Does homeowners insurance cover TV damage?

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Homeowners insurance covers your TV, but only when the damage comes from a covered peril. Your television falls under the personal property part of your policy, which pays to repair or replace it after events like theft, fire, lightning, a power surge, vandalism, or a tree coming through the roof. What it generally won’t cover is the most common way TVs break — accidental damage, like knocking it off the stand, a child cracking the screen, or a breakdown from normal use.

Even when the damage is covered, filing a claim usually isn’t worth it for a single TV. Many TVs cost less than a typical homeowners deductible, so you’d often recover little or nothing, while the claim still goes on your record and can raise your premium. Filing tends to make sense only for a larger loss, like a fire or theft that takes your TV along with other belongings.

For most TVs, a claim isn’t worth filing

Compare the repair or replacement cost against your deductible first. If the TV is worth less than your deductible, there’s nothing to recover, and even when it’s worth a little more, a small claim can raise your premium by more than it ever pays out.

When does homeowners insurance cover TV damage?

Homeowners insurance covers TV damage when a covered peril caused it. Personal property coverage protects your television the same way it protects your furniture or clothing. The table below sorts the common situations into what’s typically covered and what isn’t.

Typically covered (a covered peril caused it)	Typically not covered
Theft or burglary	Accidentally knocking it over or a cracked screen
Fire or smoke damage	Mechanical or electrical breakdown
Lightning strikes and power surges	Manufacturer defects
Vandalism	Ordinary wear and tear
Windstorm or a falling object, like a tree	Damage while moving or in transit

How much will a TV claim actually pay?

Two details decide how much you’d get back on a covered claim. Many policies set a special limit on electronics, which caps the payout for items like televisions. The rest depends on whether your policy pays replacement cost, which covers what a comparable new TV costs today, or actual cash value, which subtracts depreciation and can leave an older set worth far less than you paid.

Key Takeaways

Covered for covered perils only. Theft, fire, lightning, power surges, vandalism, and falling objects are in, while accidental breakage and breakdown are out.
Accidental damage usually isn’t covered. Knocking the TV over or cracking the screen by accident generally falls on you.
Power surge coverage depends on the source. A lightning-driven surge is usually covered, while one from the utility often isn’t.
Filing usually isn’t worth it for one TV. Many sets cost less than a deductible, and a small claim can raise your premium.
For accidental coverage, look elsewhere. An endorsement, a broader policy, or a protection plan covers the everyday accidents a standard policy won’t.

What TV damage isn’t covered?

Accidental damage is the biggest gap, and it covers the way most TVs actually break. Knocking the TV off its stand, a remote or toy cracking the screen, or a pet pulling it over generally isn’t covered by a standard homeowners policy, because accidental breakage isn’t a covered peril. Mechanical or electrical breakdown, manufacturer defects, and ordinary wear and tear fall outside coverage too.

Moving is another common surprise. A TV damaged while you move it yourself, or while it’s in transit, often isn’t covered by homeowners insurance, and a moving company’s protection is usually separate. If accidental damage is your main concern, the options near the end of this page are a better fit than a standard policy.

Does homeowners insurance cover a TV damaged by a power surge?

Homeowners insurance covers a TV damaged by a power surge when the surge was caused by a covered peril, most often a lightning strike. It usually won’t cover a surge that comes from the power company’s equipment or your home’s normal electricity supply, since many policies exclude surges that start off your property or trace back to wear and tear.

Where the surge started decides the claim

A lightning-driven surge that fries your TV is usually covered
A surge from the power company often isn’t, so ask their liability department about filing a claim
A surge protector is worth using either way, since it’s your cheapest line of defense

Is my TV covered if it’s stolen?

A stolen TV is generally covered, because theft is a covered peril under personal property coverage. The payout is still subject to your deductible and any special limit your policy places on electronics. If the TV was taken from somewhere other than your home, your coverage usually still applies, though off-premises losses are often capped at a percentage of your personal property limit.

When should you file a TV damage claim?

For a single TV, filing a claim is almost never worth it. Most TVs cost less than or close to a typical homeowners deductible, so filing usually means paying the whole repair or replacement yourself and still putting a claim on your record for nothing. Even when the cost runs a bit over your deductible, a small payout often isn’t worth the risk of a higher premium down the road.

There are really only two times it’s worth considering a claim:

A bigger loss damaged the TV too. A covered event like a fire, theft, or lightning strike took out your TV along with a lot of other property, so you’re filing one claim for a much larger loss.
The set is genuinely high-end. The cause is clearly covered and the replacement cost comfortably exceeds your deductible, enough to make the payout worth it.

Run the numbers before you call anyone

Compare the cost to your deductible first, since that single number usually settles it
If the TV costs less than your deductible, don’t file, because you’d get nothing back and still log a claim
If it’s only a little more, paying out of pocket often still protects your rate

How filing a claim can affect your premium

A covered claim can still cost you later. Insurers keep a record of your claims, often through an industry database called the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange, or CLUE, and a pattern of claims can push your premium up at renewal or make coverage harder to find. Weighing a modest payout against years of higher premiums is the smart move before you file.

Small claims can follow you

Insurers track your claim history, so even a covered loss can nudge your premium up at renewal. For a single, low-value TV, paying out of pocket often costs less over time than the claim would ever return.

How can you cover accidental TV damage?

If accidental breakage is what worries you most, a standard homeowners policy probably won’t help, but a few options will.

A broader policy or endorsement. Some policies cover personal property on an open-perils basis, and some insurers offer an endorsement that adds accidental damage, so ask what your insurer provides.
A manufacturer or retailer protection plan. These plans often cover accidental damage from handling, like drops and cracked screens, that homeowners insurance excludes.
Scheduled personal property. For a high-value home theater setup, an itemized rider can add broader coverage, often with a lower or no deductible.

Match the coverage to the risk

Standard homeowners insurance is built for disasters like fire and theft, not everyday accidents. If a toppled or cracked TV is your real concern, a protection plan or endorsement is the tool for that job.

How do you file a claim for TV damage?

When the loss clears your deductible and stems from a covered peril, the filing process is straightforward.

Document the damage. Photograph the TV and the cause where you can, like the signs of a break-in or the fallen tree.
Prove what you owned. Gather a receipt, the model details, or a serial number to establish the set’s value.
Contact your insurer. Report the loss, confirm the cause is covered, and ask what documentation they need.
Get an estimate. Provide a quote to repair the TV or the cost of a comparable replacement.

Frequently asked questions

Does homeowners insurance cover a cracked TV screen?

A cracked TV screen usually isn’t covered when you or someone in your home cracked it by accident, since accidental breakage isn’t a covered peril on a standard policy. It’s covered only when a covered peril, like a fire or a break-in, caused the crack.

Does homeowners insurance cover a TV knocked over by a child or pet?

A TV knocked over by a child or pet generally isn’t covered, because a standard policy treats that as accidental damage rather than a covered peril. Covering it usually takes an endorsement or a separate protection plan.

Does homeowners insurance cover a stolen TV?

A stolen TV is generally covered, because theft is a covered peril. The claim is still subject to your deductible and any special limit on electronics.

Does homeowners insurance cover a TV damaged by a power surge?

A TV damaged by a power surge is covered when the surge came from a covered peril, like lightning. A surge that starts with your utility or your home’s normal electricity supply may be excluded.

Does renters insurance cover TV damage?

Renters insurance covers TV damage in the same way a homeowners policy does, under personal property and against the same covered perils and exclusions.

Is it worth filing a claim for a broken TV?

It usually isn’t worth filing for a single TV, because many TVs cost less than a deductible and even a covered claim can raise your premium. Filing makes more sense when a covered event damages your TV along with other property.

Nupur Gambhir

Managing Editor

Nupur Gambhir is the editor-in-chief of Insure.com and a licensed life, health and disability insurance agent in New York with seven years of experience covering insurance. Her expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Balance, The Financial Gym and MSN. She holds a BA in Economics from The Ohio State University.