If you already have Katy home owners insurance, you are off to a great start. From property loss to fire damage, insurance homeowner plans have your back in all sorts of sticky situations. While a basic plan is a no-brainer, it is also important to remember that standard coverage is not limitless. Not knowing what is not covered in your policy can leave your family vulnerable to a long list of unexpected – and very pricey – repairs.

What are Some Problems Not Covered by Standard Home Insurance?

1. Termites
Finding a termite infestation is a nightmare scenario for anyone who owns a home. Save for natural disasters, termites are a major threat to real estate all over the country, causing billions in property damages every year. Since insurance companies tend to view damage from termites as preventable, protection is rarely included in starter plans.

2. Standard Maintenance
Whether it is replacing rotting window frames or patching up holes, taking care of wear and tear is usually your responsibility. The one very important exception is emergency plumbing repair. Water that slowly trickles out of the faucet 24 hours a day is your responsibility, but if your pipes spring a sudden leak, there is a good chance your policy will cover it.

3. Floods
Since some insurance plans cover storms, it is only natural to assume that flooding protection is par for the course, but that is rarely true. In most cases, flood insurance must be purchased separately.

4. Code Violations
If your area happens to pass a new law on housing standards, you might be left responsible for bringing your home up to code. Insurance companies do pay for mandated upgrades, but the coverage typically only extends to rebuilding after emergencies and not for upgrades in an undamaged home.

5. Mold
While most mold species are harmless to humans, some – like the infamous black mold – can be dangerous, especially to young children and adults with ongoing respiratory conditions. Mold is something you can try to control on your own by reducing moisture levels, but if you ever have a serious infestation, standard insurance is unlikely to help you foot the bill for professional remediation.

6. Sewer Backups
Most people are surprised to learn that they are technically in charge of maintaining the sewer lines that run from their home to the main sewer line. Despite the fact that aging underground infrastructure is often the culprit behind overflowing waste, the majority of home insurance plans will not cover sewer backups.

7. Sinkholes
Even a serious sewer backup is not as terrifying as a sinkhole: a large land gap that opens up without warning, swallowing whatever is on top in seconds. Whether it is an earthquake or a sinkhole, the go-to rule for ground movements is the same in all types of land emergencies. If you want protection, you will need to invest in a separate policy.

What Other Possible Hazards Are Not Covered By Your Insurance Policy?

• Pollution
• Shoddy construction
• Burst pipes in vacant houses
• Pest infestations
• Damages from wars
• Nuclear accidents
• Portions of the home used for business
• Pets and livestock

Keep in mind that all of the exceptions described here are just general guidelines to help you discover gaps in your policy. Like your Katy auto insurance, deciphering exactly what your Katy insurance for home owners will or will not cover really comes down to the type of plan you have and the situation at hand. For example, many Texas policies will reimburse you for theft – but not if your home has been left empty for a specific period of time before the crime happened. Now that you have an idea of where basic plans sometimes fail, take a closer look at your policy for more information.