Flood
Not coveredNot covered, and it never is on a standard policy. Rising water from outside the house is a separate policy entirely.
How to close it: A separate NFIP or private flood policy. Typically $400–$1,200 a year outside a high-risk zone.
What homeowners insurance doesn't cover
A standard US homeowners policy excludes flood, earth movement (including foundation damage from shifting soil), sewer and drain backup, and gradual wear, rot and pests. It caps jewellery and collections at around $1,500 for theft, and it frequently applies a separate wind and hail deductible set as a percentage of the dwelling limit rather than a flat sum — which on a $465,000 home means $9,300 rather than the $2,500 most people have in mind.
Almost every one of these gaps can be closed, and several cost less than $150 a year. The moment to do it is renewal, which passes quietly if nobody looks at it.
Not covered at all
Earth movement
Not coveredEarthquake, sinkhole, and soil shifting under the foundation are all excluded. Foundation repair from expansive clay is the common one, and it's expensive.
How to close it: A foundation or earth-movement endorsement, where your carrier writes one.
Sewer and drain backup
Not coveredBackup through your own drains isn't covered by default on most policies.
How to close it: An endorsement, usually $50–$150 a year for $10,000–$25,000 of cover. One of the cheapest worthwhile add-ons.
Home business equipment
Not coveredStandard policies exclude business property beyond a token amount.
Wear, rot, and pests
Not coveredDeterioration, rot, termites and rodent damage are all maintenance in the eyes of a policy. This is the single most common reason a claim is denied.
Covered, but capped
These pay out, but far less than people expect — which functionally makes them a gap.
Wind and hail
CappedFrequently carries a separate deductible set as a percentage of the dwelling limit rather than a flat sum — which can be several times the deductible you have in mind.
How to close it: Ask what a flat-dollar wind deductible would cost at renewal.
Jewellery, art, collections
CappedCapped at around $1,500 total for theft regardless of what it's worth, which surprises almost everyone.
How to close it: A scheduled personal property rider, itemised and appraised.
Mould
CappedUsually capped, and only when it results from a covered loss. Mould from humidity is yours.
What is covered
Fire and smoke
CoveredDwelling and contents, replacement cost.
Burst pipes and sudden water damage
CoveredCovered when it's sudden. A slow leak you could have noticed is treated as maintenance and denied.
The one that decides most denials
Water damage is covered when it's sudden. It is denied when it looks like something you could have noticed and didn't. That single distinction settles more claims than any other line in the policy — and what settles it is whether you can show the equipment was maintained, and when.
A dated service history, verified by the contractor who did the work, is the difference between a burst pipe reading as an accident and reading as neglect. It is worth building before you need it, because it cannot be built afterwards.
Find out where your own policy stops
HomePro keeps your policy, your deductibles and your exclusions in one place, tells you what a claim would actually need from you, and builds the maintenance record that decides whether damage reads as sudden or as neglect.
This describes how standard US homeowners policies are typically written. Policies vary by carrier and by state, and yours is the one that counts — read your declarations page, and ask your agent about anything here that matters to you.