Do you have homeowners insurance? Does it cover things such as damage due to ‘acts of God’, accidents, and liability issues among other things? But can it cover foundation repairs for your home?
According to Indianapolis Foundation Repair Experts (indianapolisfoundationrepairexperts.com), the answer is yes and no. Yes, it can be covered if it’s damaged in such instances as fires and explosions. But it will not be covered if the foundation is damaged due to wear, tear, or even abuse.
Keep reading to learn more about why foundation repair will not always be covered by homeowner’s insurance. You will also find out about other options you have so you can budget and know how much you expect to pay for foundation repair.
Can your homeowner’s insurance cover foundation repair?
Again, yes and no. It will come down to certain factors and causes. If the foundation is damaged due to regular wear, tear, and age then there’s a good chance that your homeowner’s insurance won’t cover it. We hate to say it, but things can get old to the point where they can start to crumble.
What kind of damage can my home insurance cover?
Let’s say a tornado blew through your house. You’re lucky to be alive, but your house got destroyed. And your foundation suffered a good amount of damage.
Because of a disaster like this, foundation repair can be covered by your homeowner’s insurance. But that doesn’t stop there. Foundation repair can be covered if the house was damaged by fire, plumbing backups, or explosions.
What your policy won’t cover will be wear and tear, earthquakes, or floods. If you live in an area that is prone to floods or earthquakes, you better purchase separate insurance policies.
What to do when the foundation crumbles due to wear and tear?
Since wear and tear won’t likely be covered under your homeowner’s insurance policy, your next option is repairing or replacing it out of pocket. Before you decide on that, you want to choose a contractor that is competent and knows their stuff about foundation repairs.
Because it will cost you a pretty penny to get it repaired or replaced. And you also have to look at how much damage you are dealing with. The more damage your foundation sustains, the more you’re going to pay.
What other foundation issues won’t be covered?
There are other foundation issues that your homeowner’s insurance won’t cover. These include but are not limited to pre-construction, improper drainage (which can cause patches of wetness and dryness below your house), roots from trees, and changes in the temperature.
If you live in a climate where you experience all four seasons, it’s likely that your foundation may crack or get damaged because of it.
How much will foundation repair cost you?
If there are minor cracks in the foundation, it shouldn’t cost you any less than $500. Those costs do go up if the damage is even more substantial.
On average, homeowners will shell out about $4000 for foundation repair alone. If the damage is prominent, you may pay anywhere between $2000 to $7000. Some major foundation repairs could go well over $10,000.
Should I have a contractor check my foundation before repair?
What you need to realize is that foundation repair isn’t a do-it-yourself task. It’s not your standard home improvement project that you can get done in hours. So it’s best to leave it up to the professionals.
To answer this question, you’d be wise to have a contractor that specializes in foundation repair to assess the damage. That way, they will be able to give you a detailed explanation of what’s damaged and how much it will cost you for the project.
How should you prevent foundation damage?
Foundation damage can occur at any time. So you want to prevent any further damage (or none of it at all). How do you go about doing this?
For one, make sure that your home has a system that is good enough to handle water in the event of heavy rains or floods. Because of this, the moisture could get trapped in your soil.
Too much of that moisture can cause the soil to shift and that can lead to trouble for your foundation.
Can I just check my foundation regularly for damage?
Yes, you can. In fact, the sooner you can be able to spot foundation damage, the better. Especially when you want to get it repaired and not spend an arm and a leg. Wear and tear happens over the course of time.
And you want to stay ahead of the curve if you don’t want to spend a lot of money on foundation repair.
One More Thing
If you have a homeowners insurance policy, you should review it from time to time. Especially if you want to know what’s covered and what isn’t. Your foundation repairs can be covered under some situations, but not all of them like ‘time’.