Does Home Insurance Cover Garage Door Damage?

Does Home Insurance Cover Garage Door Damage?

If your home has a garage with a garage door, then this is another mechanized component of the home that you will want to ensure functions optimally. However, garage door damage can happen at any time, and be triggered by numerous unavoidable accidents. Under the circumstances, your homeowners insurance policy will often be able to assist you.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the scenarios where you will find you might need to turn to your home insurance for assistance covering garage door damage.

Scenario 1: You Hit the Garage Door with Your Car

It happens more often than your think—someone backs out of their garage without remembering to put up the garage door. It was a mistake, but the damage was done. If this happened to you, then you will have to turn to both your home insurance and your car insurance to cover the damage. You damaged your own property; therefore, your home insurance will cover the damage to the garage while your auto insurance will cover damage to your car.

Scenario 2: The Garage Door Does Not Work

If your garage door is mechanized, then it is both a sensitive system and one that will require special maintenance and repairs, when necessary. You might also have to periodically replace the door entirely. However, your homeowners insurance is unlikely to cover simple maintenance issues, wear & tear or the replacement of an old system.

Still, if the mechanical system is damaged in an unforeseen hazard—such as a power surge from a lightning strike—then your home insurance will often help you pick up the pieces. They key to getting coverage is to determine whether damage occurred because of wear & tear, or because of an otherwise unavoidable hazard.

Scenario 3: A Storm Damaged the Garage Door

Suppose that a severe storm hits your community. High winds, hail and driving rain cause a tree to fall, hitting the garage in the process. As a result, the garage door might have structural damage, no longer operate mechanically, and no longer be able to be raised or lowered manually. Under the circumstances, your home insurance is likely to cover the damage.

Keep in mind, if your garage is detached from your home (I.e., a freestanding entity) then it will be insured under your detached structures coverage. This benefit will contain separate benefits from your standard dwelling coverage and will have a different payout limit.

If you are unsure if you have coverage, call your home insurance agent. They will offer key information about your policy, including deductibles that may impact your payouts for garage door claims. They will make certain that your policy will offer you appropriate payouts for any garage losses.