Get Homeowners Insurance to Cover Foundation Repair

Step 1: Hire a Master Plumber to Survey the Damage

“If you want homeowner’s insurance to cover your claim, you need a master plumber,” Rodrigo told us. 

Rodrigo advises that every foundation crack repair job starts with hiring a master plumber. Insurance agencies are more likely to respect the analysis, suggestion and repair quote from a master plumber than other sources.

A master plumber brings experience and skill to the job that journeyman plumbers don't have. They are able to design, implement and remediate full plumbing systems, and their expertise is valued by your insurance provider.

These 3 things set a master plumber apart from a standard licensed plumber:

• Education. A master plumber must pass a rigorous examination to obtain this level of certification. This requires up to 7 years of advanced educational coursework.
• Job experience. A master plumber must complete an internship, then serve as an apprentice and journeyman plumber for at least 4 years.‍
• Specialization. Master plumbers must obtain special certification to work on gas lines, sewer lines and design blueprints.

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Step 2: Conduct a Fresh Water Pressure Test

A fresh water leak may sound less dangerous than a sewer leak, but the water damage it causes affects more than just your home and foundation — it can ruin your entire property.

“When you're dealing with a fresh water leak, that's pressurized water," Rodrigo warns. “That can flood the lot and cause the foundation to expand and heave up. Over time, the ground can no longer bear the weight of the foundation and it can collapse.”

A master plumber conducts a fresh water pressure test to ensure pressurized fresh water won't cause ground upheaval and foundation damage.

What is a water pressure test?

A fresh water pressure test ensures the safety and leak tightness of pressurized plumbing systems. A standard water pressure test takes roughly 15 minutes, and involves filling your pipes with a liquid. The liquid is often dyed to make foundation leaks and pipe leaks more visible.

After the test is complete, the plumber will check for any loss in system pressure. A pressure loss indicates a leak somewhere in your pipes or foundation.

Step 3: Identify Possibly Sewer Issues with a Hydrostatic Test

You walk into the bathroom for a nice, warm shower. You step under the water, close your eyes and let it flow over your head. Then, you feel an odd sensation by your feet. You look down in horror, to discover sewer water backing up into your tub.

Sewer leaks aren't just gross, they're a leading cause of structural damage and foundation leaks in American homes. Thankfully, there's a simple test to help prevent foundation damage from sewer water leaks.

What is a hydrostatic test?

“A hydrostatic test goes into your system, locates where your double clean outs are, and block off the drainage and/or city exit,” Rodrigo explained. “They block off that exit, then fill the rest of the pipes with water all the way to the top. If the city exit is blocked off, the water level should not go up or down.”

If the water level goes down, or never fully fills up, you're dealing with a pipe crack, foundation crack or disconnected pipe.

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Step 4: Find a House Foundation Crack In 2 Steps

Once you identify the type of leak, it's much simpler to determine its location.

Find Freshwater Leaks with Sound Testing

Master plumbers identify fresh water leak sources with an isolation test. An isolation test involves finding fresh water leaks by using sound. 

“Imagine a big stethoscope on the walls and floors of your home,” Rodrigo explains. “You hear, by sound, where the leak is coming from.”

Send a Camera Into Your Sewer Line Pipes

If your system fails the hydrostatic test, a crew will send cameras into your sewer pipe system to identify cracks or damage to your cast iron or PVC pipes. 

“They bring in a long cable with a scope at the end, and they run that through the [pipes] of your sewer line,” Rodrigo told us. “They're trying to find cracks, disconnections, roots, clogs, and so on.”

While a plumbing leak is never enjoyable, any foundation problem it causes will only get worse over time. If you're dealing with a leak near your home's foundation — or a concrete slab leak itself — it's urgent to get a bid for the foundation repair work immediately.

Homeowners: Get a free quote on foundation crack repair through HOMR.

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Step 5: Hire The Right Pro for a Foundation Repair Bid

After your pressure and hydrostatic tests are complete, your master plumber will give you a price quote for plumbing repairs. This quote will include the most efficient way to access the leak — whether it's tunneling, cutting through your floors, or trenching.

At this point, Rodrigo strongly suggests hiring a structural engineer to keep your homeowners insurance engaged in covering the cost.

“A structural engineer vastly increases the odds of a claim being approved,” Rodrigo said. “Any time you suspect a leak, it's highly recommended that you go ahead and get a foundation inspection done. The most common cause of foundation issues is plumbing — so get the foundation inspected before and after the plumbing work is done."

When you obtain a foundation inspection before and after plumbing work and leak repair, you safeguard your chances at obtaining coverage in 5 ways:

• Proper order of work. “If it's a fresh water leak, you generally fix them before the foundation,” Rodrigo says. “If you have too many sewer line leaks, you may do the foundation first — you don't want to risk breaking the plumbing again when you fix the foundation.”
• Proof of access damage during remediation. If your plumbing crew causes unintended damage by tunneling, trenching or cutting holes, the prior foundation inspection will establish fault.
• Proof of faulty construction. If your plumbing crew causes damage when reconstructing your pipes or sewer line, the prior foundation inspection will establish fault due to poor construction.
• Shifting foundation. Foundation shifts, cracks and damage during remediation are perils that a prior foundation inspection can prove happened during the process.‍
• Ensure proper remediation. A final foundation inspection after work is complete ensures that the project was done successfully.

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Step 6: Now, Ask Your Home Insurance to Cover Foundation Repair

Don’t file a claim until all 5 prior steps are completed — it gives your homeowners insurance company too many ways to decline or wiggle out of covering the bill. 

Provide the following information to support your claim:

• Test results from any pressure test and hydrostatic test
• Structural engineer reports and foundation inspections
• Master plumber quotes for plumbing repairs, access and remediation

Wait to File for Insurance Coverage — but Call Your Agent ASAP

This doesn't mean you should wait to contact your insurance agent. Call them as soon as you suspect any leak or foundation damage — especially if you think it's fresh water damage.

“If you suspect a fresh water leak, contact your insurance immediately,” Rodrigo says. Even though you aren't filing the insurance claim right away, this may be the only time your home insurance policy will activate in this scenario.