7+ years writing insurance and personal finance content
Contributor to top media, including USA Today
A passionate personal finance advocate, Sarah’s writing has graced the pages of many of the personal finance and insurance industries’ top web publications.
Sara Getman is an Associate Editor at Insurify and has been with the company since 2022. Prior to joining Insurify, Sara completed her undergraduate degree in English Literature at Simmons University in Boston. At Simmons, she was the Editor-in-Chief for Sidelines Magazine (a literary and art publication), and wrote creative non-fiction.
Outside of work, Sara is an avid reader, and loves rock climbing, yoga, and crocheting.
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Termites thrive by eating and living in wood structures, including homes. If termites make your house their home, their activity can cause significant structural damage. Unfortunately, termite damage can be expensive to repair, and termites cause billions of dollars in structural damage every year.[1]
For homeowners discovering termite damage, a natural question is whether home insurance covers it. In the vast majority of cases, a home insurance policy won’t cover termite damage repair costs.
Why home insurance doesn’t cover termite damage
A homeowners insurance policy is designed to cover repairs after a sudden or unavoidable event. Although termite damage can be expensive to repair, it’s preventable in the eyes of the insurance company.
Insurers expect homeowners to take precautions to prevent termites from causing significant damage. A little bit of prevention can go a long way toward protecting your home.
In rare situations, an insurance company might help you repair damage from termites. For example, if termites chewed through the electrical wiring in your walls to cause a fire, the insurer might pay for damages because fire is usually a covered peril.
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Signs of termite damage
If you think you might have termites gnawing their way through your home, look for these signs of termite damage:[2]
Swarmers: Flying termites in or around your house could indicate a colony of termites is living nearby.
Termite wings: Even if you don’t spot live termites, a sprinkling of termite wings could indicate a colony is at work nearby.
Buckling wood floors: If your wood flooring is buckling, it could be evident that subterranean termites have damaged your subfloor.
Dipping ceilings: If termites are working through support beams, you might notice ceiling issues.
Damaged wood: If you spot damaged wood, including long grooves in wood, termites might be slowly causing structural damage.
Mud tubes: Subterranean termites often create pencil-sized mud tubes to travel into your house from the ground. If you spot these termite tunnels around the base of your house, termites could be making their way inside.
Drywood termite droppings: As drywood termites create their home, they kick out excrement, which resembles sawdust. A pile of droppings could indicate a termite issue.
What to do if you have a termite infestation
If you’ve discovered the signs of a termite infestation, take action quickly to prevent further damage.[3]
Contact a pest control company. It’s a good idea to get a pest control company to assess the situation. A professional can provide guidance on the extent of the damage and what removal steps will work best for your particular termite colony.
Set up bait stations. You or a pest control company can set up bait stations around your house. Bait stations include poison that attracts and kills the insects.
Apply chemical treatments. You or a pest control company can apply termite-repelling chemicals around the base of your house to prevent new termites from entering.
Get fumigation treatments. A pest control company can fumigate your house with toxic gases to kill any termites inside.
Cost to repair termite damage
After eliminating the termites, it’s time to repair the damage left behind. For termite damage, the normal range of repair costs is $1,000 to $10,000, with a national average of $3,000. But it’s possible for repairs to cost tens of thousands of dollars.
The exact cost of repairs depends on the damage. For example, a minimal amount of damage that includes a few damaged boards or joists might cost less than $1,000 to fix. But replacing major structural components could cost thousands of dollars.
What is a termite bond?
A termite bond is a contract between a homeowner and a termite control company. Generally, a termite bond includes a promise by the pest control company to protect the home against subterranean termites.
A termite bond involves regular inspections and ongoing maintenance to prevent future termite infestations. If a termite infestation ends up causing damage, the termite company is held responsible for the repair costs.
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How to protect your home from termites
Dealing with a termite infestation can get expensive and stressful. When left unchecked, termites can cause serious damage. Implement the strategies below to protect your house from a termite problem:
Maintain a wood-free space around your house. Do your best to avoid any wood contacting your house from the outside. For example, keep a mulch-free perimeter around your house and avoid stacking firewood against your house.
Plant large trees away from the foundation. Tree roots can crack the foundation. The cracks may give termites a way to access your house and inflict property damage.
Don’t let moisture accumulate around your house. If possible, divert water away from your home’s foundation. Water damage may open an invitation to termites.
Enlist pest control services. A pest control company can spray or install traps to help you avoid a termite infestation. Regular maintenance can go a long way.
Prevent pets from digging around the foundation. If your pets dig through a treated soil band, that could open a pathway for termites. Although this may be easier said than done, creative solutions, like chicken wire or concrete blocks, could protect your home.
Although termites exist across the United States, the pests are more of an issue in certain areas than others. For example, if you live in the South or near the coast, subterranean termites may pose a significant threat. People who live in warm, damp, and termite-prone areas should take extra care with preventative measures to ward off termites.
Home insurance and termite damage FAQs
As you learn more about home insurance and termite damage, use the following answers to supplement your knowledge.
Are termites excluded from homeowners insurance?
Yes. A standard homeowners policy generally doesn’t cover termite damage. In rare situations, like a fire caused by termite damage, insurers may help you pay for repairs.
What do termites look like?
Termites tend to have boxy heads, tubular bodies, and six legs. They are usually around a quarter inch or less in length. Generally, they’re soft with cream or brown bodies. Sometimes, they have translucent wings that are longer than their bodies.
Can a house be saved from termite damage?
Whether a house can be saved from termite damage depends on the severity of the infestation. Typically, a professional can fix the damage that termites cause. In some cases, termites can damage a home beyond repair, especially if left untreated for years.
Is it worth buying a house with termite damage?
The extent of termite damage within a house affects whether it’s worth buying. If the infestation caused minimal damage, you might be comfortable moving forward. If extensive damage was done, you might need to skip the purchase. Either way, consider negotiating with the seller based on the damage.
Are there any policies or endorsements available for termite damage?
No, homeowners insurance companies usually don’t offer endorsements to cover termite damage with a home insurance policy.
Sarah Sharkey is a personal finance writer who enjoys helping people make savvy financial decisions. She covered insurance and personal finance topics. You can find her work on Business Insider, Money Under 30, Rocket Mortgage, Bankrate, and more. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
Sarah has been a contributor at Insurify since September 2022.
Sara Getman is an Associate Editor at Insurify and has been with the company since 2022. Prior to joining Insurify, Sara completed her undergraduate degree in English Literature at Simmons University in Boston. At Simmons, she was the Editor-in-Chief for Sidelines Magazine (a literary and art publication), and wrote creative non-fiction.
Outside of work, Sara is an avid reader, and loves rock climbing, yoga, and crocheting.
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