Your standard homeowner policy will not cover damage caused by land movement or a landslide due to:
- Rain runoff
- Snowmelt
- Flooding
- Earthquakes
Protect your property
Think about buying additional insurance to protect your property from potential damage.
Landslide insurance
Here are a couple of options:
Content coverage - This is a special rider for your homeowner policy that includes coverage for the contents of your home from all perils, including earth movement. This rider only covers contents, not the structure. Some insurance companies may not offer this option, so you may need to shop around.
Structure coverage - This coverage includes structures, such as your house or any other unattached buildings on your property. It's commonly called a "Difference in Conditions" (DIC) policy. DIC policies include coverage for landslide, mudflow, earthquake and flood. Your agent or broker may be able to get you this coverage in the surplus line market. These are companies that insure risks the industry traditionally doesn't insure.
Flood insurance
Standard homeowner policies do not cover flood damage, so you must buy flood insurance coverage separately. Flood insurance may apply to some kinds of earth movement, such as water-related erosion, mudflows, and flash floods.
Earthquake insurance
You also must buy earthquake insurance separately, either as an additional policy or as an endorsement to your regular homeowner policy.