If you happen to live in FL, TX, AL, MO, PA, TN, or even KY, you probably are acquainted with the possibility of a sinkhole on your property. With limestone and other types of the soil’s rock prone to cracks triggered by underground moving water, these spots are more susceptible to cavities that widen to become sinkholes. For the rest of us, a sinkhole is not as commonplace. It can nevertheless show up quite suddenly and without warning, causing significant and costly damage. 

RELATED: does homeowners insurance cover mudslides?

In FL, TN and PA, the state governments compel insurance companies to include sinkhole damage in Homeowners policies, but because a sinkhole is considered similar to an earthquake or earth movement, standard Homeowners Insurance policies in other states probably will not cover any resulting damages. You’ll need special Sinkhole Insurance for that.

Some insurance companies give you the opportunity to add the specialized coverage on as an insurance endorsement to your existing Home Insurance; others require you to purchase a sinkhole policy, as standalone insurance.

A Sinkhole Insurance Policy can Provide the Following:

• Recompense to repair your home or property, as well as personal effects that are inside your structure
  
  
• Money to rebuild your home if it has been devastated
  
  
• Payment for installing things like structural bracing that prevents critical damage in a risky situation

For more information on Sinkhole coverage, speak to a trusted insurance source.

PRIME Insurance is a three-generation family-run independent agency. We’re proud partners with many of the leading companies in the industry – big names such as ACE, AmTrust, ASI, ASSURANT, CHUBB, CNA, Employers, FOREMOST, Liberty Mutual, MetLife, PROGRESSIVE, Safeco, StillWater, Travelers, USLI, ZURICH and more. This gives us the ability to provide all forms of nationwide coverage at competitively lowest quotes. Visit us on our online insurance website; email us at PRIME [at] primeins [dot] com or call us at 732-886-5751 and HAVE A PRIME DAY™!

Summary: You might think only areas where sinkholes have been known to strike are at risk for related damage. With the discovery of a sinkhole even on the White House lawn, that may not be so. Learn about associated insurance here.