Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Foundation Problems?
Your house provides you with shelter and protection from the wrath of Mother Nature. It is where you spend some great times with your near and dear ones. However, have you ever thought about the safety of your house? When people buy homeowner’s insurance, they often worry about freak accidents or a destructive storm when they put off calling the Tree Trimmers. Have you ever considered about the various types of insidious damages your foundation is subjected to every day? When it comes to foundation damages to your house, your homeowner’s insurance may not prove to be of much help to you. However, there are some policies which do cover foundation damages only if such damages are caused by an already covered threat.
Why Do House Foundations Crack?
Apart from various construction defects, foundation problems usually take place due to minor shifts in the ground on which the foundation sits. If there is an expansion in the soil, it will force the foundation to shift up and if there is soil erosion, the foundation may sink further. Whatever be the change to the foundation, it will eventually cause a great impact on the entire house. If ignored, it can even give rise to serious cracks on the walls and eventually make the entire house dangerous to reside.
Steps to Determine If Your Insurance Policy Covers Foundations Problems
The process of determining whether your insurance policy covers your foundation problems involves two primary steps and these steps have been discussed below.
- Read your policy carefully or you may also discuss it with your agent to determine whether it covers various foundation damages. Normally, small cracks that are formed due to the structure settling down will be excluded. However, other types of foundation damages may sometimes be included.
- You may also review your insurance policy in order to check whether it covers any foundation damages. There are some specific types of damages you should look for in such matters.
- Coverage for earth movements. This may relate to earthquakes and will protect your property against possible movements in the soil, which can eventually damage the foundation of your home.
- Insurance against floods can help protect your house and the foundation from various types of major damages caused by water.
- Coverage against ground cover collapse is primarily used in places such as Florida where it is very common to find sinkholes. This type of coverage can easily insure a damaged foundation of your house.
There are some types of damages caused to house foundations due to pipe bursts, which may be caused due to erosion. These types of damages may also be covered according to Dallas Foundation Repair. One of the most common causes of foundation damages, which is the normal expansion and compression of the soil is seldom covered by any homeowner’s insurance. It is very important that you read the fine lines of an insurance policy before you decide to choose one. If you rush through it, you may have to regret in the long run and also bear great expenses due to any mishaps in the future.
About Christian Reynolds
Christian is the chief reporter, editor, and webmaster at Cleveland Leader. An aspiring news anchor, his hobbies outside of investigative reporting are golf, martinis, and adventure travel. If you have a scoop on any developing story, please contact him on this page.
