Shed insurance

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What different scores mean

9+

Excellent

These products offer a balance between low pricing and more features.

7+

Great

Competitive products within their group.

5+

Standard

Usually these products would either have fewer benefits or higher pricing.

0+

Basic

Offering basic cover with limited features or higher pricing.

Whether your shed is an arsenal of garden tools or just a place where overflow from the house ends up, you might be surprised at the value of the things you're keeping in it.

Our sheds can be working spaces, storage spaces, gardening spaces, a combination of all three or none of the above. They're part of the home but they're also separate from it. So how do we go about insuring them?

What is shed insurance?

Shed insurance covers your shed and the things you keep in it against damage or loss from a whole range of scenarios, including theft.

The good news is that most home, building and contents insurance policies treat sheds and other permanent outdoor structures – garages, pergolas, granny flats – like they're part of the home. This means that you can get the same levels and types of cover for your shed as you can for your main house.

Some policies will cover the shed itself, some just the things you keep in it, and some will cover the shed plus its contents.

How do I get shed insurance?

Sheds can be covered under your home or contents insurance policy. Essentially, you just need to list it as another asset when outlining what you want cover for when buying home and contents insurance. To do this, it's wise to tally up what the shed structure costs as well as tally up the value of the things inside it. From there, you'll know how much cover to add to your home or contents policy.

If your home insurance provider doesn't specifically ask about sheds, then it can be worth giving them a call and asking how you can add it to your policy to ensure you've got the cover you want.

What is shed insurance?

Shed insurance covers your shed and the things you keep in it against damage or loss from a whole range of scenarios, including theft.

The good news is that most home, building and contents insurance policies treat sheds and other permanent outdoor structures – garages, pergolas, granny flats – like they're part of the home. This means that you can get the same levels and types of cover for your shed as you can for your main house.

Some policies will cover the shed itself, some just the things you keep in it, and some will cover the shed plus its contents.

How do I get shed insurance?

The first step is to include your shed and what's in it when you're tallying up your assets and choosing or tweaking your insurance policy. You'll have various home/building and contents insurance policies to pick from, and they'll cover your shed and its contents in various ways.

The policy that's right for you (and your shed) will depend on your situation. A suburban homeowner will have different needs to a renter who's using a landlord's shed for storage.

Why is it a good idea to get covered by home insurance?

• When you crunch the numbers, the value of what's in your shed might surprise you. Lots of the things we tend to keep in sheds – vintage furniture, power tools, lawn mowers, dusty sports equipment – can qualify as valuables.
• If you're a homeowner, you might have invested heavily in your garden and the shed itself, and storm, tree and other structural damage can be a big expense.
• Being outside and separate from the home can make your shed more vulnerable to break-ins, not to mention the elements.

What does shed insurance cover?

• Home and building policies will cover the structure of the shed, providing cover from things like storms, theft and fires.
• Contents policies will cover the things you keep inside the shed, protecting them from the same things as above.
• Combined home and contents policies can cover the shed as well as the things you keep in it.

For any valuables that you're keeping in your shed, such as a ride-on mower or an expensive bike, check the limit that the policy pays out. If the item's actual value exceeds the limit, then you can look into specified contents insurance as a way to increase the limit.

What doesn't it cover?

If you use your shed as part of your business or mainly for business purposes, your home and/or contents policy might not treat it as part of your home. Be sure to check this and ask about alternatives so your business won't affect your coverage.

FAQs

• How can I cover the stuff inside my shed if I'm a renter?

  • Your landlord's insurance should cover the structure of the shed itself.
  • If you're using the shed for storage or something else, you can still take out contents insurance on what's in there. If you only have a few high-value items that you want to insure, you could consider single item insurance.

• Can I get storage shed insurance?

  Yes, this can be added on to your existing home and contents or contents only insurance policy. As long as the storage is all for personal use and not business use, you shouldn't have a problem adding it to your policy. If you store valuable contents in your shed, it's probably a good idea to check the limit that's available to you, if something happens. You want to ensure the limit you're insured for actually covers the cost of the things you're wanting to insure.

• Will I be covered for theft if the shed isn't locked?

  An unlocked door can compromise your contents coverage if theft happens in your home, and the same goes for your shed. Taking all the sensible precautions, like using padlocks on doors and toolboxes, is the smart move.

• What if I store tools/machinery for my business in the shed?

  If you're a tradesperson who keeps work tools in your shed, most standard contents policies will cover the equipment up to a specified value. Again, you should look at the total upper limit that the insurer pays to repair or replace tools and look at your options if the value of your collection is much higher than the policy's limit.

  There are various ways to insure your tools when they're out with you too, including car insurance and portable equipment cover.

• Can you insure just a shed?

  In our research, we've not seen any insurers who insure just the shed. Rather, the shed is covered as part of a home insurance policy where cover extends across the home itself and the shed.

Written by

Jessica Prasida

Travel Insurance Expert

Jessica Prasida brings a decade of experience in the travel industry, including over four years as a travel agent and branch manager at STA Travel. She holds a Bachelor of Business and a Master of Marketing from the University of Technology, Sydney, as well as a Tier 1 General Insurance qualification that complies with ASIC guidelines. An avid traveller herself, Jessica combines her professional expertise with a passion for ensuring safe and enjoyable journeys for all travellers. Jessica was a Travel Insurance Publisher at Finder from 2019 to 2024. See full bio