your property not attached to your main home. 
  • Personal property coverage for your personal belongings, like electronics, clothes, and kitchenware.

Let’s take a closer look at other structures coverage and what it entails. 

What Is Other Structures Coverage?

Other structures coverage, or separate structures coverage, is as it sounds: insurance that protects constructed items on your property not directly connected to your main house. It also goes by Coverage B because it’s usually the second item on the summary page of your home insurance policy (or declarations page), after dwelling coverage (Coverage A) and before contents coverage (Coverage C).  

Other structures coverage helps pay the repair and replacement costs for damage that falls under the covered risks (or perils) your policy outlines. These structures are either spaced from the main house or connected via a fence, utility line, or walkway. 

If your main house were the Earth, your other structures would include the Moon and the planet’s satellites—but they wouldn’t include Mars or its moons, which would be your neighbor’s house and other structures. 

What Does Other Structures Coverage Include?

Home insurance for other structures protects certain structures against defined perils (events that lead to property loss).

Although we outline the perils that other structures coverage typically includes below, we recommend reviewing your home insurance policy or talking to your agent to better understand what to expect. 

What Are Considered Other Structures?

You can think of other structures as anything not directly connected to your home but that is connected to your property. 

Here are some typical other structures examples that the coverage applies to:

  • Detached garages
  • Docks
  • Driveways and walkways
  • Fences and walls
  • Gazebos and pergolas
  • Guesthouses
  • In-ground pools
  • Light posts 
  • Mailboxes
  • Outdoor kitchens
  • Sheds

What Aren’t Considered Other Structures? 

Your Coverage B homeowners’ policy doesn’t cover some things on your property that you keep outdoors, such as above-ground pools, guest houses that you rent out, or any outdoor equipment.   

Remember that any tools and equipment you store inside other structures, like your shed, fall under your contents coverage, not your other structures coverage. 

The distinction is important because coverage limits differ depending on which part of your homeowners insurance policy you’re looking at. 

Additionally, if you use any separate structures for business purposes or your home is vacant for over one or two months, home insurance may not cover them. 

Perils That Coverage B Protects Against

The perils your other structures protection covers will usually be the same as those your dwelling coverage outlines. 

Your homeowners insurance is likely an “open perils” (or “all-risk”) policy, meaning it covers your home from all dangerous events except for a list of specifically excluded perils. 

The opposite type of policy would operate on a “named perils” basis, where the policy lists all of the dangerous events it covers and excludes everything else. 

Regardless of your policy, here are some typical perils you can expect Coverage B to protect your other structures against:

  • Fire and smoke
  • Lightning
  • Explosions
  • Windstorms and hail
  • Civil unrest
  • Theft and vandalism
  • Damage caused by vehicles and aircraft
  • Falling objects (like a tree) 
  • The weight of snow or ice

Perils That Other Structures Coverage Excludes

Your home insurance provider will exclude certain perils and other occurrences from your policy, either implicitly or explicitly. Make sure you know what your other structures coverage includes so that you don’t have to make any unplanned payments. 

Here are some causes of other structures damage your home insurance policy may exclude:

  • Flood and gradual water damage: Most home insurance providers exclude flood damage coverage, so you’ll need a separate flood insurance policy. Additionally, gradual water damage is not an unexpected peril, so you won’t be able to file a claim. 
  • Earthquakes and other earth movements: Home insurance doesn’t typically cover certain earth activities, including earthquakes, sinkholes, mudslides, and landslides. Similar to flooding, you’ll need a separate or add-on policy for earthquake coverage. 
  • Normal wear and tear: Old age causes other structures, like wood fences, to deteriorate over time. As a homeowner, you can expect and take action to prevent this. 
  • Infestation: Problems with pests like rodents, termites, flies, and others are gradual and show many early signs. Home insurance providers won’t cover other structures for infestations that could have been addressed earlier. 
  • Intentional damage from a household member: People who enjoy the protection of home insurance can’t file a claim after inflicting harm on their other structures because incidents like these are avoidable. 
  • Homeowner negligence: Even if you don’t go out of your way to harm your other structures, ignoring maintenance and other problems with other structures can lead to damage that can be avoided. 

Understanding the Other Structures Coverage Limit

Your other structures coverage (Coverage B) typically includes the same perils as your dwelling coverage (Coverage A). But the dollar amount of repairs and replacements that Coverage B helps you pay is usually 10% of your Coverage A, although the percentage varies by provider. 

For example, if you have $500,000 in dwelling coverage, your other structures coverage is capped at $50,000 if you have a 10% limit.

Certain other structures, like in-ground pools, may be too expensive to repair on their own with only 10% of your Coverage A. Adding other structures like fencing over time contributes to more potential risk and costlier repairs.  

If you need more coverage, you’ll want to discuss the possibility of increasing your percentage with your insurance agent. 

Do You Need Other Structures Coverage?

Mortgage lenders usually require home buyers to have home insurance, which almost always includes other structures coverage. But, on its own, other structures insurance is not required to own a home. 

Even so, we recommend having other structures insurance to ensure you protect all of your property. 

If you do remove it, you’ll want to confirm that you’re okay with paying for all potential damages to your other structures or losing them completely in a severe event. 

Other Structures Insurance FAQs

Is a carport considered other structures?
It depends. A detached carport and garage are other structures because they aren’t connected to your main dwelling.  

However, if your carport is attached to your house, dwelling insurance may cover it instead of other structures coverage. Additionally, if your detached carport is not securely fastened to the ground, it may be considered personal property. 

Is a pool considered other structures?
Some home insurance policies may say your in-ground pool falls under Coverage B or dwelling coverage, depending on the provider. 

On the other hand, providers usually consider above-ground pools, which are held down only by their weight, as personal property.

Can you remove other structures coverage?
Yes. Although it’s not typical, some insurers allow you to remove your other structures coverage from your policy.

However, because Coverage B makes up a small portion of your overall home insurance policy, you likely won’t lower your premium by much. 

How many buildings are on other structures coverage?
Other structures coverage doesn’t limit you based on the number of structures you have. 

Instead, you are limited to 10% of your dwelling coverage, or Coverage A, although you may be able to increase the percentage with your insurance provider. 

Other Structures Coverage Is There to Protect

Other structures coverage is another part of your home insurance policy. It teams up with dwelling and personal property coverage to protect all aspects of your property. 

Despite making up a relatively small portion of your home insurance, other structures coverage fills the cracks, protecting parts of your property that are easy to forget until damaged. 
Above all, speak to your provider or an insurance agent at OpenHouse if you’re ever unsure about what your other structures coverage includes.