What home insurance doesn't cover in Texas

Almost every unhappy surprise in home insurance is the same surprise: someone assumed a policy covers damage, when what a policy actually covers is certain causes of damage. The buckled floor, the cracked slab, the dead air conditioner — none of those are the question an adjuster is answering. The question is what caused it.

There's one rule underneath nearly the whole not-covered list, and it's worth having in mind before the list itself: home insurance pays for sudden accidents, not for things that happen slowly, and not for maintenance. Once you see that, most of the exclusions stop being arbitrary.

Here's what we'll cover: what a standard Texas policy does and doesn't cover, the specific gaps Texans ask about most, a few things people assume are excluded that generally aren't, and what you can buy back.

The list, from TDI

The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) publishes the covered/not-covered comparison for a standard Texas home policy. On the covered side: fire and lightning, "sudden and accidental release of water or smoke," explosion, theft, "vandalism, malicious mischief, riot, and civil commotion," aircraft and vehicles, and "windstorm, hurricane, and hail (but not if you live on the Gulf Coast)."

On the not-covered side:

• Flooding
• "A continuous water leak; policies also won't cover mold removal, except to repair damage caused by a covered risk"
• "Termites, insects, rats, or mice"
• "Losses that occur if your house is vacant for the number of days specified by your policy"
• Wear and tear
• "Earthquakes or earth movement"
• "Wind or hail to trees and shrubs"

TDI's own caveat matters as much as the table: "Coverages vary by company. Read your policy or talk to your agent to be sure of your exact coverages." This is the general shape, not a substitute for your policy.

TDI also publishes a shorter consumer version — "Five things your home policy won't cover" — that opens with the same framing: "Your home policy pays for damages from fire, tornadoes, hailstorms, and theft. But it doesn't pay for repairs caused by other issues."

The gaps Texans actually ask about

Termites, rodents, and insects. Not covered, and not marginally. TDI: "If rodents and insects chew on your house, your policy won't pay for the repairs." Its advice is prevention: "Inspect your house, roof, and attic to look for any holes you can patch." Termite damage is the textbook case of slow damage a policy treats as maintenance.

Wear and tear. TDI: "Companies won't pay for damages that happen over time, like rotted boards, cracking window seals, or worn roofs." This is the exclusion that decides more claims than any other, because it's the line an older roof, an aging water heater, or a long-failing seal falls on. TDI adds a consequence people don't expect: "When you buy or renew a policy, the insurance company might inspect your house. They could charge you more or not sell you a policy if your house is in poor condition."

The same logic answers the appliance and HVAC question. If an air conditioner or a water heater simply reached the end of its life, that's the wear-and-tear side of the line. If it was destroyed by something on the covered list — a fire, a hailstorm — that's a covered cause with covered damage.

Slow leaks and mold. A "sudden and accidental release of water" is covered; "a continuous water leak" is not, and TDI notes policies "won't cover mold removal, except to repair damage caused by a covered risk." Same water, same ruined cabinet, different answer — decided by how long it took.

Foundations and slabs. Damage from "earthquakes or earth movement" sits on the not-covered list, which is why foundation questions so often end badly in a state with a lot of expansive clay. TDI lists "damage to foundations or slabs" among the endorsements companies commonly offer — meaning it's generally something you add, not something you assume.

Trees. This one splits in a way that surprises people, and TDI answers it directly. A tree that comes down on the house: "Many policies pay for damages from falling objects, like trees. Call your agent or company to ask if your policy will pay." A tree that comes down in the yard: "Many policies provide some coverage to remove trees or limbs that fell due to storm damage and damage your house or block your driveway. Trees and limbs falling in your yard usually aren't covered." And the neighbor's tree, which is the question everyone actually has: "Probably not, unless your neighbor was at fault. Your neighbor isn't responsible for acts of nature. If your neighbor's policy doesn't pay, you can file a claim under your own policy." For a tree on your car, TDI's answer is that "your auto policy will pay for damages if you have comprehensive coverage" — a home policy question that turns out to be an auto policy question.

Flooding. Not covered by a home policy, full stop, and it's the largest single gap in Texas. TDI: "You can buy separate policies for floods and earthquakes," and its home insurance guide notes that "if your home is in a designated flood zone, your lender requires you to have flood insurance." Worth knowing before storm season rather than during it: "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. A quieter one, and it catches people mid-move, mid-renovation, or mid-inheritance: "losses that occur if your house is vacant for the number of days specified by your policy" are excluded. The number is in your policy. If a house is going to sit empty, that's a conversation to have first.

Valuables. Not excluded, but capped. TDI: "Most policies only pay a certain amount if jewelry, artwork, or electronics are stolen or damaged by fires or storms. If you have expensive items, you can buy more coverage."

Short-term rentals. TDI: "Most policies won't pay for damages or injuries that occur during short-term rentals." If you rent the house out, ask before the first booking, not after the first incident.

Things people assume aren't covered — and generally are

• Tornado damage. Tornado damage is wind damage, and TDI names "fire, tornadoes, hailstorms, and theft" among what a home policy pays for. Note the Gulf Coast exception on the covered list: wind and hail coverage works differently there.
• Your dog biting someone. That's liability, not property. TDI: medical payments coverage "pays the medical bills of people hurt on your property. It also pays for some injuries that happen away from your home – if your dog bites someone at the park, for instance." Individual companies set their own rules about which dogs they'll insure — TDI notes "each company's underwriting rules are different" — so it's a question to ask your own company rather than assume either way.
• Theft and vandalism. Both on the covered list, including "malicious mischief, riot, and civil commotion."
• A vehicle hitting your house. "Aircraft and vehicles" is a covered risk.

What you can add back

Several of the biggest gaps are purchasable. TDI lists the endorsements — policy add-ons — that most companies offer, including:

• "Backup of sewers or drains"
• "Damage to foundations or slabs"
• "Mold removal"
• "Damage from earthquakes"
• "Jewelry, fine arts, or electronics"
• "Extra construction or repair costs to meet local building codes"
• "Extra construction costs if your policy doesn't pay enough to rebuild your home"

Flood and, on the coast, windstorm are separate policies rather than endorsements. Availability, limits, and cost vary by company, which is exactly why TDI's standing advice on all of this is to read the policy or ask your agent.

What to do with this

• Find your policy's exclusions section and read it once. It's the shortest useful thing in the document.
• Treat maintenance as coverage. Roofs, seals, supply lines, and pest control aren't insurance problems, and that's precisely why they become expensive ones.
• Price the endorsements that match your house. Slab foundation, mature trees, a finished basement-level drain, real jewelry — each maps to a specific add-on.
• Handle flood separately, and early. The waiting period means it can't be bought against a storm already on the map.
• If the house will sit empty, say so. Vacancy is a written exclusion, not a technicality.

Key facts

• The not-covered list, per TDI: flooding; "a continuous water leak; policies also won't cover mold removal, except to repair damage caused by a covered risk"; "termites, insects, rats, or mice"; "losses that occur if your house is vacant for the number of days specified by your policy"; wear and tear; "earthquakes or earth movement"; and "wind or hail to trees and shrubs."
• Wear and tear is the line most claims turn on. TDI: "Companies won't pay for damages that happen over time, like rotted boards, cracking window seals, or worn roofs."
• Pests are firmly excluded. TDI: "If rodents and insects chew on your house, your policy won't pay for the repairs."
• Trees split three ways. On the house: "many policies pay for damages from falling objects, like trees." In the yard: "trees and limbs falling in your yard usually aren't covered." The neighbor's tree: "probably not, unless your neighbor was at fault."
• Flood needs its own policy, bought early. TDI: "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."
• Several gaps are purchasable. TDI's endorsement list includes "backup of sewers or drains," "damage to foundations or slabs," "mold removal," "damage from earthquakes," and coverage for "jewelry, fine arts, or electronics."
• Coverage is not uniform. TDI: "Coverages vary by company. Read your policy or talk to your agent to be sure of your exact coverages."

Sources: Texas Department of Insurance — Home insurance guide, Five things your home policy won't cover, and Does insurance cover fallen tree branches?. TDI's Help Line is 800-252-3439.

Take the next step

An exclusion list is only frightening in the abstract. Read against your actual house — its age, its slab, its trees, its distance from water — it turns into a short list of decisions: what to maintain, what to add, and what you're comfortable carrying yourself.

Have Credify check your policy against the gaps that matter for your home. Credify is a licensed insurance agency in Texas, and we compare options across multiple licensed Texas carriers in one short form, with no obligation; each insurer remains responsible for its own products. If storm damage is your main concern, how the wind and hail deductible works explains what you'd pay out of pocket, how to file a hail or storm damage claim in Texas covers the process, and how to choose home insurance in Texas covers what to compare. 📞 Talk to Credify 24/7.