Heat Waves and Property Damage: What Insurance Covers

If you’ve noticed the temperature climbing higher than usual this summer, you’re not alone. Heat waves have been on the rise in recent decades, including in New England. Beyond high utility bills, hotter temperatures can also cause serious damage to your home’s physical structure.

Before they impact your home, it’s a good idea to review your homeowner’s insurance policy with an independent insurance agent to understand what types of heat-related damage are covered. Depending on what your review uncovers, you may need to shop around for a new policy that provides broader protections. For homeowners in Massachusetts, C&S Insurance agents bring the knowledge and expertise you need to find the best coverage for the right price.

In this blog, our experts explain how extreme heat causes damage to your home, ways to protect your home from heat-related damage, and what types of heat-related damage a typical homeowner’s insurance policy will cover.

What Is Extreme Heat?

Extreme heat refers to air temperatures that are significantly hotter or more humid than average in a given area. It’s all relative: 95 degrees Fahrenheit might be considered extreme in Massachusetts, but not in Arizona.

In July 2026, an intense heat wave (labeled a “heat dome”) brought record-breaking, triple-digit temperatures to New England and the surrounding area. Heat waves like these in the U.S. have been particularly severe in the last few decades due to the effects of the changing climate. Since the 1960s, heat waves have become significantly more frequent, intense, and longer lasting. They also occur across a wider seasonal range.

In most regions around the world, temperatures are projected to increase by at least 5 degrees Fahrenheit by 2050. By the end of the century, they’re expected to rise by 10 degrees Fahrenheit. That means managing heat waves, and the damage they can cause, is likely to remain a persistent concern.

How Heat Waves Damage Your Home

Extended exposure to extreme heat can cause the structure of your home, including popular materials such as vinyl siding, wood framing, and asphalt shingles, to expand, contract, and warp. It can also impact your foundation, attic, basement, and mechanical systems.

Building Materials

Heat causes vinyl, often used in siding, to expand, leading to warping or buckling. Wood, on the other hand, can shrink or warp in extreme heat, as hot hair draws out moisture.

Heat can also cause asphalt shingles to become brittle, curl, crack, and blister, which can lead to cracked sealants on your roof. This impacts the roof’s ability to keep out water, and you may need to replace it sooner than you would otherwise.

Foundation

Extreme heat also impacts your home’s foundation. Long spells of hot, dry weather draws moisture from the soil around your home, causing the soil to shrink. When soil shrinks, it pulls away from your foundation, leaving gaps that can cause your house to settle unevenly. During extended heat waves, stay on the lookout for cracks in your walls or misaligned doors. These could be the result of heat damage.

Attic

Attics are notorious heat traps. When they aren’t properly ventilated, hot air gets trapped inside, warming the underside of your roof and accelerating damage. A poorly ventilated attic can also make your home harder to cool and raise your energy bills.

Basement

High humidity brought on by extreme heat can cause moisture to collect in your basement and crawl spaces. A damp environment creates prime conditions for mold to grow.

Mechanical Systems

Heat waves also put strain on your home’s mechanical systems, including climate control. If your air conditioner has dirty filters, clogged coils, or low refrigerant levels, your HVAC system may run inefficiently and raise your energy bills.

Air conditioning is key for preventing many heat-related issues, including mold growth, so it’s important to keep it functioning well.

Why Older Massachusetts Homes Face Added Risk

Massachusetts has one of the oldest housing stocks in the country, and that history creates a unique challenge when it comes to extreme heat. Many pre-war and mid-century homes were designed with New England winters in mind; built to trap and hold heat, not release it.

In today’s climate, that’s a problem when the weather flips from bitter cold to scorching hot in the span of a few months.

A few issues continually pop up for owners of older homes in Massachusetts, and throughout New England:

• Uninsulated attics: Older attics often lack the insulation and ventilation standards used in newer construction, so they trap heat more aggressively and transfer it straight into living spaces below.
• Electrical panels are not built for modern cooling loads: Many older homes still run on panels sized for a household’s needs at the time of construction, not the added draw of one or more window air conditioning units. Overloaded panels can trip breakers or, in worse cases, become a fire risk.
• Knob-and-tube wiring limits AC options: This wiring type, common in homes built before the 1940s, isn’t rated for the sustained load of central air or even some window units, which can restrict homeowners’ cooling options to begin with.

Many insurance carriers surcharge or decline coverage outright for homes with active knob-and-tube wiring, regardless of the heat risk. If your home still has it, it’s a good idea to have an electrician assess a replacement or update.

Heat Mitigation Strategies for Homeowners

If you own a home, follow these key tips to prevent heat-related damage and keep your household safe during hot spells:

1. Install air conditioning, even if you live in an area that usually doesn’t experience heat waves.
2. Establish a preparedness plan for yourself and your household should the heat be too much to bear. Include where to go, who is most vulnerable to high heat, and what you need to bring.
3. Upgrade to a green or cool roof made of highly reflective or light-colored materials.
4. Install cool pavement options for your driveway, which reflect more sunlight. These can go a long way toward reducing temperatures and energy demand.
5. Increase canopy cover and vegetation around your property to reduce heat exposure and prevent soil from drying out.
6. Purchase energy efficient appliances. In addition to helping you save on your energy bills, they also reduce strain on the power grid during heat waves, decreasing the risk of blackouts in your community.
7. Hire a professional to perform regular inspections and routine maintenance of your HVAC and other mechanical systems, as well as your roof.
8. Replace your air filters every one to three months while using your air conditioning.
9. Maintain consistent moisture levels around your home’s perimeter by regularly watering the surrounding soil.
10. Watch out for early signs of damage including sticking doors, new cracks around windows, or floors that feel uneven.
11. Use a dehumidifier in your basement or any area prone to dampness.

Is Heat-Related Damage Covered by Homeowner’s Insurance?

While gradual wear and tear or foundation cracks from heat-stressed soil are generally not covered by homeowner’s policies, some heat-related damage may be included.

Siding and Roof Damage

Damage to vinyl siding caused by sudden, unexpected events (such as a severe storm or vandalism) is covered by homeowner’s insurance. Gradual warping caused by extreme heat generally isn’t.

Similarly, roof replacements or repairs are typically only covered by homeowner’s policies for sudden events, like windstorms, fire, or hail.

Basement Mold

Basement mold may be covered by homeowner’s insurance if it is caused by a “covered peril.” These often include burst pipes or sudden appliance malfunction. Mold that grows as a result of poor ventilation typically isn’t covered.

Mechanical Malfunctions

An internal malfunction in your home’s mechanical systems due to a sudden tearing apart, cracking, burning, or bulging of steam are typically covered by your homeowner’s policy. However, issues that stem from a lack of maintenance or normal wear-and-tear are typically not covered.

Homeowner’s Insurance in New England

To learn more about how your homeowner’s policy works, what’s covered, and ways you can save, get in touch with an agent from C&S Insurance today. Our team is always here for you, no matter the weather.