Glossary

Debris removal

Property coverage that pays to clear the wreckage of covered property after a covered loss, capped at a share of the loss plus a fixed extra amount.

Also called: debris removal coverage, debris removal expense, cleanup coverage

After a fire, someone has to haul away the charred roof and drywall. Debris removal coverage pays for it. Under the ISO building and personal property form (CP 00 10 10 12) it is an additional coverage: the insurer pays to remove debris of covered property, and other debris on the premises, when a covered cause of loss produced it, but only if you report the expense in writing within 180 days of the loss.

The amount is capped at 25% of the sum of the deductible plus what the insurer pays for the direct physical loss. If actual removal costs exceed that, or the loss plus removal would exceed the limit, the form adds up to $25,000 more per location.

Say a covered fire leaves a $95,000 payment after a $5,000 deductible, and removal costs $40,000 (a hypothetical, with a building limit well above the loss). The 25% cap is $25,000, but because the cost exceeds it, up to $25,000 more is available, so the full $40,000 is paid.

Exclusions matter: the form does not pay to extract pollutants from land or water, or to restore polluted land or water. Property that is not covered under the policy is not covered for removal either.

See commercial property insurance: what it covers and what it doesn't for the full form, ordinance or law for code-upgrade costs, and pollution exclusion for why contamination cleanup is treated separately.

Last reviewed October 10, 2026

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Related terms

Ordinance or law Coverage for the extra cost of rebuilding to current building codes after a covered loss, which a standard property policy excludes or sharply limits. Pollution exclusion A policy exclusion removing coverage for injury, damage and clean-up from the release of pollutants, leaving spills to a separate pollution policy. Causes of loss form The part of a commercial property policy that lists which perils are covered, offered in basic, broad and special versions of increasing breadth. Proof of loss A signed, sworn statement detailing a property loss and the amount claimed, which the policyholder gives the insurer within a set period after it asks.

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