Reviewed and approved by Samuel Corso, licensed Texas insurance agent.

Published September 23, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026

Does home insurance cover a power surge in Texas?

When a power surge damages things in your home, whether insurance pays for it is a question about your own policy. This guide sets out what the Texas regulator's consumer pages say and how to check your policy against them.

The short version. The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) Home insurance guide does not say whether home insurance covers a power surge in Texas. Its table lists fire and lightning among the risks most policies cover and wear and tear among those most policies don't, and it adds that coverages vary by company. The guide says to read your policy or talk to your agent to be sure of your exact coverages.

Here's what we'll cover: TDI's two lists and the word missing from both, what TDI says can cause a surge, how a deductible fits in, the endorsement TDI names for electronics, what TDI says about home warranties, spoiled food after an outage, surge protection, and steps you can take if a surge damages your things.

TDI's two lists, and the word on neither

The Texas Department of Insurance does not mention power surges in the table of risks in its Home insurance guide, as that page read on October 1, 2026. The guide describes the table as showing common risks that most policies do and don't cover.

In that table, the column for what most policies cover includes fire and lightning, explosion and theft. The column for what most policies don't cover includes flooding, a continuous water leak, wear and tear, and earthquakes or earth movement. A power surge is in neither column.

Directly above the table, TDI's guide adds a caveat that applies to every entry in it: "Coverages vary by company. Read your policy or talk to your agent to be sure of your exact coverages."

For a power surge, that leaves the answer with the wording of your own policy. A general table cannot tell you how one company's policy form treats surge damage, and neither can this guide. The two entries closest to the subject are lightning on one side and wear and tear on the other, and both are statements about most policies, not all of them.

Our guide on how home insurance works in Texas walks through the coverages and the declarations page behind that table, and what home insurance doesn't cover in Texas looks at the not-covered column.

Where a power surge can come from

An electrical storm could cause a power surge in a Texas home, according to TDI's blog post Protect your home while you're away (December 6, 2024). The post does not say what a policy pays for surge damage.

On lightning, TDI's Home insurance guide lists fire and lightning among the risks most policies cover and says coverages vary by company. The guide does not say how a policy treats a power surge during an electrical storm, so that is a question for your own policy. Our guide on does home insurance cover lightning damage in Texas covers lightning on its own.

You may not know what caused a surge, and you don't need to diagnose it. As a note-taking tip from Credify, record what you saw: the date and time, whether the power went out, whether there was a storm, and what stopped working.

If the item that stopped working was the air conditioning, our guide on does homeowners insurance cover your AC unit in Texas looks at that equipment separately.

How a deductible fits into a power surge claim

A home insurance deductible is the part of a claim you pay yourself, so the size of a power surge loss matters alongside the coverage question. TDI's Home insurance guide defines the term: "A deductible is the amount of a claim that you must pay yourself."

The guide gives its own example of a $1,000 claim on a policy with a $300 deductible, where the company deducts $300 and pays $700. TDI's tip sheet What to know about deductibles gives another, in which a policy with a $7,500 deductible would not pay anything toward $6,500 in roof repairs because the repairs cost less than the deductible. Both are TDI's illustrations of deductibles in general (the second is about hail damage to a roof), and neither is about surges.

For a surge that damages a few electronics, the same comparison applies: the cost of what was damaged, set against the deductible on your policy. Two numbers are worth having in hand when you talk to your agent or company.

1. Your deductible. TDI's Home insurance guide says the declarations page is the first page of your policy and summarizes your coverages, dollar limits and deductibles, and that you might have different deductibles for each type of coverage. Our guide on what deductible you should have goes further.
2. The cost of what was damaged. List each item that stopped working and what it would cost to repair or replace.

Your agent or company can tell you how your policy applies to those two numbers. Our guide on will filing a home insurance claim raise your rates in Texas covers that separate question.

The endorsement TDI names for electronics

Electronics appear on the Texas Department of Insurance's list of common policy add-ons. TDI's Home insurance guide says most companies offer endorsements, which it describes as policy add-ons that let you increase or add coverage. The first entry on its list of common endorsements reads: "Jewelry, fine arts, or electronics (your policy provides some coverage, but it might not be enough to cover expensive items)."

TDI's guide does not say that an electronics endorsement covers power surge damage, and it does not describe what such an endorsement costs or includes. If you keep expensive equipment at home, such as a home office or a studio, two questions for your agent are how your current policy treats surge damage and whether an electronics endorsement is offered on it.

The same guide says most home policies in Texas include personal property coverage, which it describes as paying if furniture, clothing and other things you own are stolen, damaged or destroyed. Our guide on what personal property coverage covers in Texas explains that part of a policy, and is jewelry insurance worth it in Texas looks at the jewelry entry on the same TDI list.

How TDI separates home warranties from home insurance

A home warranty is a different product from home insurance in Texas, and the Texas Department of Insurance separates the two by what each responds to. In its blog post A home warranty is not home insurance (January 26, 2026), TDI writes: "Insurance pays for damages from events your policy covers like fire or theft but not wear and tear."

The same post says warranties cover certain items in a home when they break down from normal wear and tear and that, depending on the warranty, coverage may include appliances, water heaters, and electrical and plumbing systems. It also refers to a home warranty as a residential service contract. The post does not mention power surges. Whether a particular contract applies to surge damage depends on that contract's terms, and the post advises reading the fine print carefully before signing up because not all home warranties are the same.

The two products also have different regulators. TDI's post says companies that sell home warranties must be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). TDI's page Not sure who to call with your question or complaint? (last updated September 25, 2025) says TDI doesn't regulate home warranty companies and lists TDLR at 512-463-6599 for questions or complaints about home warranties.

Our guide on how a home warranty differs from home insurance in Texas compares the two.

Spoiled food after a power outage

Food that spoils when the power fails in a Texas home is a separate question from power surge damage, and one TDI blog post addresses it. In its blog post Power out, food spoiled? Your insurance might help (September 3, 2026), TDI writes: "Some homeowners and renters policies will pay up to $500 for spoiled food if the power fails under certain circumstances."

The post goes on to say you should call your agent or company to ask if your policy will pay, and adds: "Sometimes there is not a deductible."

Each part of that is conditional. TDI says some policies, up to $500, under certain circumstances, and sometimes without a deductible, so the only way to know is to ask about your own policy. The same post gives two practical tips: take pictures or keep a list of the food that spoiled, and clean any food spoilage to prevent damage to your refrigerator.

TDI's wording covers renters policies as well as homeowners policies. Our guide on what renters insurance covers in Texas explains that policy type.

Surge protection on TDI's consumer pages

Surge protection for home electronics comes up on two TDI consumer pages, each written for a different situation. In Protect your home while you're away (December 6, 2024), a post of tips for before a vacation, TDI says an electrical storm could cause a power surge and advises: "To protect expensive electronics, unplug them or use a surge protector."

TDI's tornado tip sheet Are you prepared for a tornado? Here's how to protect your home (last updated April 10, 2025) says tornadoes can knock out electricity and suggests considering a home lightning surge protector.

A third page is about personal safety, not equipment. TDI's Thunderstorms: How to protect yourself from lightning (last updated August 15, 2025) says not to use electrical appliances during a thunderstorm and that cell phones, laptops and devices that aren't plugged in are OK.

None of these pages says a surge protector changes what a policy covers. Unplugging equipment and using surge protection are steps you control whatever your policy says. On discounts, TDI's Home insurance guide says each company decides what discounts to offer and the amount, and its list of examples does not mention surge protectors.

If it happens anyway

If a power surge damages things in your Texas home, these are steps you can take. The list is Credify's own, and a source is linked only for the TDI facts inside a step.

1. Write down what happened. Note the date, the time, whether the power went out and came back, whether there was a storm, and what stopped working.
2. Photograph and list the damage. TDI's general home claim tips in its Home insurance guide say to make a list of your damaged property and, if possible, take pictures or videos of the damage before making any repairs. Model and serial numbers are useful to capture.
3. Contact your agent or insurance company. The same TDI tips say to tell your company as soon as possible and that most companies have deadlines for you to file a claim. Ask how your policy treats surge damage.
4. Check your deductible. TDI's guide says it is summarized on the declarations page.
5. Ask about spoiled food separately. TDI's spoiled food post says some homeowners and renters policies will pay up to $500 if the power fails under certain circumstances, sometimes with no deductible, and that you should ask your agent or company if your policy will pay.
6. Keep receipts. TDI's Home insurance guide says that to get full payment you may need to prove to the insurance company that you replaced destroyed items.
7. Ask about the future. Find out whether an electronics endorsement is offered on your policy, and ask for the answers in writing so you have them next time.

Key facts

• TDI's Home insurance guide does not mention power surges in its table of risks that most policies do and don't cover (as read on October 1, 2026). The table lists fire and lightning among the risks most policies cover and wear and tear among those most policies don't, and the guide says coverages vary by company.
• The same TDI guide defines a deductible as the part of a claim you pay yourself and says you might have different deductibles for each type of coverage.
• TDI's Home insurance guide says most companies offer endorsements and lists electronics among the common ones, noting that a policy provides some coverage but it might not be enough for expensive items. It does not say such an endorsement covers surge damage.
• TDI's blog post Power out, food spoiled? Your insurance might help (September 3, 2026) says: "Some homeowners and renters policies will pay up to $500 for spoiled food if the power fails under certain circumstances." It adds that sometimes no deductible applies and that you should call your agent or company to ask if your policy will pay.
• TDI's blog post A home warranty is not home insurance (January 26, 2026) says insurance pays for damages from events your policy covers but not wear and tear, that warranties cover certain items when they break down from normal wear and tear, and that companies selling home warranties must be licensed by TDLR.
• TDI's page Not sure who to call with your question or complaint? (last updated September 25, 2025) says TDI doesn't regulate home warranty companies and lists TDLR at 512-463-6599 for home warranty questions or complaints.
• TDI's blog post Protect your home while you're away (December 6, 2024) says an electrical storm could cause a power surge and suggests unplugging expensive electronics or using a surge protector. TDI's tornado tip sheet suggests considering a home lightning surge protector.
• TDI's spoiled food post gives the TDI Help Line as 800-252-3439, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

Sources: Texas Department of Insurance, Home insurance guide, What to know about deductibles, Power out, food spoiled? Your insurance might help, Protect your home while you're away, Are you prepared for a tornado? Here's how to protect your home, Thunderstorms: How to protect yourself from lightning, A home warranty is not home insurance and Not sure who to call with your question or complaint?. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Take the next step

Before the next storm, three things are worth knowing about your own Texas home policy: how it treats power surge damage, what your deductible is, and whether an electronics endorsement is offered on it. Your declarations page shows the deductible, and your agent or company can answer the other two.

If checking those turns up a wider question, such as a deductible you couldn't comfortably pay or personal property limits that don't match what's in the house, our guide on how to choose home insurance in Texas is the place to take it.

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