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

Published July 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026

What home insurance doesn't cover in Texas

This guide walks through what the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) publishes about the risks a Texas home policy may leave out.

The short version. In Texas, the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) says in its Home insurance guide that most home policies don't cover damage from flooding, a continuous water leak, termites and other pests, wear and tear, earthquakes or earth movement, or wind or hail to trees and shrubs. The same guide says coverages vary by company, so read your policy or ask your agent about your exact coverages.

Here's what we'll cover: TDI's covered and not-covered lists, what TDI says about specific gaps, risks TDI places on the covered side, and the add-ons and separate policies TDI describes.

The list, from TDI

TDI's Home insurance guide includes a table of common risks that most Texas home policies do and don't cover. TDI attaches a caveat to the whole table: "Coverages vary by company. Read your policy or talk to your agent to be sure of your exact coverages."

The table below restates TDI's two columns. Every row carries TDI's "most policies" wording, so read it as the general shape of a policy and check your own policy for the specifics.

TDI also publishes a shorter tip sheet, Five things your home policy won't cover. It says a home policy pays for damages from fire, tornadoes, hailstorms, and theft, and then names five things it doesn't pay for: rodent or insect damage, floods and earthquakes, wear and tear, dead or fallen trees in your yard, and expensive jewelry, artwork, and electronics above a certain amount.

Two points in TDI's wording are worth noticing. In the guide's table, most policies cover a sudden and accidental release of water and most don't cover a continuous water leak, and the tip sheet describes wear and tear as damages that happen over time. Your policy's wording decides any single loss.

What TDI says about specific gaps

TDI's home insurance pages word the gaps in a Texas home policy differently, some with qualifiers and some without. The notes below keep TDI's wording close and say which TDI page each point comes from.

Termites, rodents, and insects. Termites, insects, rats, or mice are among the risks most policies don't cover, according to the table in TDI's guide. The tip sheet says that if rodents and insects chew on your house, your policy won't pay for the repairs, and it suggests inspecting your house, roof, and attic for holes you can patch.

Wear and tear. On wear and tear, the tip sheet says: "Companies won’t pay for damages that happen over time, like rotted boards, cracking window seals, or worn roofs." The same page says that when you buy or renew a policy, the company might inspect your house, and that it could charge you more or not sell you a policy if the house is in poor condition.

Continuous leaks and mold. The guide puts a sudden and accidental release of water among the risks most policies cover. Among the risks most policies don't cover, it lists "A continuous water leak; policies also won’t cover mold removal, except to repair damage caused by a covered risk".

Foundations and slabs. The guide lists earthquakes or earth movement among the risks most policies don't cover, and separately lists damage to foundations or slabs among the common endorsements that most companies offer. The guide does not say how those two items relate, so foundation coverage is something to confirm in your own policy.

Trees. TDI's blog post Does insurance cover fallen tree branches? answers several tree questions, each with a qualifier:

• A tree on your house. The blog post says many policies pay for damages from falling objects, like trees, and tells you to call your agent or company to ask if your policy will pay.
• A tree in your yard. The blog post says many policies provide some coverage to remove trees or limbs that fell due to storm damage and damage your house or block your driveway, and adds: "Trees and limbs falling in your yard usually aren’t covered." The tip sheet words it more firmly, saying your policy won't pay to remove trees or limbs that fell in your yard.
• A neighbor's tree on your house. The blog post says the neighbor's policy probably won't pay unless your neighbor was at fault, because a neighbor isn't responsible for acts of nature, and that if the neighbor's policy doesn't pay you can file a claim under your own policy.
• A tree on your car. The blog post says your auto policy will pay for damages if you have comprehensive coverage.
• Damage to the trees themselves. Wind or hail to trees and shrubs is among the risks most policies don't cover, per the guide.

Flooding. According to TDI's guide, most home policies don't cover damage caused by floods, and if your home is in a designated flood zone, your lender requires you to have flood insurance. On timing, the guide says: "Most flood policies have a 30-day waiting period before kicking in so don’t wait for an approaching storm before deciding to buy coverage."

An empty house. The guide lists, among the risks most policies don't cover, "Losses that occur if your house is vacant for the number of days specified by your policy". In its section on nonrenewal, the same guide says most companies stop your coverage if your house is vacant for 60 days or more, that they usually don't stop your liability coverage, and that you should talk to your company if you plan to be out of your house for an extended time. The number of days that applies to you is the one written in your policy.

Valuables. On jewelry, artwork, and electronics, the tip sheet says: "Most policies only pay a certain amount if jewelry, artwork, or electronics are stolen or damaged by fires or storms." The same page says that if you have expensive items, you can buy more coverage.

Short-term rentals. On short-term rentals, the guide says: "Most policies won’t pay for damages or injuries that occur during short-term rentals." The guide adds that if you rent out your house for short-term lodging, you should ask your insurance agent if you're covered, and that you might need to buy more coverage.

Risks TDI lists on the covered side

TDI's pages also name risks that a Texas home policy may cover, which can be a surprise if you assumed they were left out. As with the not-covered list, TDI's qualifiers apply and your own policy decides.

• Tornado damage. The tip sheet names tornadoes, along with fire, hailstorms, and theft, among the damages a home policy pays for. The guide does not mention tornadoes in its table. As a separate statement, it lists windstorm, hurricane, and hail among the risks most policies cover, but not if you live on the Gulf Coast.
• A dog bite away from home. The guide lists medical payments coverage among six coverages that most home policies in Texas include, and says it pays for some injuries that happen away from your home, giving a dog bite at the park as its example.
• Theft and vandalism. Theft, and vandalism, malicious mischief, riot, and civil commotion, are among the risks most policies cover, per the guide.
• Aircraft and vehicles. The guide lists aircraft and vehicles among the risks most policies cover.

What TDI says can be added

TDI's Home insurance guide says you can buy a separate policy or add on to your policy if you need more protection. It says most companies offer endorsements, or policy add-ons, and it lists these as common endorsements:

• Jewelry, fine arts, or electronics. TDI notes that your policy provides some coverage, but it might not be enough to cover expensive items.
• Backup of sewers or drains
• Damage to foundations or slabs
• Extra construction or repair costs to meet local building codes
• Extra construction costs if your policy doesn't pay enough to rebuild your home
• Mold removal
• Damage from earthquakes

Flood and coastal wind coverage are described as separate policies. The tip sheet says you can buy separate policies for floods and earthquakes, and that if you live along the coast, you also need a separate windstorm policy. The guide words the coastal point more narrowly: if you live on the Texas coast or in Harris County on Galveston Bay, your home policy might not cover wind and hail damage, and the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association sells wind and hail coverage for coastal residents.

An endorsement list tells you what exists in general. Whether a given add-on is offered for your home, and on what terms, depends on the company and the policy.

What to do with this

Reading a Texas home policy for what it leaves out takes a few steps you can take on your own. These steps are Credify's suggestions, with TDI cited only for the facts inside them.

• Read your policy's exclusions. The guide says coverages vary by company and to read your policy or talk to your agent to be sure of your exact coverages.
• Keep up with maintenance. Roofs and window seals are worth regular attention, because TDI's tip sheet says companies won't pay for damages that happen over time.
• Match endorsements to your house. Compare TDI's list of common endorsements with your home's features, such as its foundation, its drains, and any expensive jewelry or electronics.
• Look at flood coverage ahead of storm season. According to the guide, most flood policies have a 30-day waiting period.
• Talk to your company if the house will sit empty. The guide suggests this if you plan to be out of your house for an extended time.

Key facts

• TDI's Home insurance guide says most policies don't cover damages from flooding, a continuous water leak, termites and other pests, losses while a house is vacant for the number of days the policy specifies, wear and tear, earthquakes or earth movement, and wind or hail to trees and shrubs. It also says coverages vary by company.
• TDI's tip sheet says companies won't pay for damages that happen over time, and gives rotted boards, cracking window seals, and worn roofs as examples.
• The same tip sheet says that if rodents and insects chew on your house, your policy won't pay for the repairs.
• TDI's blog post Does insurance cover fallen tree branches? says many policies pay for damages from falling objects like trees, and that trees and limbs falling in your yard usually aren't covered.
• Most home policies don't cover damage caused by floods, and most flood policies have a 30-day waiting period before they take effect, according to the TDI guide.
• The TDI guide says most companies offer endorsements, and names backup of sewers or drains, damage to foundations or slabs, mold removal, and damage from earthquakes among the common ones.
• Most policies won't pay for damages or injuries that occur during short-term rentals, according to the TDI guide.

Sources: Texas Department of Insurance, Home insurance guide, Five things your home policy won't cover, and Does insurance cover fallen tree branches?.

Take the next step

Read against your own house, the not-covered list becomes a short set of decisions about what to maintain and which add-ons to ask about. For related reading, see how the wind and hail deductible works, how to file a hail or storm damage claim in Texas, and how to choose home insurance in Texas.

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