Insurance pays for sudden, accidental damage from covered events (fire, wind, a burst pipe). A home warranty is a service contract that may repair or replace systems and appliances that break down, subject to its exclusions and caps. Wear and tear, slow leaks and old age are usually yours to pay as maintenance. Your policy and contract wording decide every case.
Homeowners insurance: sudden and accidental
Texas’s regulator lists what most home policies cover, such as fire and lightning, sudden and accidental release of water, explosion, theft, vandalism, and windstorm and hail (with Gulf Coast exceptions), and what most don’t: flooding, a continuous water leak, mold removal except to repair covered damage, termites and rodents, losses during long vacancies, wear and tear, and earthquakes [1]. Flood needs a separate policy [2].
| Event | Usually falls under |
|---|---|
| Pipe bursts suddenly and floods the kitchen | Insurance (the water damage), subject to your policy |
| Slow leak under the sink rots the cabinet over months | Maintenance (continuous leaks are commonly excluded) [1] |
| Water heater stops working from age | Maintenance, or a home warranty if you have one |
| Hail damages the roof | Insurance, subject to deductibles |
| 20-year-old roof wears out | Maintenance |
| River floods the basement | Flood insurance, a separate policy [2] |
Home warranty: a service contract
A home warranty (also sold as a home service contract) is a contract to repair or replace covered items when they break down, usually for an annual fee plus a fee per service call. It is not insurance, and it is not the manufacturer’s warranty or a new-home builder’s warranty. What it pays depends entirely on the contract: covered items, exclusions (pre-existing conditions, improper maintenance, code upgrades), per-item caps and how claims are handled.
Read the exclusions before you buy. A denial for “lack of maintenance” is far easier to contest with a dated maintenance log and invoices.
Maintenance: the part that stays yours
Routine care keeps systems in the condition both insurers and warranty companies expect. ENERGY STAR, for example, recommends checking HVAC filters monthly and annual pre-season contractor check-ups [3]. A log of what was done and when is the record that settles questions later.
casaq builds a plan from your climate and systems, puts it in your calendar, and logs each finished task with a date and optional photo.
Turn maintenance into a calendarSources
- Texas Department of Insurance, “Home insurance guide”. Retrieved 2026-10-05.
- FloodSmart.gov, National Flood Insurance Program (FEMA). Retrieved 2026-10-05.
- ENERGY STAR, heating and cooling maintenance checklist. Retrieved 2026-10-05.
Information, not legal, insurance or engineering advice. Spot something wrong? Send a correction; accepted corrections are logged publicly with a date.