Garden insurance

Key takeaways 

• Garden insurance usually comes as part of your home insurance, but it isn’t always included as standard 

• Both your buildings and contents insurance policies can offer protection for your garden 

• It’s important to check your policy details to see what you’re covered for - you can ask your insurer to add extra cover if you think you’ll need it 

What is garden insurance? 

Garden insurance is a part of your home insurance policy that covers your garden and the furniture and items you keep in it. Garden insurance can be part of both your buildings and contents insurance.

The extent to which you’ll be covered will depend on your policy.

Is my garden covered by my home insurance? 

It depends on the policy. Garden structures are often included as standard while garden contents are not - but you’ll need to check to be sure. You can do this by contacting your insurer or checking your policy documents.  

Garden buildings insurance 

If you own buildings insurance, it will usually cover structures in your garden. This could include: 

• Outbuildings such as sheds and garages 

• Swimming pools 

• Garden walls, fences, and gates 

• Gas, oil, or septic tanks on the property 

• Drives and footpaths 

Garden contents insurance  

Garden contents insurance isn’t often a standard inclusion on home contents insurance policies. But it is this type of cover which protects garden items or things you have stored in outbuildings, such as:  

• Barbecues 

• Tools and lawnmowers 

• Garden or patio furniture 

• Plants and garden ornaments 

Does home insurance cover items left in the garden?

Not usually. Insurers generally require valuable garden items like tools or lawnmowers to be kept in a locked shed or building throughout the night to be covered. 

Items that are left outside permanently, like garden furniture, can be insured, but this cover is often capped at lower limits than you'd receive for indoor furniture. So even if your policy does include them, you might not be able to claim for the full amount that they're worth.

Does home insurance cover fences and garden walls? 

Fences and garden are usually covered for some circumstance but not others. Many policies would pay out if your fence was vandalised or unexpectedly damaged. But you are unlikely to be covered if it is damaged during a storm or bad weather.

While many home insurance policies include storm damage, it is less usual for this cover to extend to any structures in your garden. If it does, there will often be a requirement that you keep your fences, gates and walls well-maintained and in good condition in order for a claim to be valid. 

What isn’t covered by garden home insurance? 

Exclusions vary by policy and provider, but there are some common items and scenarios that are typically not covered:  

• Indoor items and valuables left outdoors 

• Items exceeding the per-item limit 

• Outbuildings not disclosed at the time of policy purchase 

• Contents stolen from unlocked outbuildings or without signs of forced entry 

• Damage from extreme weather conditions 

• Plants that are not potted (i.e., planted in the ground) 

How much cover do I need for my garden? 

There is normally a limit on how much cover you can take out specifically for your garden, and it’ll often be relatively low due to the increased risk of things like theft or damage.

As such, you might want to consider increasing the default amount of cover to ensure your things are fully protected. 

Compare home insurance for your garden 

The quickest and easiest way to find affordable home insurance that covers your garden is by comparing quotes with MoneySuperMarket.

Just tell us about yourself, your property and the things you want to cover, and we’ll look for deals that meet all your requirements.  You’ll be able to compare quotes by the overall cost, the cover you get and the excess you’ll need to pay to claim. Once you find the deal you want, just click through to finalise your purchase.