SHED INSURANCE
Homeprotect buildings and contents insurance policies cover your shed and other outbuildings for which you are legally responsible and which are located within the boundary of your property, as well as items stored in them such as gardening tools, power tools, sport and gym equipment.
Does your current home insurance cover your shed? Is it enough coverage?
While your buildings insurance will usually cover outbuildings like your shed or garage, you will also need to consider whether the sum insured for your shed contents insurance will cover the items you keep there.
High value items, like power tools, can quickly add up to a significant sum. Making an inventory of the possessions stored in your shed can help you to find out whether you need additional contents cover. Specifying items, particularly bicycles, is a necessity to ensure that your valuables are protected against the likelihood of theft or damage.
Note that, in some cases, increasing contents cover will cause a referral. This is when the underwriter makes an assessment of the risk to your belongings and outbuildings before agreeing to provide cover.
Shed security
Making simple changes to protect and maintain your shed will reduce the chance of it being broken into. Using locks on the doors and windows, and fitting alarms and security lighting can all have an impact on reducing the risk to your outbuilding. Similar care and attention should be taken to protect from weather damage.
Pay attention to the terms of your policy where high value items like bicycles are concerned too, as having adequate locks and deterrents to thieves in place could be essential in the event of making a claim for stolen items.
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buildings & Contents Insurance Cover Levels
Our home insurance is designed to protect your home against insured events such as fire, storm, flood, escape of water, theft, malicious damage, subsidence, landslip or heave.
Buildings cover
Protects the main structure of your home, including attached garages and conservatories, and permanent outdoor features such as patios, driveways and boundary walls.
up to £1 million
(more cover available if you need it)
Contents cover
Protects your household contents — including furniture, clothing, appliances, gadgets and valuables — against events like fire, flood and theft. Cover is provided on a new for old basis.
from £25,000
Alternative accommodation
We’ll help cover the cost of temporary accommodation for you and your pets if your home becomes uninhabitable due to an insured event. If you stay with friends or family instead, we’ll cover your extra living costs.
up to £75,000 (Buildings)
up to £10,000 (Contents)
Home emergency
Covers sudden, unexpected emergencies — like an uncontrollable leak — that require immediate action to prevent damage or make your home secure. Two levels of cover are available, for different types of insured loss.
up to £500
Family legal protection
Covers legal costs for certain insured events. There must be a reasonable chance of success, and the incident must happen during your policy term. Two levels of cover are available, for different types of insured loss.
up to £25,000
Trace and access
We’ll pay to detect the source of a water or oil leak, and cover the cost of reinstating floors, walls or paths that were disturbed in the process.
up to £10,000
Outbuildings cover
Covers detached garages, greenhouses, sheds, summerhouses and other outbuildings within your boundary or any communal area you’re legally responsible for.
from £20,000
Liability cover
Covers your legal liability for accidental death, injury or illness to someone else, or damage to their property.
up to £5 million
Personal possessions
Covers items you wear, carry or use outside the home (e.g. clothing, bags and sports equipment).
Optional
Gadgets, bikes and valuables away from the home
Optional cover for mobile phones, laptops, tablets, watches, jewellery, hearing aids and other high-risk items you take out of your home.
Optional
Accidental damage
Optional cover for unexpected mishaps around the home — such as breakages, spillages or damage caused by you, your guests or wild animals. Two levels of cover are available.
Optional
What’s covered by BUILDINGS & contents insurance?
Our home insurance covers insured events like:
- Fire and smoke
- Flood and storm
- Theft and attempted theft
- Escape of water or oil
- Malicious damage
- Subsidence, landslip, and heave
- Falling trees or branches
- Vehicle collisions or damage caused by emergency services
This includes the structure of your main home, outbuildings (such as summer houses and sheds), and permanent outdoor features like patios, driveways, paths and boundary walls. Your contents are also protected, including furniture, electronics, clothing and kitchenware — even those stored in garages, sheds or other outbuildings.
What we offer
Emergency help when you need it most
If you have a home emergency — such as a power outage, uncontrollable leak or a broken lock — our 24/7 Home Emergency cover is included as standard.
- We aim to get an engineer to you within four hours
- For serious water leaks, we’ll try to have a plumber with you in two hours
Response times may vary during extreme weather. Policy terms and claim limits apply.
5 star rated cover
Our insurance has received the highest rating from independent financial researchers, Moneyfacts.
Repair guarantee
We guarantee any buildings work we arrange after a claim for two years. Contents repairs are guaranteed for one year.
New for old
Where we replace a damaged or stolen item, we’ll do our best to match the original — on a ‘new for old’ basis. If that’s not possible, we’ll offer a suitable alternative or a full cash settlement.
Legal support when you need it
Family Legal Protection is included as standard. You’ll have access to expert telephone legal advice on personal matters under the laws of the UK and most of Europe.
What isn’t covered?
There are some things we can’t cover, including:
Gradual damage, wear and tear, or issues you knew about but didn’t fix
Faulty design, construction, or workmanship.
Damage caused by poor maintenance or neglect
Items you don’t own or aren’t legally responsible for
Items stolen from unoccupied vehicles
Damage caused by pets.
Mechanical or electrical breakdown
Keeping your home and belongings in good condition is essential. If damage happens because of neglect or poor maintenance, your claim may be declined, and your policy could be cancelled.
Your Questions Answered
No, we only provide cover for sheds and outbuildings as part of a buildings and contents home insurance policy.
There is a maximum claim limit unless you have specifically asked to increase this. Check the current level in our policy booklet.
This is covered by buildings insurance, subject to policy terms.
Sheds, greenhouses, summer houses, garages, bike stores and other outbuildings within the boundary of your property are all covered in the same way on Homeprotect buildings and contents policies.
Cover against claims for theft is only provided where there are signs of damage caused by the thief to gain entry, and if your shed was not locked this would not be the case. However, if a padlock, door or window had been broken to gain entry, this would be considered. Don’t forget that there is a limit for any one claim for items stored in outbuildings. Check the current level in our policy booklet.
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