Our team often gets asked if homeowners insurance covers foundation repair and how it comes into play with foundation-based repairs. That’s completely understandable. Foundation repairs aren’t cheap, and they can be daunting when you finally need them. 

This is a fairly complex topic, but we want our Kansas City, MO, community to know exactly what to expect and what their options are to keep their homes for years to come.

Let’s get started!

The Bad News About Homeowners Insurance and Foundation Repairs

First, let’s get the bad news out of the way. Homeowners insurance doesn’t cover every type of foundation damage.

Homeowners insurance is meant to cover unpredictable and unavoidable circumstances. We’ll talk about those in detail soon, but it won’t cover simple wear and tear.

That’s part of being a homeowner. You’re expected to maintain your home and fix the damage that naturally accrues over time. 

It also doesn’t cover every unavoidable circumstance. For example, if a flood shifts the ground and causes foundation damage, that would be an issue for your flood insurance provider to handle. 

This can be concerning at first, because as a homeowner, you pay a lot of money to insurance companies, and hearing that they have all these intricate guidelines that must be met before they payout isn’t very reassuring. 

Luckily, you’re not left without options, and your homeowner's insurance does still have a use. 

When Does Homeowners Insurance Help with Foundation Repairs in Kansas City, MO?

As we said, homeowners insurance can help pay for foundation repairs in several situations. They’re just situations that are already extremely stressful. 

Things that tend to be covered include unavoidable damage from a car running off the road and ramming into your home, a natural gas explosion, a housefire, earthquakes, and similar situations where the damage is not naturally occurring, and the foundation would have been fine had that random event not occurred. 

So, suppose you, unfortunately, end up dealing with one of those problems and need foundation repairs right after.

In that case, it’s best to call the insurance company immediately, have them do their assessment, get a second opinion if they try to avoid it, and then call a team of professionals to repair your foundation.

This is the most straightforward and clear-cut insurance situation to deal with. 

When Homeowners Insurance doesn’t cover Unavoidable Circumstances

Of course, there are some situations, even ones that fall into the previous category, when homeowners insurance can rightfully decline the payout.

Mostly, you’ll see this issue regarding flooding or earthquakes. 

In areas where earthquakes and floods are common, homeowners are typically required to pay for a separate insurance package that specifically covers those issues.

In this case, you likely already have the appropriate form of insurance, and you can simply call the associated insurance provider to get the funding you need. 

This does differ from region to region, and it can even differ from neighborhood to neighborhood depending on what threats are in the area.

What Do You Do When You Need Foundation Repairs for Normal Wear and Tear?

So far, we’ve covered your options for unexpected damage and the two ways that can be resolved, but that doesn’t help if you’re simply dealing with an old home needing regular maintenance. Well, you’re not entirely out of luck in that scenario.

There are several ways to finance such repairs. First, you can approach your bank and discuss getting a personal loan or ask if they have any more specific loan options.

This is the easiest way to handle the problem because you already have a working relationship with the bank. 

However, you can also work with the foundation repair team you hire. You won’t get as many options as when you get a normal loan, but here are some of the things that can be done. 

1: Recommending More Cost-Effective Options

The most basic way we can help is to go over your exact situation and find the most cost-effective solution that will provide results.

When you look up a full foundation replacement, the cost is jaw-dropping. However, not all foundation repairs are all that expensive. Most foundation projects aren’t. 

We can go over your foundation to determine how damaged it is and leverage one of the many solutions we have at our disposal that only cost a few thousand dollars.  

This dramatically lowers the cost of getting your house back in top-notch shape, and it doesn’t sacrifice the quality of work done.

From foundation crack repairs to lifting and stabilizing the ground, there are a lot more options than simply replacing the foundation outright or extensively repairing each part of it.

2: Payment Plans

This isn’t an option with every team, but we offer payment plans. 

This doesn’t reduce your overall costs, but it does help spread the cost of expensive foundation repairs over the years rather than forcing you to come up with a lot of money on a moment’s notice.

In general, our plans start at $23 monthly payments. That makes getting proper foundation work done an absolute breeze and accessible for everyone.

3: Free Inspections

While not a direct way to deal with your insurance and funding issues, free inspections do ensure that you can get a better understanding of your situation without wasting the money you’ll need to handle the repairs.

Whether it’s to get a second opinion on an insurance quote, or it’s to figure out what type of repair you can have done, we offer free, no-strings-attached, inspections.

Choose Smart Foundation Systems for Your Foundation Repairs

For all those who are wondering if homeowners insurance covers foundation repair, our foundation repair company in Kansas City has got you covered!

As time passes, the situation deteriorates, but we've established the necessary infrastructure to ensure our community can afford these vital repairs without financial strain.

Contact Smart Foundation Systems and book your appointment today!