- Homeowners insurance may cover sudden animal damage to your home's structure (e.g., deer crashing through a window) but usually excludes gradual damage from rodents, insects or infestation.
- Deer, raccoons and skunks are treated differently than mice, rats, squirrels, birds and bugs — the latter are generally excluded under standard policies.
- Under a standard HO3 policy, home structure coverage uses "open perils," while personal property coverage uses 16 "named perils" — animal damage is not one of them.
- To file a claim, document the damage with photos, protect your home from further damage (e.g., tarp a broken window) and contact your insurer promptly.
Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Animal Damage?
Damage caused by animals can lead to questions about how your homeowner's policy may respond. If an animal gets into your home, damages part of the structure or ruins belongings inside, coverage may depend on the kind of animal involved and how the damage happened.
Key Takeaways
From a deer breaking into your home on the hunt for food, to your cat knocking over a candle and starting a fire in your home, animal-related claims present unique considerations. Depending on the situation, your insurance company may or may not cover the cost of repairs.
How different types of animal damage may be covered
To start, a standard homeowners insurance policy (unendorsed HO3) has different guidelines for coverage to the structure (your home) and your personal property. The home is covered under what is referred to as “open perils,” or causes of loss. This means that if the cause of loss is not specifically excluded in the policy, you should have coverage for it.¹ Your personal property coverage uses 16 “named perils” to verify if coverage exists. A peril is a specific cause of loss covered by your homeowners insurance policy, such as windstorm, fire or theft. If your personal property is damaged by something outside of those 16 perils, there may not be coverage.
A policy with broader coverage, such as Amica’s Platinum Choice® Home Policy (HO5), could provide coverage for your contents in this situation. That’s because it provides “open perils” coverage for your personal property in addition to your home.²
| Animal-related situation | Home structure coverage | Personal property coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Deer breaks through a window | May be covered under open perils if not otherwise excluded | Usually not covered under a standard HO3 because animal damage is not a named peril |
| Pet causes direct damage to the home | Usually excluded, although ensuing damage may be covered if not excluded | Depends on whether the resulting damage comes from a covered named peril, such as fire |
| Mice, rats, bugs or infestation damage | Ensuing damage may be covered if it results in a covered peril. E.G. rodent chews wires and causes a fire. | Ensuing damage may be covered if it results in a covered peril. E.G. rodent chews wires and causes a fire. |
| Raccoon or skunk damages part of the home | May be covered depending on policy language and cause of loss | Usually not covered under a standard HO3 because animal damage is not a named peril |
Quick takeaway: Animal damage to the structure of your home may be covered more often than damage to your belongings. Under a standard homeowners policy, personal property coverage is usually narrower.
Is deer damage covered by homeowners insurance?
If a deer jumped through your window caused damage to your home, such as scratches to your hardwood floor, a standard home insurance policy would cover the damage to your window and flooring. However, if the deer also damaged your furniture and ate your food, these items would not be covered, as damage caused by animals is not one of the 16 named perils.
Is pet damage covered by homeowners insurance?
Let’s say you have an HO3 and your cat accidentally knocked over a burning candle that started a fire in your home. While most homeowners policies exclude coverage for damage to your home caused by owned pets, the ensuing fire damage to the home would be covered. Regarding the fire damage to your personal property, since fire is one of the 16 named perils, coverage would apply.³
Is rodent damage covered by homeowners insurance?
If your loss is due to a pest control issue, like damage from a rodent, the claim will not be covered. This is because the standard homeowners insurance policy (HO3) specifically excludes damage caused by rodents like mice, rats or squirrels.
To determine if an animal is a rodent or not, insurers turn to the common dictionary definition. Rats, mice and squirrels are defined as rodents, so therefore, damages resulting from them are excluded. However, raccoons and skunks aren’t defined as rodents but rather as mammals. Therefore, coverage may apply for dwelling damage (damage to your home) based on the open peril definition.
Under the standard homeowners policy (HO3), animals aren’t one of the 16 named perils; therefore, there would be no coverage for any damaged personal property.
This is one reason questions like “Does home insurance cover raccoon damage?” can be more complicated than questions about rats, mice or bugs. Damage from a raccoon, skunk or similar wild animal may be treated differently than damage tied to rodents or infestation.
Are insect infestations covered by homeowners insurance?
The standard homeowners policy (HO3) excludes damage caused by insects. It also doesn’t cover nesting or infestation, or discharge or release of waste products or secretions, by insects.
If you’re comparing exclusions more broadly, you may want to know what’s included in your homeowners insurance policy and what personal property coverage is to help explain how different parts of a policy work.
Quick guide to animal damage coverage:
- Sudden damage from deer, raccoon or skunk → may be covered for your home structure
- Gradual damage from mice, rats, termites or bugs → generally excluded
Pet-caused direct damage → usually excluded
Pet-caused fire from a tipped candle → ensuing fire damage may be covered
How to file a claim for animal damage
If you find yourself dealing with one of these unpredictable situations, make sure you report the incident as soon as possible and document any relevant details. It can be helpful to snap some photos of the damage, if it’s safe to do so. To aid in resolving your claim, a claims adjuster will conduct an investigation to determine the cause of the loss.
Most homeowners policies have conditions requiring homeowners to protect their property from additional damage. In an event like a deer breaking through your window, you should cover the window with a tarp or plywood to prevent the elements or strangers from entering and causing more damage. Amica’s Contractor Connection program provides emergency board-up services.
If the loss also involves water entering your home after the damage, you may want to review “Does Home Insurance Cover Water Damage?”. And if you’re looking at your broader protection options, “Home Insurance Coverages” can help you understand what standard coverage may include.
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FAQs
Usually, no. Damage caused by rodents such as mice and rats is generally excluded under a standard homeowners policy because it is often considered a maintenance or infestation issue.
Damage directly caused by your own pet is often excluded. But if your pet causes a covered peril, such as a fire, the resulting damage from that covered peril may be covered depending on the policy.
It may, depending on the policy language and whether the damage is to the structure of your home. Coverage for personal property is often more limited under a standard HO3 policy.
Often, yes for exclusion purposes. Standard home insurance policies commonly exclude damage caused by birds, rodents and insects, including infestation, nesting and waste-related damage.
Yes, comprehensive coverage on your auto policy typically helps pay for damage caused by animals – including deer, birds or other animals – if you hit them while driving. Comprehensive coverage also applies if an animal damages your parked car. For more details, review your auto insurance policy or see other auto coverage resources.
Coverage may vary by provider and state. Please contact your insurance provider to confirm.
Coverage may vary by state. Please contact Amica Insurance to confirm policy and coverage details.
Details of claims are reviewed in their entirety before determining if coverage would apply.
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