Garages cause more insurance confusion than almost any other bit of a home. They look like part of the house, act like a shed, and often contain a small fortune in tools, bikes and good intentions.
Home insurance can cover garages, but the detail depends on how the garage is built, what’s kept inside it, and what you expect the policy to do.
Is a garage covered under buildings insurance?
In many cases, yes. Garages are often treated as outbuildings under buildings insurance.
That usually includes detached garages, as well as garages attached to the house. The key point is whether the garage sits within the boundary of the insured property.
- Attached garages are normally included automatically
- Detached garages are often covered as outbuildings
- Some policies limit cover to garages within the boundary
If the garage is rented separately, shared, or located away from the main property, it may need to be declared.
What damage to a garage is usually insured?
Buildings insurance for a garage follows the same rules as the house itself. It responds to insured events such as fire, storm damage, flooding or impact.
Wear, ageing and maintenance issues are treated the same way too. A roof that’s been failing for years won’t suddenly become an insurance problem just because it’s attached to a garage.
Does contents insurance cover what’s inside the garage?
Often yes, but with tighter limits.
Contents insurance usually covers personal belongings kept in garages, sheds and outbuildings, but insurers tend to apply lower limits than for items kept inside the home.
- Tools and equipment, within set limits
- Bicycles, often with specific caps
- Garden and DIY items
High-value items stored in a garage can easily exceed those limits without anyone noticing.
Security conditions for garage contents
Garages are seen as higher risk than the main house. Locks, doors and access matter.
Some policies require certain security standards for outbuildings. Others reduce limits if security is basic.
Leaving expensive items in an unlocked or poorly secured garage can affect how a claim is treated.
Are bicycles covered in a garage?
Bicycles are usually covered under contents insurance, but they almost always have their own limits.
Higher-value bikes often need to be specified separately, particularly if they’re kept in a garage or taken away from home.
Assuming a bike is fully covered because it’s indoors is a common mistake.
What about power tools and equipment?
DIY tools are generally covered as contents, but again, limits apply.
If tools are used for business purposes, standard home insurance may not respond at all.
That distinction matters more than where the tools are stored.
Does home insurance cover my car if it’s in the garage?
No. Not in the way people often hope.
Cars are insured under motor insurance, not home insurance, regardless of where they’re parked.
If a garage collapses, floods or burns down and damages the car inside, the car itself is usually dealt with under the motor policy, not the home policy.
What home insurance might still cover around a car
Home insurance may cover damage to the garage itself and to other contents stored there.
It may also cover fixtures such as garage doors or built-in storage.
But the vehicle remains a motor insurance issue.
Car contents and accessories
Items kept inside a car may be covered under contents insurance in limited circumstances, but this varies widely.
Many policies exclude theft from vehicles altogether, or apply very low limits.
Relying on home insurance to protect items left in a car, even inside a garage, is risky.
Shared and communal garages
Communal garages introduce another layer of complexity.
Cover may still apply, but limits are often lower and security requirements stricter.
If access is shared with others outside the household, insurers usually want to know.
Common assumptions that cause problems
Most issues come from overlap and expectation.
Assuming garages are always included. Assuming contents limits are generous. Assuming a car is safer because it’s behind a door.
Home insurance can cover garages and what’s inside them, but only within the boundaries set by the policy. Knowing where those boundaries sit makes all the difference when something goes wrong.