Insurance Coverage and Exclusions for Faulty Workmanship
It pays to read your homeowner's or renter's insurance policy. Not only should you know what types of damage are excluded on your policy, but you should also know what can limit recovery for things that are covered under your policy. Most insurance policies won't cover the fixing of faulty workmanship or even the damage that is caused, or even aggravated, by faulty workmanship.
Faulty workmanship is building or installation that is done poorly or incorrectly. This faulty workmanship can show up as a leaky roof, buckling walls, or bad wiring. Insurance policies do not cover the costs to repair and make right these problems. Additionally, your insurance policy will not cover losses or damage resulting from the shoddy workmanship.
Even if you would normally be covered for something under your policy, if it can be attributed to faulty workmanship, then you may not be able to recover anything on a claim. This can be especially frustrating when you have gone out of your way to purchase insurance for coverage for certain risks. If you actually have an insurance policy that covers mold, for example, and you discover mold and submit a claim, it could be denied if the cause of the mold was from a leak in a roof that was installed incorrectly. Even if the workmanship was not at fault, the materials used may have been substandard or defective.
If this is the case, the exclusion still applies and you are left paying for repairs yourself or trying to get the money out of the contractor whose work or materials were at fault. This is just one of the reasons that it pays to have work done to your home performed by skilled, insured contractors. Find out what kind of warranty they offer for products and labor. Fixing even minor problems yourself or hiring a friend's kid to do so can cost you in the long run if something goes wrong and your property is damaged. Have a property insurance question? Get answers from local attorneys.
It's free and easy. Ask a Lawyer Questions for Your Attorney Is the damage to my property that is caused by faulty workmanship covered under my insurance policy? If the damage is not covered under my insurance policy, what do I have to do so that I'm not the one stuck with paying for the cost of repairs and replacement? Related Resources on Lawyers.comsm - Consumer Law: Warranty FAQ
Even if you would normally be covered for something under your policy, if it can be attributed to faulty workmanship, then you may not be able to recover anything on a claim. This can be especially frustrating when you have gone out of your way to purchase insurance for coverage for certain risks. If you actually have an insurance policy that covers mold, for example, and you discover mold and submit a claim, it could be denied if the cause of the mold was from a leak in a roof that was installed incorrectly. Even if the workmanship was not at fault, the materials used may have been substandard or defective.
If this is the case, the exclusion still applies and you are left paying for repairs yourself or trying to get the money out of the contractor whose work or materials were at fault. This is just one of the reasons that it pays to have work done to your home performed by skilled, insured contractors. Find out what kind of warranty they offer for products and labor. Fixing even minor problems yourself or hiring a friend's kid to do so can cost you in the long run if something goes wrong and your property is damaged. Have a property insurance question? Get answers from local attorneys.
It's free and easy. Ask a Lawyer Questions for Your Attorney Is the damage to my property that is caused by faulty workmanship covered under my insurance policy? If the damage is not covered under my insurance policy, what do I have to do so that I'm not the one stuck with paying for the cost of repairs and replacement? Related Resources on Lawyers.comsm - Consumer Law: Warranty FAQ
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