Does homeowners insurance cover termite damage? Usually not. The standard HO-3 homeowners form excludes loss caused by insects, with two narrow exceptions quoted below. Checked against the form on 14 October 2026.
Most US homeowners policies are written on the Insurance Services Office (ISO) Homeowners 3 Special Form, HO 00 03, or on wording modelled on it. Two passages decide termite claims.
The exclusion: Section I, Perils Insured Against, A.2.c.(6)(g)
Among the causes of loss the form does not insure for the dwelling and other structures: “Birds, rodents or insects”. The same section adds that “any ensuing loss to property described in Coverages A and B not precluded by any other provision in this policy is covered”.
The collapse exception: Section I, Additional Coverages, 8. Collapse, d.(3)
The form covers an abrupt collapse caused by “insect or vermin damage, to a building or any part of a building, that is hidden from view, unless the presence of such damage is known to an insured prior to collapse”. Abrupt collapse means an abrupt falling down or caving in that leaves the building or part of it unusable; a building that is standing does not count, even if it shows cracking, bulging, sagging, bending or leaning. The cover does not raise the policy limit.
The ensuing-loss exception, in practice
If termites chew through wiring and the wiring starts a fire, the fire damage falls under the policy's fire cover. The termite damage that led to it does not. You would have to show the chain of cause, so neither exception is a plan for termite risk.
Source: ISO Homeowners 3 Special Form, HO 00 03 05 11, copy published by the Maine Bureau of Insurance, checked 14 October 2026. Carriers that file their own forms may word this differently; we have not checked each carrier's form.
Structural wood repair
$600-$3,000
After the colony is eliminated (HomeAdvisor)
Load-bearing beams or walls
up to $6,000
Replacing or fixing them (HomeAdvisor)
Severe: treatment plus repairs
above $10,000
Subfloor, framing and beam work (This Old House)
Compiled estimates from HomeAdvisor (updated 19 June 2026) and This Old House (updated 17 June 2026), both checked 14 October 2026. For a line-by-line estimate (framing, subfloor, beams, drywall) use the termite damage repair cost page; treatment itself is priced on the termite treatment cost calculator.
| Option | Covers | Leaves to you |
|---|---|---|
| Termite contract, retreatment only | Covers: Free retreatment if termites return, plus the yearly inspection the renewal fee pays for | Leaves to you: Repair of any damage the termites cause |
| Termite contract, retreatment plus repair | Covers: Retreatment and repair of new damage, up to the cap the contract states | Leaves to you: Damage that existed before the contract started, and anything above the cap |
| Home warranty | Covers: Usually home systems and appliances; termite cover only where the contract says so | Leaves to you: Whatever its exclusions list, which is where wood-destroying insects usually appear |
| Nothing in place | Covers: Nothing pre-funded | Leaves to you: Every treatment and repair bill |
HomeGuide puts a termite contract at $500 to $2,500 for the first year and $150 to $500 a year to renew (compiled estimates; it does not price the two contract types separately). Mississippi State University Extension notes that paying the renewal fee keeps the contract in force and buys an annual inspection at no extra charge. The termite bond page sets out what each Southern state requires a contract to say.
Most purchases include a wood-destroying insect report before closing. Who pays for any treatment or repair it turns up is set by the purchase contract and by negotiation, not by insurance. Ask for the treatment records and any active termite contract: a contract that transfers to you is worth having, and its transfer terms are in the contract itself. The termite inspection for home buyers page covers the official report forms by state.
Usually not. The standard ISO homeowners form, HO 00 03 (HO-3), does not insure loss to the house caused by "birds, rodents or insects", and most carriers use that form or wording modelled on it. The same form pays in two narrow cases: an abrupt collapse caused by insect damage hidden from view that you did not know about, and an ensuing loss, such as a fire, that the policy otherwise covers. Carriers that file their own forms may word this differently, so the words in your policy are what count.
The HO-3 form has two. Its Collapse additional coverage pays for an abrupt collapse caused by insect or vermin damage that was hidden from view, unless you knew about the damage before the collapse; a floor that is only sagging, or a wall that is cracking or leaning but still standing, does not count. And an ensuing loss the policy otherwise covers can be paid: if termites chew through wiring and start a fire, the fire damage may be covered, but the termite damage that led to it is not.
Not under a standard homeowners policy outside those two exceptions. HomeAdvisor puts structural wood repair after treatment at $600 to $3,000, and up to $6,000 where load-bearing beams or walls are replaced; This Old House says repairs after a severe infestation can push the total well above $10,000. The cost falls on the owner, which is why a termite contract that includes repairs is the usual protection.
No. Treatment is a maintenance cost, not a covered loss: the HO-3 form insures direct physical loss and excludes loss caused by insects. The termite treatment cost calculator on our homepage prices treatment by method and size.
We know of no standard endorsement that adds general termite-damage cover to a homeowners policy, and the insect exclusion sits in the base HO-3 form itself. We have not checked every carrier's own forms, so ask your insurer for its policy form rather than its marketing page.
In practice it is the protection homeowners use instead. What most people call a bond is a renewable service contract: HomeGuide puts one at $500 to $2,500 for the first year and $150 to $500 a year to renew (compiled estimates). Some contracts cover retreatment only; others also pay for repairs, up to the cap the contract states. Mississippi State University Extension notes that keeping the contract in force by paying the renewal fee also buys an annual inspection at no extra charge.
Renters insurance covers a tenant's belongings, not the building, so termite damage to the structure is the landlord's matter. Landlord dwelling policies are written on separate forms we have not quoted here; read the exclusions in the policy itself.
That is a question about the sale, not your insurance. A wood-destroying insect report at closing describes what the inspector could see on that day, and several states' official forms say outright that the report is not a warranty. If you believe damage was concealed, a real estate attorney can tell you whether you have a claim against the seller or the inspector.
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