Home insurance is there to protect you from unforeseen disasters. Like an electric pole falling onto your home and causing a fire or a car loses control and crashes into your home.
When there is foundation damage, it can be more difficult with insurance covering the costs of repairs. Foundation issues can come from multiple reasons from simple settling of land to natural disasters like tornadoes or floods. Some causes might qualify for coverage but others might not.
When your home insurance will cover foundation problems
There are certain scenarios that foundation damage is covered through your insurance. This all depends on how the damage came about.
For example, your entire home could have been damaged from a natural disaster like a tornado. It could have caused damage to your foundation and tornadoes are generally covered under standard home insurance.
As long as the damage to your foundation comes from a risk that is covered under your home owners insurance, you will be covered for your foundation problems.
When your home insurance will not cover foundation problems
Most insurances don’t cover damages that come from earthquakes or flooding. If your foundation damage was from either reason and you don’t have an insurance policy that covers it, then you responsible to repaid any foundation damages.
If your foundation is damaged due to age of the property or settling of the land, that is considered normal wear and tare. Insurance policies normally do not cover wear and tear. You might consider home warranties or a warranty of some sort from the contractor who either installed or repairs your foundation.
What can cause foundation damage?
There can be multiple reasons that you might have foundation damage. Natural disasters can be the biggest culprit which can not always be controlled. There are other reasons that you can have foundation damage which could be prevented.
- Too much water
Water can cause a lot of damage to your foundation. An overflow of water can cause your soil to bulge and then move. Monitor your water usage closely. If you notice too much water is being used, there could be a crack in your pipes which could cause flooding. - Bad construction
If you are buying a new house, make sure that you have a thorough inspection of the foundation. Even you are building a new home, ensure you have picked a contractor you can trust and has done great job in the past. - Landscaping
Do you have trees on your property? If so make sure that they are not too close to your foundation. Their roots can do a lot of damage. They can cause the foundation itself to move, or they can crack pipes which can lead to water damage.
