Do Insurance Companies Cover Homes After Landslides or Mudslides

Landslides and mudslides can be devastating events, causing significant damage to homes and affecting the lives of those who live there. Typically, insurance companies cover homes damaged by landslides or mudslides, but the extent of coverage can vary depending on the policy.

Many homeowners policies include coverage for landslides or mudslides, but some may require a separate endorsement or rider. For instance, a policy may cover damage caused by a landslide, but not the cost of repairing the slope itself.

Some policies may also have specific requirements or exclusions for mudslides, such as requiring a separate deductible or excluding coverage for damage caused by flooding.

Homeowners can also argue for relief from mudslide damage if they had fire coverage, as seen in a 2018 debris flow in California that was triggered by a wildfire.

Landslides can occur anywhere, and damage to structures like your house or unattached buildings on your property may be covered under earth movement coverage. This type of coverage pays for damage caused by landslides or other earth movement.

A landslide can be covered if it's triggered by a covered event, like a wildfire that weakens the ground. For example, a huge debris flow in California in 2018 started with a wildfire.

Homeowners in California can cite "efficient proximate cause" to prompt their insurance company to pay for covered landslides. This means if a tree lands on your home in an ice storm and the ground shifts, the resulting damage should be covered.

Landslides can also be caused by heavy rains, like in the case of the 2018 California debris flow. If you have fire coverage, you could argue for relief from mudslide damage.

Keep in mind that landslides can occur in all 50 states, so it's essential to be aware of the risks in your area.

Content coverage is a crucial aspect of insurance policies, especially for homeowners. Some insurance companies may not offer a special rider for content coverage, so it's essential to shop around.

You can purchase a special rider for your homeowner policy that covers your home's contents in any disaster, including earth movement. This rider covers contents, not the structure.

Insurance companies might not cover homes after a landslide if the damage is caused by a natural disaster that's not specifically listed in the policy. This can be a problem if you live in an area prone to landslides.

In fact, according to the article, landslides are often excluded from standard homeowner's insurance policies. This means that if a landslide occurs, you may be left with significant expenses to repair or rebuild your home.

Landslides and mudslides are excluded from standard homeowners insurance policies because they're considered earth movements.

Earth movement is explicitly listed as an exclusion in many insurance policies, which means your insurance company won't reimburse you for losses caused by landslides, mudslides, or related events like erosion or sinkholes.

However, your insurance provider might cover property repairs or replacements if the damage was directly caused by another peril that your policy covers.

For example, in California, insurance carriers are required to cover damage from debris flows if they were caused by a wildfire that loosened the soil.

Landslides and mudslides are typically excluded from standard homeowners insurance policies. This means that if heavy rainfall causes the ground to weaken and your home slides down a canyon, you likely won't be able to use your insurance to repair the damage.

Homeowners in California learned this the hard way in 2023. A heavy rainfall event weakened the ground, causing 12 homes to slide down a canyon, resulting in a total loss.

Standard policies list exclusions, but they also provide information on problems that are covered. However, these covered issues can sometimes trigger a landslide.

In some cases, the damage caused by a landslide may not be covered, even if it's related to a covered event. For example, if a tree lands on your home in an ice storm, causing the ground to shift and damage your home, the resulting damage may not be covered if the initial event (the tree landing on your home) wasn't a covered event.

It's essential to review your policy and understand what's excluded and what's covered.

Liquefied mudflows are generally covered by flood insurance, which you may need to buy separately since flooding is commonly excluded from standard homeowners policies.

You can also cover various types of earth movement with an earthquake insurance policy, but this will only cover landslides and mudslides if they were caused by seismic activity.

DIC insurance can fill in the gaps in your existing homeowners insurance policy by covering perils that would otherwise be excluded, making it a good option for covering a wide range of perils including floods, earthquakes, landslides, and mudflows.

Some insurance companies may not offer a rider that covers your home's contents in any disaster, including earth movement, so you may need to shop around to find one.

You can also get earth movement coverage that pays for damage to structures, such as your house or any unattached buildings on your property, in case of a landslide or other earth movement.

You may be wondering what your options are when it comes to covering mudflows and mudslides. There isn't a specific coverage type known as mudslide insurance, but you can consider purchasing flood insurance to cover damage caused by liquefied mudflows.

Flood insurance is an extra coverage type you may need to buy since flooding is commonly excluded from standard homeowners policies. Earthquake insurance can also cover various types of earth movement, but it will only cover landslides and mudslides if they were caused by seismic activity.

You can also consider purchasing difference in conditions (DIC) insurance, which can fill in the gaps in your existing homeowners insurance policy by covering perils that would otherwise be excluded. This makes DIC insurance the only coverage type that can broadly cover damage caused by landslides.

Earth movement coverage can be a lifesaver for homeowners living in areas prone to landslides and mudslides. You can buy a special rider or add-on for your homeowner policy that covers your home's contents in any disaster, including earth movement.

This rider, also known as content coverage, covers your belongings, not the structure of your home. Some insurance companies may not offer this option, so you may need to shop around.

Earth movement coverage pays for damage to structures, such as your house or any unattached buildings on your property, in case of a landslide or other earth movement. Your insurance agent or broker may be able to get this coverage in the surplus lines market.

Landslide policies can expire without notice, so it's essential to keep on top of the situation to avoid being left without coverage.