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A house fire is unfortunately self-explanatory and will be easy to prove when filing an insurance claim, so you should likely be able to get it covered. If you take a close look at wood in and around your home, check for carved out patterns. If you suspect the new artwork in your wood is from termites, it’s time to call the exterminator.
You’ll be immediately attracted to entry points like damp timber struts beneath a porch or an exposed shed. You might burrow up to make your home in a pile of firewood left in the rain, and then be carried inside and rested on a wooden floor or surface to find your new home. Or you might be lucky enough to get deposited right onto a timber rooftop by a bird or the wind. But once you understand some of the telltale signs, they’re easier to see.
Benefits of professional Terminix® termite treatment
Take action early on to reduce the likelihood of termites nesting in or around your home. There are several potential signs of termite damage you may notice in your home, depending on where they are. Peeling drywall or paint, hollow sounds in wood and squeaky floorboards are some of the telltale signs that termites may be causing damage to your home behind the scenes. Identifying potential termite damage early on can save a lot of trouble and cost, both when purchasing a home and after you’ve lived there for quite some time.
Your provider will not cover damage that results from negligence. This includes failure to have annual termite inspections, or ignoring obvious signs of termites or water damage. Find out whether your homeowners insurance policy will cover the cost of repairs for significant termite damage in your home or property. Insurance companies generally don’t sell termite coverage, but some pest control companies offer plans for annual inspection and treatment. Before buying a home, you should have it inspected for termites. If there is termite damage, you can renegotiate the home price or have the seller repair the damage before the purchase goes through.
Step 3: Get professional help
Bring this evidence to your agent and claim it as the proximate cause to get reimbursed for the termite damage. You can do your part to prevent termites from invading your home by moving lumber, firewood and cellulose items as far away from your property as possible. Above all, do not stack wood against the house as doing so provides a termite food source that encourages those critters to transition to your living space.
Schedule annual termite inspections with a pest control company. Unfortunately, though, homeowners insurance doesn’t typically cover termite damage. Aside from that, overlooking the pest inspection prior to the purchase of the house will affect your insurance coverage. Insurers will usually exclude more perils if they observed that the house is at risk for more potential damages. If you want added peace of mind for your home, a termite bond is an excellent investment. Also, if your area is prone to termite infestations, this bond is a must-have along with comprehensive insurance coverage.
Termite damage and home insurance
A termite control professional will inspect your home for signs of termites (like cracks in the home's foundation) or other damage to the home. Termite infestations are not easily detectable, especially to the untrained eye. If you’re unable to get the termite damage covered by your homeowner’s insurance, you still have options. Hiring a professional team to remove the termites will be most efficient, but can be costly. Like what we mentioned earlier, termite bonds can be transferable or not.
And some policies may pay for more than repairs; an owner might be compensated for temporary housing costs if that’s spelled out in their policy. A sudden house collapse due to termite damage may be covered by homeowners insurance. During the inspection, your termite control professional will look for signs of termites both inside your house and around your property. No, homeowners insurance generally does not cover termite damage or any other type of pest infestation, except for a rare set of circumstances. It is better if you identify pests in the early stages to prevent damage from happening.
Most home insurance policies won't cover termite damage
The next step is to have a contractor evaluate the damage inside the home. Consider getting several opinions about the repairs that need to be made and what it will cost. Any licensed contractor should be able to address a termite infestation and recommend repairs. Before choosing an exterminator, have several professionals visit and provide a quote. The service cost will be out of pocket, so look for a company that offers fair prices and has good customer reviews.
We may also receive payment if you click on certain links posted on our site. You may be able to claim at least partial assistance when it comes to a peril that’s caused by termites. An example of this might be an electrical fire started by wiring that’s been chewed through. While termites are more common in warm and humid climates, houses and buildings in all environments are susceptible.
Doing a simple preventative line of repellent may only run $20, while a full fumigation and return service by a professional pest control company could run you over $3,000. If left unchecked, termite damage and the costs to repair the damages can be overwhelming. And you shouldn't wait until you spot signs of termite damage to act, as termites can eat wood in your home and cause extensive damage long before you notice anything wrong.
If a policy-covered risk or peril causes the termite infestation, you may receive compensation. Cite the internal water damage as the “proximate cause” of the termites, meaning the underlying cause of the infestation. This would mean that the termites would otherwise not be in your home were it not for the water from the burst pipe. Termites and other animals that are hard to spot but cause damage like bed bugs and carpenter bees are almost always excluded from home insurance policies. The official reason is that these can be prevented in advance, therefore all damage caused by them is written down as neglect on the owner’s side. The only unpredictable damages that are not included in homeowners policies are earthquakes, sinkholes, and floods .
This site may be compensated through the bank advertiser Affiliate Program. Keep it several feet away from your home to reduce the possibility of termites. If you stack wood for your fireplace, don’t keep the wood in your basement, crawlspace, or up against the house. Take steps to minimize moisture around your home and foundation. There’s the option to increase your liability protection to $300,000 or $500,000. This is necessary if someone becomes injured on your property.
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