Your base is covered by homeowners insurance just like any other part of your home. However, many causes of foundation damage are explicitly excluded from standard policies. Familiarize yourself with the many different events that can cause damage to foundations and whether or not your homeowner's policy will cover it. Homeowners insurance can cover repairs to foundations damaged by covered hazards, such as tornadoes or falling trees.
Damages can be covered up to the limits of home coverage. Damage to the base is not covered if it occurs due to certain excluded causes. Here are some examples of situations where the answer to the question, if homeowners insurance covers foundation repair, is no. Get a free quote from Nationwide today and discover how homeowners insurance can help you live with a healthy mind and a strong foundation.
Things like natural settlement, tree roots, and faulty construction are blamed on the homeowner being negligent, and negligence isn't covered by insurance either. Some signs of foundation damage can include uneven floors, doors and windows that have cracks around them or that don't open and close as easily as they should, cracks on the outside of the foundation or basement walls, and stepped cracks in brick or concrete. Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, its affiliates and employees make no warranties about the information or results, and assume no liability in relation to the information provided. If any of the above caused damage to your foundation, you can file a claim for your insurance company to reimburse you for repairs.
If you live in an area where any of these disasters are common, purchase a separate earthquake or flood insurance policy to protect both your foundation and your overall home. You should also inspect the inside and outside of your home regularly for cracks, basement moisture, and sloping floors. All insurance products are governed by the terms of the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval of coverage, premiums, fees and charges) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. Nationwide, Nationwide is on your side, and Nationwide N and Eagle are service brands of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.
If the foundation problem is caused by a covered hazard mentioned in your policy, your home insurer will most likely cover the cost of repairs. Kara McGinley is a licensed home insurance editor and expert at Policygenius, where she writes about homeowners and renters insurance. In general, if foundation problems didn't occur due to a particular event, or if you notice structural damage that has gradually worsened over time, homeowners insurance probably won't pay for repairs. Also, don't expect foundation insurance from your homeowner's policy if your foundation suffers from faulty construction.
