Are slab leaks covered by homeowners insurance?

Are you wondering if your homeowner’s insurance covers slab leaks? Many modern homes are built on a concrete slab, and the plumbing pipes are run under and upwards through the slab to the various rooms that need water, like your kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room. If you do get a slab leak, your homeowner’s insurance may or may not cover it. It depends on how the slab leak occurred.

How to Tell if You Have a Slab Leak

When plumbers talk about slab leaks, they are talking about a leak in either a pressurized water line or in a drain line that runs under the slab foundation of your home. These leaks are incredibly hard to detect, so it’s important to pay attention to a few signs, including higher than normal water bills, sounds of running water when there’s no water running in the house, mysterious puddles on the floor and carpet that is wet or wood flooring that has buckled or warped. If you think you have a leak, you can turn off all your taps and water-using appliances and look at your water meter. If the dial is still spinning, you may have a leak under your slab or elsewhere in your home.

If you notice any of these signs, you should take action to have the leaking pipe repaired immediately. If slab leaks are not repaired, they can cause extensive damage to your home’s foundation, including soil erosion under the slab and cracked or crumbling concrete.

Understanding What Homeowners Insurance Covers

Homeowners insurance protects your home and personal property from certain events, like fire, theft, and certain types of storm damage. It also protects you if someone who does not live at your house gets injured while on your property. This also includes any injuries from pets. Homeowners’ insurance does not cover lack of maintenance or damage to your home caused by floods or earthquakes. However, you can get separate earthquake and flood insurance policies.

In general, homeowners insurance covers three areas:

  • Your dwelling and any outbuildings, like your garage or any sheds.
  • Your personal belongings, like your clothes, electronics, and furniture.
  • Liability coverage if someone gets injured or their property gets damaged while they are visiting your home.

Why Homeowners Insurance Might Cover a Slab Leak

According to HomeAdvisor, the cost to repair a slab leak can range from $630 to $4,400 with the average repair cost hovering around $2,000. Because repairing a slab leak is so expensive, you may be wondering if your homeowners insurance covers the costs. In general, there are three circumstances where your insurance policy may cover the repairs or some of the damage.

  1. Covered Event – If your home is damaged by a covered event and that event causes the slab leak, your insurance policy may cover the cost of the slab leak repairs as well as any other damage that your home incurred as a result of that event.
  2. Personal Property Damage – If the slab leak is so severe that it damages your personal property, the personal property clause in your policy may cover the costs associated with repairing or replacing your furniture or electronics. However, it wouldn’t directly cover the cost of repairing the slab leak.
  3. Structural Damage – If the leak causes severe structural damage to your home, it may be covered under your dwelling coverage. However, the insurance coverage would not cover the actual plumbing repairs. Instead, it would cover the costs to restore your home’s structural integrity so that you can continue to live in it.

Instances Where Homeowners Insurance Would not Cover a Slab Leak

Homeowners insurance is designed to protect you against certain events. It does not protect you if the damage was caused by a lack of maintenance. For example, if your pipes are extremely old or corroded and they burst due to the corrosion, your homeowner’s insurance would not pay for the repairs. Instead, you’d have to pay for the repairs with your personal financial resources.

Getting Homeowners Insurance with Fearnow

If you need homeowners insurance or have questions about your policy, like whether or not it would cover a slab leak, our agents can help. We can answer questions about your policy and locate other insurance coverage that can help ensure you are fully protected, including flood and earthquake insurance.

To learn more about our homeowner’s policies and to get a quote, give us a call at 813-981-7644.