Reviewed and approved by Samuel Corso, licensed Texas insurance agent.

Published September 6, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026

Does home insurance cover fence damage in Texas?

When a fence comes down in a storm or a car goes through it, there are two questions to answer. Does the home policy cover the fence, and what would a claim pay once the deductible comes off?

The short version. Fence damage falls under other structures coverage, which most home insurance policies in Texas include and which pays to repair fences, according to the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) Home insurance guide, which adds that coverages vary by company. TDI's Home insurance: What structures are covered? says a wind-damaged fence will probably be paid for if you have wind coverage and that policies usually pay actual cash value for fences.

Here's what we'll cover: which coverage a fence falls under, the causes TDI lists as covered and not covered, how a storm can treat a fence and a tree differently, how the deductible applies, what TDI says about storm claims and premiums, how depreciation affects a fence payment, the coastal exception, what to do when someone else damaged the fence, and the numbers to check before you decide about a claim.

Which coverage a fence falls under, according to TDI

On a Texas home policy, a fence falls under other structures coverage, which TDI's guide lists among six coverages that most home policies in Texas include. The guide describes it this way: "Other structures coverage pays to repair structures on your property that aren't attached to your house. This includes detached garages, storage sheds, and fences."

Other structures coverage has its own dollar limit. TDI's structures page puts a figure on it: "Most home policies include coverage for other structures at 10% of your house's insured value." TDI's example on that page is a house with $300,000 of coverage, which has $30,000 in coverage for other structures, and the page adds that you'll also have to pay your deductible.

Each type of coverage has a dollar limit, and policies pay only up to their dollar limits, according to TDI's guide. The guide also says the first page of your policy is the declarations page, which has a summary of your coverages, dollar limits, and deductibles.

In practice, this means the line to look for on your declarations page is other structures, since a fence may not be listed by name. Because other structures is one coverage with one limit, a fence may share that limit with a detached garage or shed damaged in the same event. Your own policy shows how your limit works.

Our guide on how home insurance works in Texas walks through the six coverages together, and what home insurance doesn't cover in Texas covers the exclusions side.

What TDI says is covered, and what isn't

The cause of the damage decides whether a Texas home policy may pay for a fence. TDI's structures page says a home policy pays for the same types of damage to structures as it does for your house, and gives fire, hail, theft, and sudden and accidental water damage as examples.

A table in TDI's guide shows common risks that most policies do and don't cover. The table is about home policies in general, with no separate line for fences, and TDI adds beside it that coverages vary by company and that you should read your policy or talk to your agent to be sure of your exact coverages. Here is how the causes people ask about for a fence line up with that table.

TDI's structures page speaks to fences directly on two causes:

• Wind. TDI says: "If your fence was damaged by wind and you have wind coverage, your policy will probably pay for the damage."
• Ice and snow. TDI says: "Most policies don't pay for fence damage caused by ice or snow unless your house collapses on the fence."

Two other TDI statements about home policies in general can matter for a fence:

• Rot and age. TDI's Five things your home policy won't cover, a page about home policies in general, says companies won't pay for damages that happen over time, and gives rotted boards as one example.
• Floodwater. TDI's guide says most home policies don't cover damage caused by floods, and that most flood policies have a 30-day waiting period before kicking in. Our guide on flood insurance in Texas covers that separate policy, and the vehicle version of the flood question is in does car insurance cover flood damage in Texas.

A harder case is a fence that was already deteriorating when wind hit it, because the cause of the damage may be less clear. Dated photos of the fence in ordinary condition can help show what state it was in before the storm.

Fences and trees in the same storm

Wind or hail damage to a fence and to the trees beside it may be treated differently on a Texas home policy. The table in TDI's guide puts windstorm, hurricane, and hail in the column of risks most policies cover (but not if you live on the Gulf Coast), and puts wind or hail to trees and shrubs in the column of risks most policies don't cover. TDI notes beside the table that coverages vary by company.

Fallen trees have their own treatment in TDI's won't-cover page. That page says your policy won't pay to remove trees or limbs that fell in your yard, and that many policies provide some coverage to remove trees or limbs that fell due to storm damage and damage your house or block your driveway.

So one storm can leave fence damage and landscaping damage that the same policy handles in different ways. When you write down what was damaged, listing the structures and the plants separately may make the list easier to match against your policy.

How the deductible applies to a fence claim

A fence claim on a Texas home policy is paid after the deductible is subtracted, so the deductible affects what a claim pays. TDI's Will my premium go up if I file a claim? suggests finding out how much your deductible is before you file, says the insurance company will subtract the deductible from your claim payment, and suggests getting repair estimates. It then says: "If the cost of repairs is about the same or less than your deductible, you may decide it's not worth filing a claim."

TDI's What to know about deductibles explains two features of home deductibles. The first is that they apply per claim, in TDI's words: "For home and auto policies, the deductible will be applied to each claim." The second is that a deductible may be a specific dollar amount or a percentage, and TDI says that if yours is a percentage you should know how it translates to a dollar amount.

The Office of Public Insurance Counsel (OPIC) explains the percentage in Decoding Residential Property Deductibles. OPIC says a percentage deductible is based on a percentage of your home's insured value and is calculated on the amount of insurance you have on your home, not on the amount of your claim. OPIC also says special higher deductibles may apply for certain causes of loss, and it lists a wind/hail deductible among them.

TDI's deductibles page works through an example for homes insured for $150,000 that need $6,500 in roof repairs after a hail storm. In TDI's example, a policy with a $500 deductible pays $6,000, and a policy with a 5 percent deductible, which is $7,500, pays nothing because the repairs cost less than the deductible. TDI's example is about a roof, and the figures are TDI's illustration only.

The same arithmetic can apply to a fence. This is Credify's reading of the TDI and OPIC pages, and neither page makes the statement about fences. If the deductible that applies is a percentage of the amount your home is insured for, and the fence repair estimate is lower than that dollar figure, a covered claim may pay nothing. Check your policy for which deductible applies to a fence.

On timing, the tip in TDI's guide is to tell your company as soon as possible. The guide says most companies have deadlines for you to file a claim, that some policies have a one-year deadline unless you can show good cause for the delay, and that a wind and hail policy with the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) gives you one year from the date of damage to file a claim. Whether to file is your decision, and your policy sets your deadline.

Asking questions is treated separately from filing. TDI's premium page lists calling your company or agent to ask questions about your policy or the claims filing process among the things home and auto companies can't charge you more for.

Our guide on how the wind and hail deductible works in Texas explains how the percentage is set and where to read yours, and home insurance deductibles in Texas covers the general mechanism.

Storm damage and your premium

Whether a fence claim can affect a Texas home insurance premium depends on the type of claim and how many you file, according to TDI's premium page. That page says home and auto insurance companies can raise your premium for filing most types of claims.

The same TDI page lists exceptions. For home and auto companies, it lists claims you file that the company didn't pay, including claims denied because your policy doesn't cover the damage. For home companies, it also lists claims for damage from natural causes, including weather, among the things they can't charge you more for.

Other TDI pages add detail. Filing small claims may affect how much you have to pay for insurance later, according to the deductibles page. A company can raise your rates if you file two or more nonweather-related claims, according to TDI's guide.

TDI's list does not mention fences. On Credify's reading, wind or hail damage to a fence is a weather cause, and a fence hit by a vehicle or damaged by vandalism is a different type of claim. Check with your company how a claim on your policy would be treated. TDI states the weather item for home companies only, so it should not be read across to a car policy.

Claims are also recorded. Per the premium page, most insurance companies get a report from the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) to learn your claims history, and you can get a free copy of your report each year by calling 866-312-8076.

Replacement cost, actual cash value, and a fence

A fence payment on a Texas home policy can be worked out at replacement cost or at actual cash value, and the two give different amounts. TDI's structures page says: "Policies usually pay actual cash value for fences." The page explains that this means your company will deduct depreciation based on your home's age and condition.

TDI's guide defines the two terms for home policies in general. It says home policies provide either replacement cost coverage or actual cash value coverage, that replacement cost coverage pays to repair or replace your house and personal property at current prices, and that actual cash value coverage pays replacement cost minus depreciation. The guide defines depreciation as a decrease in value because of wear and age.

TDI's Home policies: Replacement cost or actual cash value? shows the effect with a roof. In its examples, the amount an actual cash value policy pays depends on how old the roof is, and the payment gets smaller as the roof gets older.

The guide's definitions are about the house and personal property, and the structures page is the one that speaks about fences. The structures page ties the depreciation to your home's age and condition and does not mention the fence's own age, so check your policy for how a fence is valued. Our guide on replacement cost coverage in Texas covers how to check which type of coverage you have.

If you live on the coast

On the Texas coast, wind and hail damage to a fence may fall under a separate windstorm policy and not under the home policy. TDI's guide says: "If you live on the Texas coast or in Harris County on Galveston Bay, your home policy might not cover wind and hail damage."

The same guide says TWIA sells wind and hail coverage for coastal residents and that you buy TWIA coverage from local insurance agents. It says that, depending on where you live, you might need flood insurance before TWIA will sell you a policy, and that you also might need a home inspection by an engineer or a windstorm inspector. The guide also says TWIA won't sell you a policy if there's a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico.

For a coastal household, then, the question of wind damage to a fence may be a question about a second policy. Our guide on windstorm insurance and TWIA in Texas covers how that works.

When someone else damaged your fence

When a driver or a contractor damages your fence, a Texas homeowner may have two possible routes: a claim on their own home policy, or the other party's insurance. It helps to keep the two apart.

Your own policy. The table in TDI's guide puts aircraft and vehicles in the column of risks most policies cover, and TDI adds that coverages vary by company. Your own deductible would apply to a claim on your own policy.

The other party's insurance. Whether someone else's insurer pays depends on that person's policy and on the facts of what happened. TDI's guide describes the personal liability coverage in a home policy as coverage that also pays if you're responsible for damaging someone else's property. That description is about the policyholder's own responsibility, and TDI does not say when another person's policy pays for your fence. For questions about your own situation, you can ask your agent or the insurer involved, or call TDI at 800-252-3439, the number TDI gives on the guide for questions.

Whichever route applies, TDI's guide gives tips for the claim process. It suggests taking pictures or videos of the damage before making any repairs, if possible, and making only temporary repairs. On permanent repairs, the guide says: "The insurance company might deny your claim if you make permanent repairs before it sees the damage." The guide also suggests keeping receipts for any materials you bought to make repairs and trying to be there when the company's adjuster looks at the damage.

What to do with this

These are steps you can take when a fence on a Texas home policy is damaged. The steps are Credify's checklist, and the TDI and OPIC pages linked above are the sources for the facts inside each one.

• Tell your company as soon as possible. TDI's guide gives that tip and says most companies have deadlines for you to file a claim. Getting an estimate does not have to delay that call.
• Look for other structures on your declarations page. TDI's guide says other structures coverage includes fences.
• Find the deductible that applies to the cause. OPIC's Decoding Residential Property Deductibles says a deductible may be a flat amount or a percentage of your home's insured value, and lists a wind/hail deductible among special higher deductibles that may apply.
• Get a repair estimate. TDI's premium page suggests getting repair estimates and knowing your deductible before you file.
• Identify the cause. The table in TDI's guide sorts common risks into those most policies cover and those most policies don't, and coverages vary by company.
• List the fence and the landscaping separately. TDI's table puts wind or hail to trees and shrubs among the risks most policies don't cover.
• Check how your policy values a fence. TDI's structures page says policies usually pay actual cash value for fences.
• Photograph the damage before repairs, if possible. Make only temporary repairs and keep receipts for materials, as TDI's guide suggests.
• On the coast, check whether wind is on a TWIA policy. TDI's guide says TWIA won't sell you a policy if there's a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico.

Key facts

• Most home policies in Texas include other structures coverage, which pays to repair structures that aren't attached to your house, including fences, according to TDI's Home insurance guide. TDI adds that coverages vary by company.
• A fence damaged by wind will probably be paid for if you have wind coverage, and policies usually pay actual cash value for fences, per TDI's Home insurance: What structures are covered?.
• Most home policies include other structures coverage at 10% of the house's insured value, and you'll also have to pay your deductible, the same TDI structures page says.
• The risk table in TDI's guide lists windstorm, hurricane, and hail (but not if you live on the Gulf Coast) among risks most policies cover, and wind or hail to trees and shrubs among risks most policies don't cover. Coverages vary by company.
• Home and auto deductibles are applied to each claim and may be a dollar amount or a percentage, according to TDI's What to know about deductibles.
• TDI's Will my premium go up if I file a claim? says that if repairs cost about the same as or less than your deductible, you may decide it's not worth filing a claim. TDI's guide says to tell your company as soon as possible and that most companies have deadlines for you to file a claim.
• On the Texas coast or in Harris County on Galveston Bay, your home policy might not cover wind and hail damage, and TWIA sells wind and hail coverage for coastal residents, TDI's guide says.
• Three figures answer a fence question on your own policy: the other structures limit, the deductible that applies to the cause, and a repair estimate. TDI's guide says the declarations page summarizes your coverages, dollar limits, and deductibles.

Sources: Texas Department of Insurance, Home insurance guide, Home insurance: What structures are covered?, What to know about deductibles, Will my premium go up if I file a claim?, Home policies: Replacement cost or actual cash value? and Five things your home policy won't cover; Office of Public Insurance Counsel, Decoding Residential Property Deductibles. This page is general information, not legal advice; for a question about your own situation, check your policy or contact the Texas Department of Insurance.

Take the next step

Three numbers from your own paperwork do most of the work on a fence question: your other structures limit, the deductible that applies to the cause of the damage, and a repair estimate. The first two are on your declarations page. If the deductible is for wind or hail, check whether it is a flat amount or a percentage of the amount your home is insured for.

If you are reviewing your home coverage, Credify shows how different carriers handle wind and hail deductibles for your home, side by side. Our guides on how to choose home insurance in Texas and home insurance quotes in Texas cover what to line up first.

Get a second opinion on your policy — free. Credify is a licensed insurance agency in Texas that helps you compare home insurance from roughly 20 licensed Texas carriers, so you can see whether your coverage for fences and other structures fits your needs. It takes a few minutes, and there's no obligation. 📞 Talk to Credify 24/7.

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