Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Foundation Repairs?
Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Foundation Repairs In Texas?
Good day, and welcome to the Childers Brothers website. We’ve specialized in foundation repair for over 48 years now, serving a 300-mile radius around Amarillo and the Texas panhandle.
The answer is yes, your foundation is covered.
It’s as much a part of your home as the roof or spare bedroom.
However, that being said, the truth is that most of the major causes of foundation damage are explicitly excluded from standard policies. Not because of any malicious intent, but because, as you’ll see, these are causes that no one can control.
First, let’s get you up to speed on the many different events that can cause foundation damage.
Foundation Damage Events That ARE Covered
As you know, if it’s not in the policy, it’s not covered. Pretty simple. There are events that homeowners insurance companies will accept and those that they will deny.
For example, what if a tornado hits the house and damages the foundation? It’s covered.
How about an earthquake? Since it’s going to be excluded from the policy, no, these aren’t covered. The reason is that they’re too risky to cover. While our area of the country isn’t known for being exceptionally seismic, they typically require special, separate policies.
Most Home Insurance Policies Cover These Events
- Lighting Or Fire (Including Volcanic Eruption)
- Windstorms
- Falling Aircraft & Objects
- Explosions
- Civil Disturbances & Vandalism (Riots)
- Vehicular Damage
- Collapse From Snow, Ice, Or Sleet
- Water Damage From HVAC; Overflow
Most Home Insurance Policies Don’t Cover These Events
The core reasons for foundation damage aren’t covered, unfortunately. So, if you file a claim following these events, your carrier will likely reject the claim.
- Natural Foundation Settlement, Shrinkage, Bulging, Or Expansion
- Earthquakes & Flooding
- Tree Roots
- Improper Or Fault Foundation Construction
As you can see, normal foundation movement or soil behavior isn’t going to be covered. This is why prevention is so incredibly valuable—the same thing with homes that are at risk for small to medium-sized earthquakes. The last two are easy to avoid if you’re careful.
How Do Insurance Companies Help?
When the issue at hand is covered by insurance, enormous benefits are available, including access to the quality of contractors you can work with through provider networks and quick repair service.
After 48+ years in the foundational repair business, we have IMMENSE experience working with insurance companies, dealing with claims in our service area, and providing significant peace of mind.
Some highlights from popular home insurance providers include:
- Adding short-term coverage on repairs through approved contractors.
- Quick 24/7 stipulations to repair services.
- Short-term warranties and renovations.
What If Your Foundation Damage Isn’t Covered?
When the problem isn’t covered, it means out-of-pocket costs for you. Your best bet is to work with a local foundation repair company to help prove the issue was caused by something that’s covered.
We’ve got the experience, the reputation, and all the tools and technology to provide objective, concrete evidence- –which is why our Comprehensive 27-Point Analysis and inspections are so valuable to our customers.
For example, we could help you prove the damage was caused by flooding from a burst pipe rather than improper grading.
We can help make a case for coverage when there’s a real case to be made!
A Note On Prevention — The Best Policy Of All
If you head on over to our Preventative Tips page, we take some time to dive into these important steps:
- Keeping the vegetation around your home under control – especially trees and types of foliage that can have dramatic impacts on soil (like certain species of bamboo).
- Ensuring that your home is sitting atop properly graded soil, so rain runoff is taken away properly—which, if done incorrectly, can cause upheaval and a large number of issues.
- Keeping your gutter system clean and fully operational throughout the seasons so, again, water is managed correctly and transported away from your home.
- Making sure that the overall drainage systems for your home are doing their duty.
- Investing in professional services like Soil Stabilization or Helical Piers, to provide extra layers of protection.
In Our Service Area? Contact Childers Brothers Right Away!
If you’re anywhere in the Texas Panhandle — within 300 miles of Amarillo – you can reach out and Contact hilders Brothers today. We’ll be happy to answer your initial questions, address concerns, and get you scheduled for an inspection. Our process is easy, and we’re pleased to invite you to our extended family of over 15,000 satisfied homeowners. Thanks for your time today, and we look forward to working with you.