So You Have Termites! Will Your Home Insurance Cover You?

Homeowners insurance provides coverage for many potential losses. The purpose of getting a policy is so that if things go wrong, the property owner doesn't have to pay for the costs out of their own bank account.

But, what happens if there's a termite problem at the home? Will homeowners insurance cover it?

Does homeowners insurance pay for termite damage?

The national average cost of repairing termite damage comes in at $1,800, according to Bob Vila. And in some cases, termites can cause much more extensive damage that can be even costlier to repair. Termites can impact a home's structural integrity, potentially causing floors or ceilings to collapse. Furniture, flooring, and carpets can also be ruined by termites.

Unfortunately, home insurance is not going to provide any help to a homeowner who is faced with termite damage.

Pest control is considered to be the responsibility of a homeowner as part of their routine maintenance of a home. And preventing a termite infestation is possible -- unlike, say, preventing a random fire that happens or a sudden water line break that damages a home. Home insurance is supposed to be there to protect against the kinds of losses homeowners can neither predict nor prevent, and any type of termite or insect infestation simply will not fall within this category.

Now, homeowners insurance could provide coverage if a wild animal suddenly damages a home since this would be considered to be the type of sudden, unexpected accident that can't be prevented and that insurance protects against. But if the damage happens over time, as is the case with a termite infestation, this wouldn't be a peril insurance would pay for.

Taking care of a home is the best bet

Homeowners should know that insurance is not going to be there for them if something goes wrong that could have been prevented if they had taken proper care of their house. This goes beyond just termites. If a homeowner doesn't fix a leaky faucet and mold develops, home insurance also won't pay for that type of situation either.

Home insurance is not, and can't be, a substitute for making sure that maintenance tasks are done promptly and the home is repaired when fixes become necessary. It is the responsibility of every homeowner to protect their investment, which means doing things like watching for signs of termites and adding to a savings account they can use to pay for home repairs that arise over time.

Home insurers actually want to make sure that homeowners are taking care of their homes and not creating hazards. As a result, if an insurer identifies an issue that could lead to a claim -- such as a roof that's past its useful life that the homeowner isn't replacing -- the insurer could actually require the homeowner to make fixes or else be dropped from coverage.

Ultimately, it's important to remember that home insurance has a very specific purpose: protecting against losses from big surprise disasters. Having the right coverage in place to do that is important, but planning (and saving) for the more minor problems that can come with owning a home is just as important as well.