Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Pest or Termite Damage in Texas?
Texas homeowners policies generally do not cover damage caused by termites, insects, rats or mice. Coverage and endorsements can differ, so check your policy documents and contact your insurer before assuming that a loss is covered.
What the Texas Department of Insurance says
The Texas Department of Insurance answers this directly in its Home Insurance FAQ: asked whether homeowners insurance covers termite or squirrel damage, it says no — if rodents and insects chew on your house, the policy will not pay for the repairs.
Its Home Insurance Guide lists what most policies do not cover, and that list includes termites, insects, rats, or mice, alongside flooding, wear and tear, and earth movement.
Sources: Texas Department of Insurance, Home Insurance FAQ, and Home Insurance Guide (CB025). Both consulted 12 August 2026.
Treating the pest and repairing the damage are two different costs
It helps to separate them. The treatment itself — getting the colony or infestation dealt with — is a service you arrange and pay for. The repair of what the pests damaged is what an insurance claim would normally be about. In Texas, the guidance above applies to the second: damage caused by termites, insects, rats or mice is generally excluded.
Commonly excluded, according to the state guide
- Termites, insects, rats or mice
- Wear and tear
- Flooding — a separate flood policy is needed
- Continuous water leaks, and mold removal except where it repairs damage from a covered risk
- Earthquakes or earth movement
Read your own exclusions
Policies and endorsements are not identical. The state guidance describes what most policies do, not what yours does. The exclusions section of your own documents is the only place that answers the question for your situation, and an endorsement may change it.
Document what you find
Whatever the outcome, photographs help. Take them before anything is moved or repaired, include something for scale, and keep the file dates intact. Write down when you first noticed the problem. If a professional inspects, keep their written findings. This costs nothing and it is difficult to reconstruct later.
Contact your insurer before assuming
If you think a loss might be connected to a covered event rather than to the infestation itself, that is a question for your insurer, not for us. Ask them to point you to the clause they are relying on.
This page is general information about how Texas homeowners policies commonly work. It is not legal advice, not insurance advice, and not a statement about your policy. Only your policy documents and your insurer can tell you what is covered. Sources verified 12 August 2026.
Getting the pest problem itself handled
Insurance aside, the treatment still has to be arranged. Get in touch to check whether a participating pest control provider covers your ZIP code.
Texas Pest Control Pro is a referral service and does not directly perform pest control treatments. Service availability is not guaranteed.
Local guides: pest control in Waco · pest control in Lubbock · what pest control costs