Will house insurance cover this?

[Pilchard_Adams]

Hey guys. Thought I would see if I can get any info on a claim I currently have in the works. I am, like many I am sure, am quite sceptical about insurance companies.

I have a house that has cracked quite dramatically within the last 3 months. Prior 3 months to this, no issues. The walls arojnd doorways are compressing on one side, and cracking open on the other. My front door now has daylight between the door frame and wall. I can fit my fingers under floor skirtings showing the floor has dropped by 20mm in some places.

This has happened due to the house sinking. After having all kinds of people check the place out, it was found the old terracotta sewer pipe along the side of the house was collapsing. Cracks along the pipe, segments over 10mm apart, 2 different plumbers have said this is the worst they have seen.

After digging up my driveway and then the pipe it was found that in the 1960s when the pipe was laid, the builders didn't put any rubber seals between any sections of pipe. Zero. So the pipe has leaked every time the shower has been on, the toilet flushed etc. The ground was significantly wet when excavated.

Is this something insurance will likely cover? I can't find any fine print to say they won't. The fix now involves significant underpinning and re leveling of the house, and interior works. Plus replacing 22m of driveway and concrete.

Anyone come across this before?

 

[ash_1050]

Without knowing the age of the house or its layout there may also be other factors in addition to the pipe including uncapped soil gardens next to the walls, tree roots, seasonal soil movement, poor water dispersement in place etc.

Depending on the policy but at a maximum the policy will cover resultant damage and leak detection costs, it won't cover repairing the pipe or any costs associated with accessing the pipe (e.g. taking up and relaying the otherwise undamaged driveway in order to fix the pipe).

It's worth lodging a claim with your insurer to take a look and it will then follow this path:
*Insurer will appoint a loss adjustor
*The loss adjustor will review the documentation you've provided around the cause and extent of damage
*The insurer will likely appoint an engineer to determine the cause/extent of damage
*Allow 6 weeks from the date of the engineer's attendance for a report to then be submitted to the adjustor
*Allow a week for the adjustor to then submit their report to the insurer
*The insurer will then come back to you to advise if the claim is covered

 

[Pilchard_Adams]

Without knowing the age of the house or its layout there may also be other factors in addition to the pipe including uncapped soil gardens next to the walls, tree roots, seasonal soil movement, poor water dispersement in place etc.

Depending on the policy but at a maximum the policy will cover resultant damage and leak detection costs, it won't cover repairing the pipe or any costs associated with accessing the pipe (e.g. taking up and relaying the otherwise undamaged driveway in order to fix the pipe).

It's worth lodging a claim with your insurer to take a look and it will then follow this path:
*Insurer will appoint a loss adjustor
*The loss adjustor will review the documentation you've provided around the cause and extent of damage
*The insurer will likely appoint an engineer to determine the cause/extent of damage
*Allow 6 weeks from the date of the engineer's attendance for a report to then be submitted to the adjustor
*Allow a week for the adjustor to then submit their report to the insurer
*The insurer will then come back to you to advise if the claim is covered

Thanks for the response. I had the engineer out today, the house has dropped 160mm. The pipe was replaced over the weekend and the direct cause has been found to be the terracotta pipe was installed with no rubber seals between segments. It has been leaking since built, back in the 1960s. I will just have to cross my fingers I suppose

 

[ash_1050]

Thanks for the response. I had the engineer out today, the house has dropped 160mm. The pipe was replaced over the weekend and the direct cause has been found to be the terracotta pipe was installed with no rubber seals between segments. It has been leaking since built, back in the 1960s. I will just have to cross my fingers I suppose

Well worth a crack with your insurer if your engineer attributes the damage entirely to the cracked piping.

 

[Pie eyed]

Hey guys. Thought I would see if I can get any info on a claim I currently have in the works. I am, like many I am sure, am quite sceptical about insurance companies.

I have a house that has cracked quite dramatically within the last 3 months. Prior 3 months to this, no issues. The walls arojnd doorways are compressing on one side, and cracking open on the other. My front door now has daylight between the door frame and wall. I can fit my fingers under floor skirtings showing the floor has dropped by 20mm in some places.

This has happened due to the house sinking. After having all kinds of people check the place out, it was found the old terracotta sewer pipe along the side of the house was collapsing. Cracks along the pipe, segments over 10mm apart, 2 different plumbers have said this is the worst they have seen.

After digging up my driveway and then the pipe it was found that in the 1960s when the pipe was laid, the builders didn't put any rubber seals between any sections of pipe. Zero. So the pipe has leaked every time the shower has been on, the toilet flushed etc. The ground was significantly wet when excavated.

Is this something insurance will likely cover? I can't find any fine print to say they won't. The fix now involves significant underpinning and re leveling of the house, and interior works. Plus replacing 22m of driveway and concrete.

Anyone come across this before?

How long have you owned the property?
Before you bought did you get a building report?