You will note when taking out pa homeowners insurance the policy has a very clear exclusions statement. Pennsylvania policies do not include floods, landslides, mud slides, volcanoes, water seepage, landslides, sewage as well as many other items such as natural disaster which might occur. Basically all your homeowners insurance covers is not much more than a fire and limited liability policy as well as minimal coverage on damage done by wind and falling objects.
Many people assume that their pa home insurance policy will cover everything, which in most instances is not the case. Before buying a house you should check out the geological risks in order to know exactly what risks you are looking at. If the risk factor is high, rather not buy the property or else you need to find specific homeowners insurance cover. For site specific information one can contact a consulting geologist and have a survey done where the house is located before buying the house.
One should be aware of certain factors and understand the hazards you could be facing. Information is also obtainable from the US Department of Agriculture. For instance your Pennsylvania homeowner’s insurance policy does not cover damage from expansive soils. Yearly in the USA expansive soil causes damage to far more homes than does hurricanes, floods and tornadoes. Expansive soil contains clay which expands when wet and shrinks when dry.
These changes damage foundations, pavements, driveways and underground utilities as well as other parts of the home. At least half the homes built in the USA are built on expansive soil, which eventually will experience some or other damage. Once again a typical Pennsylvania homeowner’s insurance does not cover earthquake damage. However, there are a few insurance companies that will add this type of cover to your existing policy for an additional annual fee.
The number one national disaster in the USA is floods. Floods strike almost every state in the US and Pennsylvania home insurance does not provide flood damage cover. You need to understand the flood hazards where you are located and obtain additional and appropriate coverage if needed. One can purchase additional flood insurance which will cost a minimal of around $100 yearly.
Homeowners insurance does not cover hurricanes instead the coverage is based upon which element of the hurricane directly caused the damage such as flooding or winds. These are cases that still to date remain unresolved. So if you are in an area where you could experience a hurricane you should take out additional coverage once again.
If you are intending to buy a property that is built on a slope you need to be aware of possible landslides. Landslides occur in all fifty states, and in certain areas the incidence is greater than other areas. Once again if this is the case you will have to take out additional landslide insurance cover. So when buying a property in Pennsylvania know what additional pa homeowners insurance you will need to obtain. Rather be safe than sorry.
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