Will Your Home Insurance Cover Wildlife Damage?

When a wild animal decides to make your home it's home, the situation might be distressing. Even harmless animals can cause damage to your property. Wildlife control assists tens of thousands of homeowners each year in removing and protecting their houses from wildlife.

Unfortunately, wildlife can cause major property damage in certain instances before anyone becomes aware of their existence. This can result in a hefty cleanup and repair charge. This raises the question: Does homeowner's insurance cover this?

What Is Covered By Home Insurance?

It should come as no surprise that the answer to this question is contingent on the policy. Some insurers may cover damages caused by wildlife, while others do not. Therefore, you should contact your insurance company and review your policy documents.

Nonetheless, there are certain broad patterns. Generally speaking, insurers are more likely to pay damages caused by larger animals. For instance, a bear that breaks into your home and causes damage is probably covered by your insurance. Because there is little you can do to prevent a bear from entering, this is likely the case.

Some animals, such as raccoons, can also be covered. Having raccoons in your home is uncommon and difficult to avoid. Depending on the insurer, it may be difficult to have a claim approved if you have done anything to attract raccoons. Uncovered trash cans, for instance, could provide a concern.

Typically, smaller creatures are not covered. Mice, rats, and squirrels are frequently excluded from insurance coverage. Similarly, your dogs are excluded virtually always.

Depending on the sort of animal damage, your homeowner's insurance policy may only cover structural damage. This could leave you responsible for any damage to your personal belongings, such as furniture and clothing.

Checking your coverage thoroughly will help you prevent unpleasant financial surprises in the event of an uninvited guest. Suppose your policy does not cover damage caused by wildlife. In that case, you should consider establishing a safety net to cover any unforeseen costs.

How Much Damage Can Wildlife Do?

You may be astonished by the amount of damage a wild animal may inflict if it gains access to your home. Even small animals might cause enough damage to necessitate extensive cleanup and repairs. For instance, a family from Atlanta, Georgia discovered upon their return from a holiday vacation that a single squirrel had caused thousands of dollars in damage.

The squirrel apparently slipped down the chimney when the family was absent. It then spread throughout the house, establishing a nest in the sofa and damaging the window frames, baseboards, and doors, among other things. It appears that the squirrel was attempting to escape and return to the outdoors. Eventually, an animal removal specialist was able to return it to the wild.

Unfortunately, the homeowner's insurance did not cover this damage. This is likely because insurance policies frequently label squirrels as pests. All of this might have been prevented by installing a screen over the chimney entrance. The cost of an unwelcome animal invasion can be substantial.