Buildings insurance and retaining walls

abc45678 · 18 September 2019 at 11:34AM

Hi there

I would be grateful for some guidance on the wording I have in my buildings insurance policy and a problem with cracks in 2 retaining walls at my property.

My property is built on a hillside and so there is a retaining wall as part of my garden to hold up the land above my property, and a retaining wall to hold up my garden from the land below it. Both walls are starting to show cracks which appear to be increasing in size.

My buildings insurance states that cover does not include 'loss or damage to.......boundary and garden walls unless the main building which you live in is damaged at the same time.'

There are no cracks in my residential building. Does this mean that I am unable to claim on my insurance for repairs to the retaining walls?

Thanks for any help

sal_III · 18 September 2019 at 11:56AM

Sounds like it, but the only way to be sure is to call your Insurance provider and ask.

eddddy · 18 September 2019 at 12:51PM

Calling your insurer to ask if you're covered for a specific incident can sometimes be a bad move.

It may be recorded as a "loss incident", even if it's not covered by the policy, and could even impact future premiums.

This news story gives an example:
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/sep/30/insurance-query-higher-premiums

sal_III · 18 September 2019 at 1:29PM

eddddy wrote: »

Calling your insurer to ask if you're covered for a specific incident can sometimes be a bad move.

It may be recorded as a "loss incident", even if it's not covered by the policy, and could even impact future premiums.

This news story gives an example:
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/sep/30/insurance-query-higher-premiums

Good point, maybe you can call anonymously as a new customer and enquire if their insurance covers retention walls etc.

Dangermac · 18 September 2019 at 1:31PM

abc45678 wrote: »

Hi there

I would be grateful for some guidance on the wording I have in my buildings insurance policy and a problem with cracks in 2 retaining walls at my property.

My property is built on a hillside and so there is a retaining wall as part of my garden to hold up the land above my property, and a retaining wall to hold up my garden from the land below it. Both walls are starting to show cracks which appear to be increasing in size.

My buildings insurance states that cover does not include 'loss or damage to.......boundary and garden walls unless the main building which you live in is damaged at the same time.'

There are no cracks in my residential building. Does this mean that I am unable to claim on my insurance for repairs to the retaining walls?

Thanks for any help

I would suggest that you find out what's causing the damage before you involve your insurer. Even forgetting (for a second) the exclusion that you mention above, it's possible that the damage has not been caused by an insured event (i.e impact, subsidence etc).

If it's simply a maintenance / workmanship issues, it's very likely/possible that no cover would apply, even if the exclusion which you mention above did not exist.

DM

abc45678 · 18 September 2019 at 3:38PM

Dangermac wrote: »

I would suggest that you find out what's causing the damage before you involve your insurer. Even forgetting (for a second) the exclusion that you mention above, it's possible that the damage has not been caused by an insured event (i.e impact, subsidence etc).

If it's simply a maintenance / workmanship issues, it's very likely/possible that no cover would apply, even if the exclusion which you mention above did not exist.

DM

Thanks for that. Would you think that a surveyor or structural engineer would be the best person to assess the cause of the damage?

Dangermac · 18 September 2019 at 4:43PM

abc45678 wrote: »

Thanks for that. Would you think that a surveyor or structural engineer would be the best person to assess the cause of the damage?

Probably a structural engineer. As it's a retaining wall, the survey may need to be more specialist than a surveyor's report.

If it was me, and depending on how much load the wall is retaining, I would appoint a structural engineer.

DM

D_M_E · 18 September 2019 at 5:44PM

If both retaing walls - the one above the property as well as the one below - are showing signs of cracking then, if it were me I would get a surveyor in to look at the property as well as the land the property is built on, and specifically ask that surveyor particularly look for signs of subsidence and/or heave - the land under/around the property could be sliding downhill.

System · 19 September 2019 at 8:13AM

A quick Google search says that normally the uphill property is responsible for a retaining wall, because they benefit.
But surely all three properties benefit - those whose land is sliding away, the one below threatened with inundation from above, and the one in the middle from both sides?

Alter_ego · 19 September 2019 at 8:18AM

Clifford_Pope wrote: »

But surely all three properties benefit

I think you read a different OP than I did.

System · 19 September 2019 at 7:47PM

Alter_ego wrote: »

I think you read a different OP than I did.

The OP said:
"My property is built on a hillside and so there is a retaining wall as part of my garden to hold up the land above my property, and a retaining wall to hold up my garden from the land below it. Both walls are starting to show cracks which appear to be increasing in size."

There are therefore 3 properties involved - the one above, whose garden risks sliding into the OP's, the one below who risks the OP's sliding into his, and the OP himself.

Buildings insurance and retaining walls

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