When I was working on a client's extension last year, insurance specifics weren't clearly spelled out in the initial contract either. Had to explicitly ask the builder about coverage after noticing some vague wording. Turns out, their standard policy didn't cover certain types of accidental damage, so we had to clarify responsibilities upfront. Seems like it's not always standard practice to detail insurance clearly—definitely worth double-checking before things kick off...
"Seems like it's not always standard practice to detail insurance clearly—definitely worth double-checking before things kick off..."
Yeah, that's been my experience too. When I was building our garage last summer, I assumed the builder's insurance would cover pretty much everything. Then one of their guys accidentally cracked our driveway with a heavy truck, and suddenly it was all "well, that's not covered under our standard policy." Ended up having to negotiate splitting the repair costs, which wasn't ideal but better than footing the whole bill myself.
Makes me wonder though—how many people actually read through the fine print on these policies beforehand? I mean, builders must know most homeowners aren't insurance experts. Is it just me or does it feel like they bank on us not asking too many questions...?
I feel you on that driveway situation. We had something similar happen when we built our home last year. The builder's crew accidentally damaged our neighbor's fence while unloading materials. I assumed their insurance would handle it, but nope—apparently, property damage to third-party properties wasn't clearly covered in their standard policy. It turned into a bit of an awkward back-and-forth between us, the builder, and the neighbor. Eventually, we split the repair cost three ways just to keep things friendly.
Honestly, I think builders aren't necessarily banking on us not asking questions; it's probably more that they themselves don't always fully understand what's covered until something actually goes wrong. But still, it's frustrating because most of us homeowners aren't exactly insurance gurus either. Definitely learned my lesson about reading through the fine print carefully next time around...
I get where you're coming from, but honestly, builders should have a pretty clear grasp of their coverage before they even start a project. It's part of the job to know exactly what's covered and what's not—especially when third-party property is involved. I've seen builders who proactively clarify these details upfront, saving everyone headaches later. Maybe your builder dropped the ball a bit there...but homeowners shouldn't have to become insurance experts just to avoid surprises.
"Maybe your builder dropped the ball a bit there...but homeowners shouldn't have to become insurance experts just to avoid surprises."
Fair enough, builders definitely need to be upfront about coverage specifics. But honestly, even when you think you've got it all figured out, insurance companies can throw curveballs. I've had cases where something seemed clearly covered, only for the insurer to point to some obscure clause later on. Makes me wonder—how much detail is reasonable to expect builders to communicate upfront without overwhelming homeowners?
