What is a slab leak claim? What should I do if it happens to me? Does my home insurance cover the damages from a slab leak? Could a public adjuster help me out?
You may not have experienced a slab leak in your home, but it’s good to know how to recognize the signs of an impending leak in your slab. A slab is essentially a part of your home’s foundation and is encased in concrete. Some tell-tale signs are patches of mold on the lower part of your walls, a breach in the floor, or excess consumption of water. Slab leaks are ‘silent killers’, as the water keeps slowly seeping under your flooring without your knowledge. Detection of a slab leak is a challenge as it can cause untold water damage to the foundation of your home rather quickly. Only when the water starts oozing out and disintegration starts taking place does the damage become apparent.
Reasons for slab leaks are many, like corroded pipes or incorrectly installed pipes at the time of construction, fluctuation in water pressure, usage of strong drain cleaners, excessive flooding, etc. Repairing a slab leak can be onerous and expensive too. The best way to protect yourself is to carry out regular preventive maintenance using electromagnetic pipeline locators or video inspection to pinpoint areas of distress. Purchasing home insurance that provides coverage for slab leaks is the wisest thing to do. Standard home insurance policies cover most perils such as natural calamities like wind, hail, lightning, storms, and other risks like theft, vandalism, pipe leaks, roof leaks, including slab leaks. However, you must check with your insurance agent, whether your coverage extends to the dwelling as well as the property contents.
A slab leak claim can get complicated as it includes leaking pipes, damage due to water, the proliferation of mold, etc. Most insurance companies usually accept claims only if the water damage was sudden or accidental and not gradual. You, therefore, require the services of an expert public adjuster like Experienced Public Adjusters to ensure that proper inspection is done and that all the possible damage is noted. We have a team of licensed professionals who engage with you and your insurance provider throughout the claims process. We start by reading your policy document to determine under which clause your slab leak claim is covered and finally, we get you the best possible compensation within your policy limits.
Our team at Experienced Public Adjusters is familiar with the tactics adopted by insurance companies to reduce or deny your claim. The insurance adjuster who visits your home for inspection represents the insurance company, so he may overlook some damages. Insurance companies are only interested in making profits, so they may allege that the slab leak was due to negligence on your part, so be sure to keep all your maintenance receipts handy. In case there is structural damage, our skilled adjusters may refer to experts like construction engineers, water restoration professionals, or mold remediation specialists, as the situation demands it.
Contact Experienced Public Adjusters today for all your slab leak claims.