Will Insurance Cover Foundation Repair in Houston?

Does Homeowner’s Insurance Cover Foundation Repair in the Houston Area? (Including Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, & More)

You’ve noticed the warning signs: cracks in the brick veneer, sticking doors, or uneven floors. Your first thought is naturally, “Will my homeowner’s insurance cover this massive repair?”

It’s the most common question we get here at Deep Rock Foundations. As an informed homeowner in the Greater Houston area, you deserve a direct and honest answer.

The short answer, for most people in Katy, Sugar Land, and Houston, is usually no.

Most standard Texas homeowner’s policies specifically exclude the main reasons foundations fail. However, there is one critical exception that can trigger coverage. Understanding this distinction is the key to knowing whether your foundation problem is a claim or an out-of-pocket expense.

Watch our video explaining Foundation Repair Insurance Claims, then read on about how we can help even when insurance denies your claim.

Why Standard Policies DENY Foundation Claims

It’s Not Just You… Most Claims for Foundation Repair Are Denied

Standard homeowner’s insurance (HO-A, HO-B, or HO-C policies) are designed to cover sudden, accidental, and unexpected damage. Foundation issues, conversely, are typically viewed by insurers as the result of a process or earth movement, both of which are common exclusions.

The main exclusions that prevent coverage are:

• Earth Movement: This is the big one. Policies exclude damage from the movement of the earth, including settlement, shifting, bulging, or expansion of the ground. Since the primary cause of foundation failure in the Pearland and League City areas is the expansive, reactive clay soil (which swells when wet and shrinks when dry), this exclusion often applies.
• Wear and Tear: Insurance doesn’t cover deterioration over time, poor maintenance, or defects in construction.
• Soil Conditions: Issues arising from inadequate drainage, vegetation root systems, or soil type—all highly relevant factors for homes in Friendswood and Clear Lake—are generally not covered.

When Deep Rock Foundations finds that your failure is due to typical soil expansion or contraction, your insurance will almost certainly deny the claim.

The Critical Exception: When Coverage IS Possible

If you live in Texas, there is one scenario where your insurance policy may come to the rescue: if the foundation damage is caused by a sudden, accidental plumbing leak beneath the slab.

In Texas, many policies include a specific Plumbing Endorsement. This clause shifts the focus from the process of soil movement to the cause of the foundation movement. If a pipe breaks under your foundation and saturates the soil, causing it to swell and lift the home, the resulting damage may be covered.

This is the only viable path to foundation repair coverage for many homeowners in Alvin and other surrounding communities built on slab foundations.

A shoddy repair can actively reduce your home’s value and scare off buyers and inspec

Proving Your Claim: The Three Steps to Insurance Coverage

It is not enough to suspect a plumbing leak is the cause. You must legally prove the link between the broken pipe and the foundation damage. This is a multi-step process that requires professional confirmation.

1. The Licensed Plumber’s Leak Test

Before an insurance adjuster will even consider the claim, you must hire a licensed plumber to perform a pressure test and/or hydrostatic test to confirm that a plumbing leak exists beneath your home’s slab. This is the first piece of undeniable evidence.

2. The Engineer’s Report (The Critical Link)

The most difficult and crucial step is establishing causation. You need a structural or geotechnical engineer to provide a report that explicitly links the diagnosed plumbing leak to the specific pattern and extent of the foundation movement.

Without an independent engineer’s professional opinion stating that the leak is the direct and sole cause, the insurance company will default back to the “earth movement” exclusion.

3. Deep Rock’s Foundation Evaluation

Before you start the costly process of leak testing and engineer reports, it is wise to consult with a foundation repair expert first.

At Deep Rock Foundations, we can send a consultant to your Houston, Katy, or Sugar Land home to perform a detailed foundation evaluation. This analysis determines:

1. The degree of foundation movement.
2. The probable cause (e.g., is the movement uniform due to soil, or isolated and sudden, potentially indicating a leak?).

If our professional assessment suggests the movement pattern aligns with a plumbing leak, we can advise you on the next steps toward pursuing an insurance claim. We help set you up for success by giving you the facts first.

TLDR: Get the Facts BEFORE You File

Filing a foundation claim that gets denied can negatively impact your insurance history. That’s why you need to know the facts before you call your agent.

If you are seeing signs of foundation movement in the Greater Houston area—whether you are near Alvin, Clear Lake, Sugar Land, Pearland, League City, Friendswood, or Katy—call Deep Rock Foundations.

We will provide you with a professional foundation evaluation, letting you know the cause of your damage and whether there is any chance of insurance coverage, empowering you to make the smartest financial decision for your home.