Glossary

Mitigation of damages

Your duty to take reasonable steps after a loss, such as tarping a roof or shutting off water, to keep damage from spreading; the policy usually pays for it.

Also called: duty to mitigate, loss mitigation, protecting property from further damage

After a covered loss, a homeowners policy expects you to protect the property from further damage. Typical steps are stopping the leak or shutting off the main, boarding broken windows, tarping a damaged roof, removing standing water and moving undamaged belongings to a dry spot. The standard ISO form requires you to make reasonable and necessary repairs to protect the property and to keep an accurate record of what you spend.

The cost is generally part of the loss. Under the form's "Reasonable Repairs" additional coverage, the insurer pays the reasonable cost of necessary measures taken solely to protect covered property from further damage, as long as the original damage came from a covered peril. This does not increase your limit. Keep receipts and take photographs before and after the work.

Mistakes run in both directions. Doing too little lets an insurer argue that extra damage, such as mold from a leak left for weeks, resulted from your failure to act, which can fall under the neglect exclusion. Doing too much, such as tearing out walls or starting permanent repairs before the adjuster has seen the damage, can destroy evidence. Stay with temporary measures, photograph first and tell the insurer what you are doing. The guide on what you can fix before the adjuster comes has a practical checklist.

Last reviewed October 10, 2026

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Related terms

Reasonable repairs Coverage for the cost of temporary steps you take to stop covered damage from getting worse, such as tarping a roof or boarding up a broken window. Duties after loss The steps a homeowners policy requires after damage occurs: reporting it, protecting the property, documenting the loss and cooperating with the insurer. Neglect Failure to use all reasonable means to save and protect property at and after the time of a loss, which the policy excludes to the extent the damage grows. First notice of loss The first report you or your agent makes to the insurer that damage has occurred, which opens the file and starts the insurer's response deadlines. Assignment of benefits A signed agreement that transfers your right to claim payments to a contractor or other vendor, who then deals with the insurer directly.

Related guides

Assignment of benefits: what to know before you sign What an assignment of benefits gives a contractor, what you give up, how it differs from a direction to pay, and how Florida and other states treat it. Burst and frozen pipes: what's covered A burst pipe is usually covered if you kept the heat on or drained the system. What reasonable care means, how vacancy affects a claim, and the first hour. Documenting damage: photos, video and receipts How to photograph, film and log home damage so an adjuster can verify it: what to capture before cleanup, what the HO-3 asks you to keep, and a claim file. The first 48 hours after damage to your home What to do in the first two days after a fire, leak, storm or break-in: safety, calling the insurer, stopping damage, documenting, and what to hold off on. Home maintenance that keeps you insurable Which maintenance items insurers check, how neglect and wear and tear exclusions play out in a claim, and a yearly schedule that protects the house and policy. Policy conditions: your duties under a homeowners policy What a standard HO-3 requires of you after a loss, and what the insurer owes back: notice, proof of loss, suit deadlines, fraud and cancellation.