Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Slab Leaks

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Business woman showing insurance document over white desk at office

When you are aware that your home has a slab leak, it can be devastating. You know that this needs to be taken care of immediately because the problem will not go away on its own. However, you may not know how much this process costs and whether or not your homeowners’ insurance covers slab leaks. Because so many people have questions about this, we have put together some information about what you need to know before moving forward with repairs. Here is some basic information about slab leaks and whether insurance policies for plumbing companies cover slab leaks.

Why Do Slab Leaks Occur?

Slab leaks occur when pipes in the cement foundation of a housing freeze and break up, causing water to flow through the house. This is not the only cause of slab leaks, but it is one of the more common reasons. To prevent this from happening, some things can be done either by insulating pipes or heating them with pilot light. However, if the problem does occur, there are three different ways that you can fix it depending on what materials your home uses for its foundation:

  1. A French drain system
  2. A pump-out system
  3. An interior drainage system

The first step of repairing a slab leak is to find out which type you have so you can find plumbing companies that have the expertise to fix your problem. If you don’t know how to tell if a plumbing company is reliable, click the following link to check out the website of a qualified plumbing company.

Cost of Repairing Slab Leaks

Unfortunately, water can easily seep through cement, which means that slab leaks are typically expensive to fix because they involve tearing up your foundation parts. Additionally, this is not something you won’t want to pay for on your own because costs can reach as high as $10,000 or more depending on how much damage there was.

Repair and replacement of water pipes; construction of new water systems;
replacement of defective pipes, freezing of water systems of pipes
installation and replacement of sanitary water fittings

Slab Leak Insurance

If you can pay for the repairs yourself, then homeowners insurance may not cover slab leaks. This is because it would be considered an improvement or remodel rather than repair. For example, if you put in granite countertops and decided that you wanted hardwood floors next month, you would have to pay for the installation yourself. Even if it needs to be taken care of immediately, insurance companies are not required to pay for this, so they will reject your claim.

However, if slab leaks are covered by your home or renters policy, then there may be a chance that your carrier will cover some of the costs. This depends on the type of policy you have and what company you are with. Some policies do list slab leaks as being covered, while others leave out this detail which means that it is important to read through everything before making any decisions about paying for repairs on your own.

Why It’s Important To Know About Slab Leaks 

There are many reasons why homeowners should know about slab leaks. First, if you are planning to sell your home, it is good to know what issues there may be because this can affect whether or not buyers choose to buy your home. If they are aware of any problems with the foundation, whether visible or not, then most people will consider it a deal-breaker, so you want to avoid this as much as possible.

It’s also good for homeowners to know about slab leaks so they can take preventative measures. For example, if you have an interior drainage system, taking measures to heat the pipes in your home can help prevent them from freezing and breaking up. Also, outside insulating pipes will deter any water coming into contact with them from getting inside your home.

Even though some people think plumbing companies should work with insurance companies to automatically cover slab leaks, it is essential to know that this may not always happen. While specific policies may cover this type of damage caused by malfunctions or wear and tear on the house, others will not. This means it is essential to read through your policy carefully not to be surprised by any charges after the damage has been done.