For homeowners, rodents and other pests are an ongoing problem of irritation. These unwelcome pests break into houses, cause damage and illness wherever they go, and often result in both expensive removal and repair services as well as sleepless nights.
Even worse is the fact that your insurance policy is unlikely to pay for repairs when bugs damage your house and belongings. But your case can be more complicated than it first appears. To know how pests damage your home and how you can deal with them, get your Details here.
Will your home insurance pay for pest damage?
The type of damage often decides whether your homeowner’s insurance will pay for pest damage. Before starting the claim procedure, it is essential to understand what might or might not be covered. Seek advice from an expert if you are unclear whether the damage to your property will be considered preventable.
Examples of infestations that are typically not covered by insurance policies include as following:
- Termite damage
Once termites settle in a wooden structure, they may cause extensive damage, leaving your home vulnerable to various types of gnawing damage.
Rather than simply digging through wood, termites eat it, causing the wood around your house to weaken over time. This includes:
- Drywall
- Wooden joists
- Wooden floors
- Support beams
- Decks and porches
These structures may fail and collapse as a result of this type of damage. Termite infestations can be avoided by maintaining pest control measures and applying a resistant paint or stain on wood.
Are Termites Covered by Home Insurance?
In general, it is your duty as the homeowner to keep your property free of termites or to engage a pest control company to eradicate termites once you find an infestation.
Termites and the damage they create can be covered in certain cases by your homeowner’s insurance. For example, your insurance company might pay for the water and insect damage that results from a burst interior water pipe, creating a wet area that draws termites.
- Rodent damage
Pest management is unlikely to be covered by your insurance coverage, even though it might cover unexpected rodent damage, such as to outdoor electrical wires. Unfortunately, even if you see gnaw marks or droppings, many insurance policies do not cover the removal of rats from the house. Rodents should be removed as soon as possible in a safe manner because they can spread disease and contaminate food.
Pest Damage Coverage: Preventable vs. Unexpected Damage
Usually, insurance will only pay for unexpected damage or pest damage that is outside your control. This could include, for example, damage from pests that entered your house as a result of storm damage or other unexpected events. However, if these events are combined with preventable pest damage, it may result in a complicated claim procedure.
Your insurance adjuster is going to investigate whether you might have prevented the damage via routine upkeep in order to decide whether or not your homeowner’s policy would cover the pest damage. In order to determine if your damage is covered, you will need to respond to a series of insurance questions when you submit a claim.
Secondary Infestation-Related Damage
Although many home insurance policies would not clearly cover bug damage, they might still cover secondary damage brought on by pests.
For instance, it is rare that you will receive compensation for replacing insulation that has been destroyed by a mouse infestation. However, if a mouse eats a wire and causes an electrical fire, your insurance coverage may still cover any harm caused by the fire. Even if your insurance provider determines that the damage was unanticipated, they likely will only cover unexpected damage and not the cost of pest management.
