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Rodent Damage Insurance Coverage
Mice, raccoons, or other types of rodents can cause a significant amount of damage to any home. When you have rodent damage insurance coverage for it is usually rather limited. Because these pests are seen as a component of routine house maintenance, your home insurance company is not likely to provide you with any type of coverage for the damage they cause. Here’s what you should know about coverage.
Will House Insurance Cover Rodent Damage?
Homeowners insurance works to provide protection from accidental incidents. It doesn’t provide coverage for routine maintenance and upkeep of your home. Rodents are considered a type of maintenance task you have to manage as a property owner. This means most rodent damage is not covered by your home insurance policy.
Rodents, such as mice, raccoons, possums, and others can cause a significant amount of damage to the structure of the home. They can burrow their way into the home, creating areas of moisture damage and even structural damage in some situations. It is up to the homeowner to manage any of this damage out of pocket.
Most home insurance policies exclude any type of maintenance and routine upkeep. Since this type of infestation typically happens as a result of a lack of preventative measures or treatment as soon as there is a problem, the damage these rodents cause to your home isn’t likely to be something covered by your home insurance policy. Most property owners will need to use an exterminator to handle the removal of the pests and then tackle the damage they leave behind.
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Homeowners Insurance Coverage for Getting Rid of Pests
Your home insurance policy is meant to be there in cases of damage or loss. It does not, on the other hand, offer any type of coverage for prevention. That is important to know here. Even if you have no pests, your home insurance isn’t likely to provide any coverage for the prevention measures you take. It also does not pay to get rid of the pests in your home.
These types of tasks are considered normal maintenance in the management of your home. You may want to increase pest control and inspections more frequently if you have had some type of damage already. Maintenance like this is critical to ensuring your home remains protected from bigger risks.
What Does Home Insurance Cover in Terms of Rodent Damage?
In some limited situations, your home insurance may offer some coverage for extensive losses suffered by rodents. To be clear, it does not cover the specific damage the rodents cause, such as any damage to your home’s walls. However, if a rat gets into your home and chews at electrical wiring, and that wiring causes a fire to occur in your home, your home insurance policy will work to cover the damage occurring from the fire. In this case, it would handle the cleanup, removal of damaged material, and the repairs to your home.
If you think that rodents are behind the damage to your home, it is best to contact your home insurance agent to learn more. Discuss what is happening and why you believe you should have coverage for the losses the rodents have caused to you.
What Does Homeowners Insurance Cover for Structural Damage?
In some situations, rodents can create significant structural damage to a home. They can nest and eat away at structural beams or cause damage in ceilings that create large leaks. In these situations, the cost of damage can be significant. Yet, again, most of the time, this type of damage has no coverage under your standard home insurance policy.
If you believe there is structural damage to your home, no matter what the cause, be sure to get it inspected right away. Repairs may be necessary to support the overall safety of your home. If you allow these types of damages to go unchecked for some time, it can cause additional risks. And, in some cases, your home insurance is not likely to cover those losses.
Home Insurance Offers Limited Coverage for Maintenance
Maintenance is never a covered component of home insurance. Yet, it is something your home insurance company expects you to perform. Pest control, including bug infestations, should always be managed as soon as possible. This helps to keep your home in good overall condition and limits large-scale concerns. If you don’t maintain it, and a larger problem occurs, you may not have the home insurance coverage you need.
Home insurance policies can offer very little help with rodent control and damage repair. Yet, they are there for the larger events that could be triggered by this type of incident. Work with your home insurance agent to fully understand what your limits and responsibilities are.
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