Other Structures (B)
Covers the detached stuff — garage, shed, fence.
Coverage B handles structures on the property that are not attached to the house — a detached garage, a shed, a fence, a gazebo, a workshop, the mailbox at the end of the driveway.
It is usually not a number the homeowner picks. In many standard forms it is set automatically at about 10 percent of Coverage A, and in those forms it sits on top of the dwelling limit rather than being carved out of it. A $400,000 dwelling limit therefore tends to carry around $40,000 here. The percentage and the wording vary by insurer and state.
Ten percent goes further for a shed than for a fence. Fencing is priced by the linear foot, and a long run can consume most of the limit on its own. So can a detached garage rebuilt from the slab up. The limit can generally be raised by endorsement.
Some structures fall outside. Anything rented to a person who does not live in the home, or used mainly for a business, is commonly excluded or limited. Land is never covered, and whatever is stored inside the shed counts as personal property, not Coverage B.
Claims run through the same deductible as the rest of the policy, and in storm-prone states a separate wind and hail deductible may apply instead. Detached structures tend to be older and less protected than the house, so they are often the first thing a storm finds.
In real life
A pine limb comes down on a detached two-car garage. The rebuild bid is $34,000. The home carries $380,000 of Coverage A, so Coverage B sits at roughly $38,000. After a $1,500 deductible, the policy pays $32,500 toward the structure. The riding mower and the tools inside are not part of that figure — they run against the personal property limit on a different line of the declarations page.
Common questions
Does homeowners insurance cover a detached garage?
Generally yes, under Coverage B rather than the dwelling limit. Coverage B is commonly set at around 10 percent of the dwelling amount, so a $300,000 dwelling limit often carries roughly $30,000 for detached structures. If the garage is rented to someone outside the household or used mainly for a business, coverage is usually limited or excluded. The percentage varies by insurer and form.
Does homeowners insurance cover fence damage?
A fence is normally treated as an other structure, so damage from a covered cause such as wind, fire, or a falling tree is generally payable under Coverage B after the deductible. Rot, rust, termites, and ordinary wear are typically excluded as maintenance. Because fencing is priced per foot, a long run can use up a large share of the limit.
Is other structures coverage separate from dwelling coverage?
In most standard homeowners forms, yes. Coverage B is written as an additional amount of insurance, so paying a shed claim does not reduce what is available to rebuild the house. Some insurers and some forms handle it differently, and the declarations page usually shows the Coverage B limit as its own line.
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Definitions describe how these terms are generally used across the U.S. market. Wording, limits and exclusions vary by insurer, policy form and state — the policy you hold is what controls. See the full Insurance Glossary.