Fair enough, homeowner's insurance can sometimes step up, but honestly I'd tread carefully there. Once you file a claim—even if they deny it—it can still affect your rates down the line. Had a neighbor whose premiums jumped noticeably after just asking about coverage for water intrusion. I'd personally lean toward pressing the builder first, documenting everything thoroughly, and only loop in homeowner's as a last resort if things stall out...
"I'd personally lean toward pressing the builder first, documenting everything thoroughly..."
Totally agree with this approach. I've seen clients have much better luck resolving issues directly with builders when they come prepared with clear documentation and photos. It can feel tedious, but having that solid evidence really strengthens your position if things get tricky later on. Fingers crossed it doesn't escalate to needing insurance at all...
It can feel tedious, but having that solid evidence really strengthens your position if things get tricky later on.
Good points about documentation—definitely helps to have solid proof. But I'm curious, does anyone know if builder insurance typically covers workmanship issues, or is it mostly just accidental damage and stuff like that? Seems like a grey area...
Yeah, good question—usually builder insurance is more about accidents or unexpected events rather than workmanship. From what I've seen, workmanship issues often fall under warranty or liability clauses...but policies vary a lot, so always worth double-checking the fine print.
"workmanship issues often fall under warranty or liability clauses...but policies vary a lot"
Exactly this—learned it the hard way myself. Had a builder once whose "fine print" was practically microscopic, and guess who ended up footing the bill for fixing some wonky brickwork? Yep, yours truly. My advice: get comfy, grab a coffee, and actually read that policy line-by-line. Tedious? Sure. But trust me, it's way less painful than paying out-of-pocket later...
