orangetrader wrote:

I have a single story home with a monolithic concrete slab and my sewer line
below the slab is in need of repair due to a crack, sand piles in as laundry
water is discharged through the line at a rapid rate and caused partial
blockage. The problem has been confirmed by a video of the line.

The drain service company recommended to trench a tunnel from the outside to
get to the pipe and repair it. Their estimate is:

$200 of digging per feet + $1000 actual pipe repair

They figured they will need to dig 7 feet from ground (a few feet to clear
the footing, four more for a person to crawl through), then five feet over,
then whatever length to expose the broken pipe section etc...could add up to
18 or 20 feet. That puts the total cost at $3000.

Another utility contractor looked at it and gave another estimate. He
suggested to break a hole in my kitchen above the broken section. Open up a
hole 48" x 36" through the 8" concrete slab. His charge will be $1800 to
break the slab, plus $1000 for the repair of the pipe, then he will leave.
It is then up to me to find someone to repour the slab, redo the tile (I
have no replacement tiles) and redo the kitchen cabinets (the spot is below
the cabinet). This is more expensive.

Regardless of the approach I take, they both told me my home owner policy
(Florida) should cover it. It does not cover the actual repair, but it
should cover the "access" to the repair. So may be the $1000 of repair is
not covered, but the $2000 of tunneling will be. But I was told it depends
on how you describe the problem to the adjuster.

I called the insurance company and the adajuster called back. I explained
the problem to them and was told nothing is covered unless there is actual
damage to the property. For example, if the pipe burst caused the carpet to
be ruined, they will cover it. If it caused walls to be moist they will
cover it. I told the adjuster over the phone that I know the pipe is
seeping water and that could be flooding the slab from below and eventually
popping my tiles out it's just a matter of time. I also told them the sand
is being drawn in through the crack and is piling up downstream, this could
cause an erosion of soil below my slab and my house can sink because of it
(may be a little exaggerated). They said they will send someone out to see.
Does anyone has experience on this that can advise whether there is any way
this can be covered? Is it really how you technically state the problem?
Any comments will be appreciated.

O



Your adjuster is correct. Homeowners insurance pays for SUDDEN
damage to your home. It most specifically states that it does not
pay for maintenance. This is a maintenance issue.

I do alot of insurance work, and just as in the case of a pipe
breaking and flooding your house, the insurance covers the damages,
but not the repair of the pipe. In addition, since you now know
that the pipes are old and subject to breaking, it is your
responsibility to correct this issue. If another pipe breaks at a
later date, the insurance company will not pay, because you have not
addressed a known maintenance problem.

Unless you can show that this was a SUDDEN problem, and caused
damage to your home, you are probably on your own. The insurance
adjuster may come out to your home and take a look at it, but he is
there to 1); show that they are responsive to you as a client, and
2); to document the circumstances in case you should try to pass
this off as something else that is covered at a later date.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX