Other structures coverage — Coverage B on a homeowners policy — protects the buildings and structures on your property that aren't attached to your house. The detached garage, the fence, the shed, the gazebo: they get their own slice of the policy, separate from the dwelling itself.

Who this is for: anyone whose property includes more than just the house — and if you have a fence, that's you.

What counts as an "other structure"

The dividing line is physical attachment. If a structure touches the house — an attached garage, a deck bolted to the back wall — it's part of the dwelling under Coverage A. If it stands on its own, it's Coverage B. Common examples:

  • Detached garages and carports
  • Fences and gates
  • Sheds, workshops, and studios
  • Gazebos and pergolas
  • In-ground pools
  • Driveways and walkways, in many policies

How the limit works

Coverage B is usually set automatically at a percentage of your dwelling coverage — commonly around 10%. So if your home is insured for $350,000, your other structures share a $35,000 pool. That's one pool for everything combined, not $35,000 per structure.

For most homes, the default is fine: a fence and a modest shed don't add up to much. But if you have a large detached garage, a finished studio, or long runs of expensive fencing, do the quick math. If everything out there burned or blew down at once, would 10% of your dwelling limit rebuild it? If not, most insurers will let you raise Coverage B for a small additional premium.

What it covers, and what it doesn't

Coverage B generally responds to the same perils as your dwelling coverage — fire, wind, hail, falling trees, vandalism, and so on, depending on your policy form. The exclusions match too: flood and earthquake need their own policies, and gradual wear isn't a claim.

The big exception to know about is business use. A detached structure used for business — a workshop where you build furniture to sell, a garage you rent out for storage — is typically excluded or sharply limited. If any outbuilding earns money, tell your insurer so it can be covered properly rather than discovered at claim time.

Structures on the property line can also get interesting. A fence you share with a neighbor is usually covered for your interest in it, but it's worth a quick conversation about who insures what.

One habit worth keeping

When you add something outside — a new fence, a pool, a she-shed with real wiring — mention it at renewal. Coverage B scales off your dwelling limit, not off what's actually in your yard, so the policy only fits if someone occasionally checks.

Default Coverage B percentages and the cost to raise them vary by carrier, which is exactly the kind of detail a side-by-side quote comparison surfaces quickly.