If you own a home, chances are, you also have a homeowners insurance policy. These policies, required by most mortgage lenders, protect the value of your residence and other structures on your property.
In the vast majority of cases, retaining walls in Kansas City are covered under the “other structures” or “detached structures” section of your homeowners insurance policy. This is partly because retaining walls play such a significant role in the long-term success and safety of your home. In some instances, however, retaining walls may be explicitly excluded from your policy.
If you’re unsure whether or not your retaining wall is covered by your homeowners insurance policy, you should consult with your insurance agent immediately. If anything happens to your retaining wall while you have a policy that explicitly excludes them, you’ll be on the hook for covering the cost of replacing or repairing your retaining wall.
There are a number of things you might not realize your homeowners insurance policy covers—or doesn’t cover. It’s important to talk to your insurance agent about these possibly covered items. If your current policy doesn’t cover some of the damages listed below, consider switching to a new type of insurance. Here are just some of the things your policy might or might not cover that you may not be aware of:
- Sheds and gazebos: Both sheds and gazebos are another form of “detached structure” like retaining walls. This means that they’re usually covered in some form or another by your homeowners insurance policy. Check to make sure your shed or gazebo isn’t explicitly excluded by your policy.
- Things stolen from cars, hotels and dorms: Another surprising area of coverage is items stolen from off-site storage units, cars, hotel rooms and college dormitories. Most insurance policies cover the theft of these items, even if they’re stolen while working, studying or traveling overseas.
- Spoiled food: If you’ve recently experienced a power outage or wiring issue that led to mass food spoilage, don’t despair—chances are, the food is covered to some extent by your homeowners insurance policy.
- Mandatory home upgrades: When local codes change, you might find yourself forced to upgrade aspects of your home. If this is the case, you can rest easy knowing that the cost of upgrading your living space is likely covered by your homeowners insurance policy.
- Landscaping: Trees, flowers and shrubs used to landscape your property are likely covered by your homeowners insurance policy. However, coverage is usually only extended when certain events or disasters cause damage to your landscaping.
Since 2004, MSE Hardscape Design and Installation has been a trusted provider of retaining walls in Kansas City. We’re proud to provide our clients with high-quality, long-lasting hardscape features that meet their unique individual needs. To learn more about the many benefits of our personalized approach to hardscape design and retaining wall construction, reach out to one of our friendly representatives. We’d be happy to talk to you about what makes our hardscapes and retaining walls better than the competition.