What Should You Know About Homeowners Insurance Driveway Damage?
A crack, no matter how small, in the driveway can be a problem for homeowners. However, if a covered peril causes damage to your driveway, your insurance may pay to repair the damage up to your policy’s limits and minus your deductible. A homeowners insurance policy may also cover secondary structures on your property, including decks, patios, sheds, and driveways.
How Does Coverage for Driveway Damage Work?
Like any other attached structures, such as a swimming pool or deck, the driveway is considered part of your residence. In most cases, the driveway is covered by the same policy that you have for your house. In this case, your homeowners insurance policy may cover sudden and accidental damage to your driveway. However, make sure it comes under a covered peril. For instance, your driveway can crack if a tree crashes on it after a severe storm. In that instance, your home insurance coverage might pay for repairing or rebuilding your broken driveway. Other calamities such as fires, tornadoes, windstorms, or hail may also be covered by your insurance policy.
Possible Exclusions to Your Insurance Policy
There are a few situations in which your driveway is not covered by your homeowners insurance. Check your policy carefully for any additional exclusions relevant to your state and circumstances. Homeowners insurance policies generally won’t cover damage to your driveway from certain natural disasters, and some of the most common exclusions are:
Mudslides or Mudflow
Earth movements, such as settling, shrinking, bulging, or expanding
Floods
Earthquakes
Neglect and deterioration
Damage by animals like birds, vermin, or rodents
Intentional Loss
Endorsements to the homeowners policy or supplemental insurance purchased separately can provide coverage for the excluded risks. Check to see if driveways are considered covered structures with your earthquake and flood insurance companies. What is and is not covered under the policies differs in each homeowners insurance policy.
Driveway Replacement or Repair with Homeowners Insurance
In the event of a covered peril causing damage to your driveway, your homeowners insurance should cover the damage. It is also your provider’s responsibility to remove debris, including old driveways, fallen trees, and other items. If your driveway needs to be replaced, make sure you know if your insurance will pay the driveway’s replacement cost or its real cash value. Actual cash value coverage for other constructions is included in some plans. Since depreciation is taken into account, the actual cash worth will nearly always pay for less than the replacement cost.
When determining the replacement cost of your home, make sure to include the cost of your driveway, as well as any potential repaving and grading costs.
Stay Protected with Jack Stone Insurance Agency
Making every effort to ensure that your home has all the necessary insurance coverage is important when trying to safeguard it. This also applies to the damage done to your driveway. Contact our agents here at Jack Stone Insurance Agency. We can help you figure out what type of coverage you need to take care of all your concerns.
