We get a lot of questions asking whether certain things are covered under certain policies. Like this one about what is covered under homeowners insurance: is your retaining wall covered if it falls over? The answer really depends on the situation. Most of the time it is not covered under your homeowner policy. If your retaining wall falls over from water, general aging of the wall, or if it was just poorly built, it is not covered. Those circumstances would be considered earth movement or flooding. However, there are a couple of reasons it would be covered under your policy. If a car or truck ran into it or lightning struck it, it may be covered under your homeowner insurance policy. There are policies coming out that have something called Hydrostatic Collapse coverage – if water pressure builds up to the point collapse there may be some coverage, depending on your policy. The key to that is collapse, not bulging or leaning. The retaining wall actually has to collapse for it to be covered. My recommendation is to talk to your agent if you have a bulging or collapsing retaining wall and find out if it’s covered under your policy.

Mosher & Associates isn’t just insurance. It’s insurance, personalized. With offices in Argyle, Evansville, Monroe, and New Glarus, our Team of Specialists is ready to provide you with the best coverage for your unique situation. Check out our Mosher Assessment Process (MAP) at mosherinsurance.com/map/ to see how we can help you. Answer a few simple questions and we’ll start you on the path to insurance, personalized.