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Will home insurance cover a leaking basement?
Our basement family room gets water seepage through the foundation. We got an estimate from a contractor to put in some drainage so it doesn’t keep happening. Will our home insurance policy cover the cost?
Rachel Rigolino · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Basement spaces can be a challenge to keep dry. Unfortunately, your homeowners insurance policy will likely not cover remediating the drainage around your foundation. Homeowners insurance is meant to cover sudden perils/damage, not issues with a house settling over time (which often causes foundation cracks).
Standard homeowner policies typically don’t cover groundwater infiltration or flooding and storm surges when it comes to basement water damage:
In your case, it seems like your basement is flooding as a result of groundwater infiltration. Over time, foundations do develop cracks as they sink and settle into the ground, so it’s important to monitor what’s going on in your basement. Fixing cracks and resulting drainage problems are considered routine maintenance and just something that comes with owning a house.
If you want protection from water damage as a result of floods and storm surges, you’ll need to purchase flood insurance. Consider a flood insurance policy that covers not only your personal possessions but also your dwelling.
While putting in a drainage system around your foundation is not a home improvement that you can see (and show off to friends), it will be worth the investment in the long run.
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