Rats, mice, gophers, and squirrels can do thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars in damage to your house and lawn. Nearly every homeowner’s insurance policy contains a clause excluding gradual damage caused by rodents. But nearly every homeowner’s insurance policy will cover sudden and unexpected damage that is caused by rodents, or that results in the damage to your property by rodents after other sudden and unexpected damage to your home.
Typically the language in your policy will read something to the effect of “Unless the resulting loss is a Loss Not Insured, we will pay for accidental direct loss for” and then there is a reference to a list of causes of homeowner casualty such as windstorms, fires, tornadoes, and, if you purchase an appropriate rider or a separate specialized policy, earthquakes and floods.
Typically the homeowner reads this and says “Huh?”
We can’t give you legal advice here, but the question you need to ask your insurance agent or your attorney is whether you are covered for the consequences of insured losses.
Situations in Which Animals Increase an Insured Loss
For instance, a windstorm blows shingles off your roof, and then a family of squirrels takes up residence in your attic and their squirrely doo leaks through your ceiling tiles before you can get your roof repaired, your insurance company will probably pay for both the damage to your roof and to your ceiling. If a family of squirrels takes up residence in your attic and then a windstorm blows shingles off your attic, you will probably just get paid for the damage to your roof.
Similarly, if a windstorm blows your front door away, and a skunk wanders in and sprays your sofa, then your homeowner’s policy may replace your sofa, but not if you just leave the door open so the skunk wanders in.
Rodent Damage in a Single, Identifiable Event
Usually the fact that damage to your dwelling is caused by wildlife doesn’t make a difference it the damage occurs in a single, identifiable event. For instance, if a gopher tunnels under a gas line, a joint in the line fails, gas leaks, and your house catches on fire, your homeowner’s policy will pay. If the same gopher’s tunnel only causes a slow leak in the gas line and you smell gas for weeks without calling the gas company for repairs, however, your insurance company will not pay.
If squirrels get into your attic and gnaw through the pipes to your overhead sprinkler system for putting out fires and water leaks onto your furniture and carpet in a single flooding event, your homeowner’s policy will pay. If the same squirrels damage a pipe so that water drips through the ceiling for six months, chances are that your policy will not pay.
Coverage for Hidden Defects
There are also instances in which your homeowner’s coverage will pay your bills when damage from animals was undetected before you bought your house. For instance, if your home inspection before you bought your house failed to reveal that termites had eaten your floorboards, and one day your kitchen collapses into your basement, your homeowner’s policy will probably pay for the damage. If you did not have a home inspection, or if you ignored your home inspection, however, you probably won’t be covered.
Sometimes there is coverage for your damages that is not included in your homeowner’s policy. Suppose you had your house inspected before you purchased it, and the inspector missed a major defect, such as a sewer vent pipe opening in the attic rather than above the roof and admitting sewer rats into you house—hundreds and hundreds of sewer rats. Your homeowner’s policy might not pay, but the inspector’s professional liability policy just might. Do not hesitate to ask an attorney for advice for collecting major damages to your property that are not your fault.
Dear Mark
I bought a house in 2016 that had rats in it, although nothing was said about them in the inspection. Now they have eaten into the air ducts and the insulation is coming out through them. Also, it appears there is mold in the air ducts. I have both regular homeowners insurance that had a 5000 limit on mold and a home warranty that covers air ducts. I am having a rodent control company out today. It appears I may have to clean out the insulation due to the rats and replace as well. One AC company recommended just disinfecting the air ducts for the mold but that was before we knew about the rats getting into the ducts. How should I go about trying to claim mold in the air ducts to replace them. If the insulation is not covered I will have to do that myself I guess.
You need to read your insurance document very carefully to see if you are covered for rodent damage. If the seller of the house knew about the rodents and didn’t inform you at the time of purchase, then you may be able to force them to pay.
Mexican rodents envaded my Mobile home in Kings way Gardens La Verne Please help
Start by reading the articles on this site about how to get rid of rodents and start applying the recommendations. Get a camera trap so you can see exactly what they are up to and where to place the traps.
About 5 yrs after we moved in a shopping center moved behind us. 3 yrs ago a rat got in. Last year I noticed rat feces throughout my attic & they’ve chewed several things as well as toss my insulation about..
Would homeowners cover cleanup & replace my insulation?
I suspect it won’t but certainly give them a call and see what they say.
I have been battling with rats entering my home paid someone who works for truly nolan to plug up holes But they still keep coming in. Finally, he found they are coming in under the sink in the kitchen because the pipes are broken and whole between the cabinet and wall. there was a leak and flooded my house. The plumber showed me where the rat chewed the hose thats why the flood. Will ins pay
My guess is, if you make a claim, they will reject it. If they do, appeal against their decision.
I live in Florida went threw hurricane Erma . I had a lot of damage . My insurance company said they won’t pay. For the stucco on my house . Just telling me it wasn’t put on right . The company that did it are no longer in business. Now I have rats crawling threw the holes . Into my house , I don’t know what to do . Of course I got someone over , truly Nolan . They showed me that’s were there coming from . I’m so scared I don’t know what to do . I won’t go home until the rats are out of there . Thankyou
Donna,
The very first thing you have to do is plug any holes in your house which rats can crawl through. Secondly tell the insurance company you want to appeal against their decision and see what they say. Once you have plugged the holes, then put out your traps.
Hope this helps.
Simon
We came home yesterday and the lower garage door panel had been ripped apart by some rodent, presumably a groundhog. Also, the critter had chewed frantically around our walk-in door frame. We keep our doors closed because if we don’t, birds, usually Carolina wrens, build nests in our garage. The ‘hog must have wandered in during the day, right before we went away. I had mowed and left the walk-in door open momentarily when I carried my gas can down to my shed. I backed out the car and didn’t know any critter was in my garage. When we closed the door as we were leaving the ‘hog apparently panicked and went nuts.
My insurance company says they won’t cover the damage to my door. The language in their policy is so ambiguous it can be twisted to mean anything in my estimation.
Hi Jan,
Yes, I sympathize with you. I would suggest you don’t sit back and take their first rejection as their final answer. Many insurance companies automatically reject your claim as a matter of course and only take you seriously if you kick up a bit of a fuss. You might also want to get some legal advice.
Simon
We noticed a water leak in our bedroom ceiling at 3 am and immediately called our insurance who sent over an adjuster immediately. Our house is heated by hot water so we spent the following day in the cold house.
The adjuster saw evidence of rodent dung and said the pipe had been chewed. The plumber came the next day and fixed the pipe but I had to pay the plumber. The insurance claims I am not covered due to the rodents..the pipes were in the attic..I didn’t know they were there! My walls and ceiling is damage. Shouldn’t this be covered by insurance?
Hi Janet,
You would have thought so wouldn’t you. I don’t know what the fine print of your agreement is, but I would definitely challenge the decision and get a lawyer to have a look at your contract.
Simon
Bought new manufactured home 13 months ago. 2 months after moving in we noticed the floor was warping. The home has a 12 month warranty from manufactor so we call them out to check for water leak. I looked under the house and no water was noticeable but the bottom of the house is covered with insulation. They kept staling about coming out. Finnaly show up and go under the house and cut the insulation to expose the pipes and find a leak. By now my floor is falling through. They fixed the leak but refuse to fix my floor because they say a mouse chewed a hole in the line and that’s what caused the leak. And my floor is no longer under warranty being the house is now 13 months old. Will home owners pay for this?
I’m sorry to hear about your plight Dusty. In my opinion, this is one of the reasons why you need insurance, however in my years of dealing with insurance companies, they stick lots of clauses in their policies, which gives them the opportunity to duck out of paying in lots of cases. In short, I don’t know the answer to your question, all I can say is read the policy very carefully and speak to the insurance company to hear what they say.
Hi Mark… many thanks for your article which is much appreciated and I will certainly take up the
matter with my insurance company…. I am suffering here from mice chewing thru cables, I have
had the telephone line cut off, the television cable cut-off, computers damaged both inside and
outside with the cables for power units chewed thru… it is driving me crazy… I have mouse traps
placed around but the mice seem to clever to go near these things !…. also, I have two dogs,
yorkshire terrier and malteser, but they don’t seem able to catch the mice !… It is all the damage
caused having to replace things !… kind regards – John Bolton, Antwerp, Belgium…