How Auto Insurance Covers Your Vehicle in the Garage
If you’re a homeowner, you might assume that your homeowner’s insurance covers everything within the walls of your home, including vehicles parked in your garage. However, when it comes to protecting your car or truck, homeowners insurance typically does not provide vehicle coverage, even if parked inside your garage during a storm, fire, or other events.
In this article, we’ll explain what homeowners insurance does and doesn’t cover regarding vehicles and what type of insurance you need to protect your car from damage while it’s parked in your garage.
Florida Homeowners Insurance and Vehicle Coverage
Standard Homeowners Insurance Coverage
- Personal Property Coverage: Standard homeowners insurance policies typically include coverage for personal property. This generally extends to items within the home and attached structures, such as garages. However, it’s important to note that this coverage is usually intended for personal belongings like furniture, electronics, and clothing—not for vehicles.
- Exclusion of Vehicles: Most homeowners insurance policies explicitly exclude vehicle coverage, including cars, motorcycles, boats, and other motorized vehicles, even if stored in the garage. This exclusion applies regardless of whether the vehicle is registered, licensed, or operational. The rationale behind this exclusion is that vehicles must be covered under separate auto or specialized insurance policies.
Coverage for Vehicles
Auto Insurance Policies
To protect your vehicles, you need a separate auto insurance policy. Auto insurance is designed to cover damages to your vehicle and liabilities arising from its use. It typically includes several types of coverage:
- Liability Coverage: Pays for damages and injuries you cause to others in an accident.
- Collision Coverage: Pays for damages to your vehicle resulting from a collision with another vehicle or object.
- Comprehensive Coverage: Pays for damages to your vehicle caused by non-collision events such as theft, fire, vandalism, and certain natural disasters.
- Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage: Pays for damages and injuries caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver.
Specific Scenarios Involving Vehicles in the Garage
Although homeowners’ insurance does not typically cover vehicles, there are specific scenarios where your policy might provide some protection related to your vehicle:
- Personal Belongings Inside the Vehicle: If personal items stored in your vehicle are stolen or damaged while in your garage, your homeowners’ insurance might cover those items under personal property coverage. For instance, if a laptop is stolen from your car parked in the garage, your homeowners’ policy may compensate you for the stolen laptop.
- Damage to the Garage: If a covered peril, such as a fire or hurricane, damages your garage and the vehicle inside it, your homeowners’ insurance will cover the structural damage to the garage. However, it will not cover the damage to the car itself.
- Liability Coverage: If someone is injured in your garage or on your property in an incident involving your vehicle, your homeowners’ insurance liability coverage may cover medical expenses and legal fees. However, this coverage will not extend to damage to the vehicle.
Coverage Scenarios and Exceptions
When Homeowners Insurance Might Cover Vehicle-Related Incidents
- Personal Belongings in the Vehicle: While homeowners insurance does not cover the vehicle, it may cover personal belongings inside the vehicle. Suppose items such as laptops, smartphones, or other personal property are stolen from your car. Your homeowners’ policy might cover those items, subject to the policy’s limits and deductible.
- Garage Structure: If a covered peril, such as a fire or a falling tree, damages your garage, your homeowners’ insurance will typically cover the cost of repairing or rebuilding the garage. However, the policy will not cover damage to the vehicle parked inside the garage. You must file a claim under your comprehensive coverage with your auto insurance provider.
- Detached Garages and Carports: Detached garages and carports generally fall under a homeowners policy’s “other structures” portion. However, this coverage typically does not extend to vehicles stored within these structures. Like attached garages, vehicles themselves are excluded from homeowners insurance coverage.
- Damage to the Garage Structure: While the vehicle is not covered, any damage to the garage structure due to covered perils—such as fire, windstorm, or vandalism—would typically be covered under the homeowners’ policy. For instance, if a tree falls on the garage during a storm and causes damage, the repair costs for the garage would be covered, but not the damage to any vehicles inside.
Special Considerations and Exceptions
- Classic Cars and Specialty Vehicles: A different type of insurance, such as classic car insurance, may be necessary for classic cars, collectible vehicles, or specialty vehicles not used for regular commuting. These policies often offer agreed-value coverage and may have different provisions for storage and use.
- Recreational Vehicles and ATVs: Recreational vehicles (RVs) and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) also require specialized insurance policies. While homeowners insurance may provide some coverage for these vehicles if they are used solely on the property and not registered for road use, it’s generally recommended to have a separate policy to cover all risks associated with these types of vehicles.
Florida-Specific Considerations
Special Considerations in Florida
- Natural Disasters: Florida is prone to natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods, which can significantly impact your home and vehicle. While homeowners insurance may cover wind damage to your home, including the garage, it will not cover flood damage unless you have a separate flood insurance policy. Similarly, auto insurance policies generally cover hurricane damage to vehicles under comprehensive coverage, but flood damage may require additional coverage.
- Hurricane Deductibles: In Florida, homeowners insurance policies often have separate hurricane deductibles, which can be higher than standard deductibles. If a hurricane damages your home or garage, you may have to pay a higher out-of-pocket cost before your insurance coverage kicks in. It’s essential to review your policy and understand these deductibles to avoid surprises in the event of a claim.
Protecting Your Vehicle in the Garage: Tips
To ensure that your vehicle is properly protected when parked in your garage, here are some important steps you can take:
a. Review Your Auto Insurance Policy
Ensure your auto insurance policy includes comprehensive coverage, protecting your vehicle from non-collision-related damage, including fire, theft, and storm damage. If you don’t have comprehensive coverage, consider adding it to your policy.
b. Secure Your Garage
While comprehensive auto insurance can help protect your vehicle from theft, taking steps to secure your garage can reduce the risk of damage or theft in the first place. Install security features like motion-sensor lights, cameras, and strong locks to deter burglars.
c. Document Personal Belongings
If you store valuable personal belongings in your vehicle, document them with photos and record their value. This will make filing a claim with your homeowners’ insurance easier if they are stolen or damaged.
Conclusion
In summary, homeowners insurance does not cover vehicles in the garage. The primary reason is that motor vehicles are typically covered under separate auto insurance policies tailored to address the specific risks associated with vehicle ownership and operation. However, homeowners insurance may provide limited coverage for personal items inside the vehicle or damage to detached structures where the vehicle is stored. To ensure comprehensive protection for both your home and vehicles, it’s essential to have the appropriate homeowners and auto insurance policies and any necessary endorsements for high-value items or specialty vehicles.
If you have questions about your insurance coverage or need help filing a claim, contact Williams Law, P.A. today for a free consultation. Our experienced team is here to help you navigate your insurance policies and ensure you get the compensation you’re entitled to.