Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Termite Damage?

Homeowners insurance policies usually consider the damage caused by termites and other pests preventable. However, there are two situations where you are covered:

Sudden House Collapse

The term “sudden house collapse” sounds as terrifying as it is. It involves your home falling down and breaking into pieces. If termites are to blame, your home insurance typically covers it as long as two conditions are met:

Covered Peril

Sometimes termite damage isn’t your fault. If termite infestations are caused by something else you’re covered for in your insurance policy, you may be covered for the damages they cause. 

For example, if a sudden storm damages your roof and termites move in while you’re displaced, your policy should cover it. That sort of roof damage is part of your dwelling coverage, a cornerstone of your homeowners insurance policy. Also, if you have to move into a hotel in the meantime, you won’t be there to take preventative measures when the termites move in. You’ll be covered under these circumstances.

Termite damage is considered preventable because it can be controlled by routine maintenance. Annual inspections can catch the termites early and prevent them from causing extensive damage to your home. 

There are three common types of termites: drywood termites, dampwood termites, and subterranean termites.

Here are a few signs your home may have termites.

You Have Mud Tubes

Mud tubes are made up of small pieces of soil and wood. They help protect subterranean termites from predators while traveling between their nests and a food source. You’ll usually find these near your home’s foundation, so keep items like mulch, firewood, and wood chips away from your house.

Your Doors Or Windows Are Hard To Open

Your doors become warped, and your windows stiff due to moisture and hot weather. However, this could also be because of termites. Termites produce moisture when they tunnel and eat through door and window frames, making them hard to open.

You Find Frass

Frass is a much more eloquent term for termite droppings. They’re wood-colored and often confused with sawdust - if you don’t know what you’re looking for. 

Subterranean termites use frass to build tunnels. Meanwhile, drywood termites push frass out of small holes near their nests’ entrance. When they do, you’ll find small black marks and a powder-like dark substance around the infested area.

You Find Swarmers And Discarded Wings

Swarmers are winged termites that have left their nests to find a mate. They tend to appear shortly after rain, both day and night, at various times of the year. When swarmers take flight, they’re also shedding their wings. If you find a pile of discarded wings near your home’s foundation, they could belong to termites.

Your Wood Is Blistered Or Sounds Hollow

Termites typically consume wood from the inside out, leaving behind a thin veneer of timber—or sometimes just the paint! When you tap or knock on an infested area, and it sounds hollow, it’s because the termites turned your timber into lunch. 

You might also find cracks in your home’s interior walls. These cracks could also indicate that you have termites eating and tunneling through your timber, causing it to blister.

Even if they’re starting from the ground up, your attic rafters, ceilings, and wooden beams are susceptible to termite damage as much as your floors. Keep an eye out for hollow sounds, blistered wood, or sag in your floors and baseboards.

You Can Hear Them

If you’ve heard clicking noises in your walls, it could be the sounds of their heads banging against the wood while eating it, or their shaking bodies if they sense danger. They’re noisy eaters, so if you lean in to listen to them, you’ll hear them going to town.

Since insurance companies usually don't cover termite claims, you need to be as on top of the process as possible. Here’s how:

Finally, get your home inspected for termites if you haven’t moved in yet. You don’t want to get settled into your home, only to notice frass, discarded wings, or chewing sounds just days later. The previous owner should be responsible for taking care of termite infestations, not you.

If your insurance coverage covers termites, you’re entitled to reimbursement up to your policy’s limits. Typically, this is part of your dwelling coverage limit, which is outlined in your homeowner’s policy. Dwelling coverage is specific to your home’s structure. It only makes sense that termite damage is covered here. 

If termites chew away at your personal belongings, you’ll be covered up to your personal property coverage limits or sub-limits.

Unfortunately, most homeowners insurance policies won’t cover termite damage. When this is the case, there are two ways to reduce your costs when removing them:

Getting rid of termites can cost anywhere from $500 to $5,000, depending on your home’s infestation size and location. Often, these quotes don’t cover the cost of repairs. 

Of the two options, I recommend doing your research and then hiring a professional. If you attempt to get rid of the termites yourself and fail to remove the entire colony, they’ll return and continue to do more damage. Then, you’ll have to hire a professional anyway.

The most cost-effective way to deal with termites is to catch an infestation early or prevent them from invading your home altogether. Here are a few ways to avoid a termite infestation before it even starts: