Use Homeowners Insurance for old cracking driveway?

[slackmax]

I was stunned to see some websites saying you can make a homeowners insurance claim (and get it approved) to have your driveway repaved!

I haven't called my insurance yet since I'm pretty sure they will say no, they won't pay for my new driveway.

The driveway is 33 years old and during all the rain we've had these last 2 years, is gradually getting 2 ruts worn into it where the tires roll, and 4 sunken spots where they tires stay for hours.  Also lots of cracks in the ruts.  Maybe too much water is getting underneath the asphalt, and softening up things underneath.

My pitch to the ins co would be that the excessive rainfall has caused the ruts and sunken spots to show up.   

But of course the driveway is 33 years old! 

Whaddya think?
 

Just asking, since my web search says homeowners ins will pay for it. I just don't believe it.

Thanks in advance.

[BudgetSlasher]

Do you have am examples of "some websites" that you can post a link to? I wouldn't be surprised if certain specific details are left out (such as a sudden reason for the driveway failure or an expensive insurance policy)

My thoughts are:

A) It will depend on your specific policy. For example if I has a sudden failure of the roof, new water damage is covered 100% after deductible (up to the limits of the policy), but for a slow leak (that they think I should have known about) that has become rot there is a provision for $2.5k.

B) Do you really want to file a claim with your insurance? If they were to reassess your risk taking into account previously filed claims, how would you feel about a high premium or dropped coverage?

C) Some settling and cracking in a 33 year old asphalt driveway is pretty common (reason to deny). Have you been diligent in sealing cracks or seal coating the driveway as part of your household maintenance. (you could be blamed for making it worse than it otherwise would be, especially if it is covered), settling is often a sign of improper foundation/roadbed (does your insurance cover defects in installation that presumable happened before coverage began).

D) I would be surprised to see it covered by insurance, but I have seen things that should be routine maintenance paid for by insurance before. Years ago a neighbor of ours had some tree work partially paid for by his insurance, I am not sure it was a "claim" more of an associated benefit. Apparently the actuaries had done the math and found that partially paying for certain tree work (trees dying trees near the house or limbs overhanging the roof) could reduce expensive claims down the road.

E) How much is the repair/replacement? I'm sorry to say this, but I believe the only way to be sure that this will not happen again is likely going to be removing the current driveway, digging up under it, laying a proper bed under it (or in some other way addressing the issue, such as drainage and ditches to redirect water), and placing a new driveway. Asphalt moves too much to put concrete over it, re-topping the current driveway will just settle in the same shape as the current, and without fixing the underlying support issue the ground will shift again. If a quick Google search is to believed 33 years is a good run for an asphalt driveway (I don't want to believe since my driveway is already 28 years old).

[slackmax]

BudgetSlasher,

Thanks for the comprehensive reply! 

Two examples of websites saying HO ins would (in many cases) pay for driveway repair. I hope the links work.

   https://www.garlandinsurancefl.com/.../will-home-insurance-help-cover-a-cracked-driveway.aspx

https://www.inwinsurance.com/.../driveways-are-they-covered-by-home-insurance-2/


I'm currently experimenting with ways to route rainfall water off my front yard and into the street as opposed to next to the driveway. 

The driveway was fine for the first 31 years, then the sagging and indentations started. I admit I gave up on the sealcoating about 10 years ago. Even though it is cracking I never thought the cracks went all the way through, but I could have been wrong.  Maybe I'll get a few 5 gallon buckets of sealcoat and have another go at it.   

I think I have a $2,500 deductible, which is another reason not to make a claim.

And the possible rate hike. 

Cheers! 

[BudgetSlasher]

BudgetSlasher,

Thanks for the comprehensive reply! 

Two examples of websites saying HO ins would (in many cases) pay for driveway repair. I hope the links work.

   https://www.garlandinsurancefl.com/.../will-home-insurance-help-cover-a-cracked-driveway.aspx

https://www.inwinsurance.com/.../driveways-are-they-covered-by-home-insurance-2/


I'm currently experimenting with ways to route rainfall water off my front yard and into the street as opposed to next to the driveway. 

The driveway was fine for the first 31 years, then the sagging and indentations started. I admit I gave up on the sealcoating about 10 years ago. Even though it is cracking I never thought the cracks went all the way through, but I could have been wrong.  Maybe I'll get a few 5 gallon buckets of sealcoat and have another go at it.   

I think I have a $2,500 deductible, which is another reason not to make a claim.

And the possible rate hike. 

Cheers!

The links did not work (the "..." has replaced part of the link).

But it did give me enough information to find them.

https://www.garlandinsurancefl.com/blog/will-home-insurance-help-cover-a-cracked-driveway.aspx

specifically says

Let’s say a storm occurred, knocking over a large tree. The tree hit the driveway and cracked it. In cases where the event occurs suddenly, some home insurance policies will cover it. However, most driveway cracks do not occur like this. Rather, they occur because of uneven soil underneath. After periods of rain or other types of weather, the soil under your driveway could shift or wash away. This situation can weaken the support under your driveway concrete, causing cracks. Home insurance won’t cover this issue, as it’s deemed a long-term problem.

The section in bold from your source sounds a lot like

The driveway is 33 years old and during all the rain we've had these last 2 years, is gradually getting 2 ruts worn into it where the tires roll, and 4 sunken spots where they tires stay for hours.  Also lots of cracks in the ruts.  Maybe too much water is getting underneath the asphalt, and softening up things underneath.

My pitch to the ins co would be that the excessive rainfall has caused the ruts and sunken spots to show up.   

[lthenderson]

I think I have a $2,500 deductible, which is another reason not to make a claim.

And the possible rate hike. 

Bingo. I would change the word "possible" to "likely" though.

[zolotiyeruki]

If you were to pay out of pocket, how much would it cost to replace the driveway?

[slackmax]

If you were to pay out of pocket, how much would it cost to replace the driveway?

 

I haven't checked the price in the last 10 years, but it used to be something astronomical, in the thousands, I think, for a small driveway (like 20 feet by 10 feet). Probably higher now , of course.  My guess would be around $2,000 minimum  today, but just a guess.       

On a side note, I was walking around the neighborhood yesterday looking at other driveways in the area, and even the ones that had great rainwater drainage, as in sloping downward toward the street so the rain just rolls off the lawn and driveway  into the street or sidewalk,  had some indentations, cracking, and tire grooves anyway! 

So maybe fixing my rainwater collection problem won't fix the indentation problem for me. 

[zolotiyeruki]

So it'd cost a few thousand, of which $2,500 would come out of your pocket as your deductible?  Yeah, I'd pay it out of pocket and avoid the insurance rate hike.

[BudgetSlasher]

So it'd cost a few thousand, of which $2,500 would come out of your pocket as your deductible?  Yeah, I'd pay it out of pocket and avoid the insurance rate hike.

Without pictures it is hard to know, but if the degree of driveway settling is inline with the neighborhood . . . I'd would just live with it.

[lthenderson]

So maybe fixing my rainwater collection problem won't fix the indentation problem for me.

I was listening to a podcast of NPR's Science Friday this morning and heard a piece on how asphalt is actually a really viscous liquid and talked of a decades long experiment that proved this. What that means is you can have the most perfect drainage bed in the world and asphalt is still going to suffer from indentations from weight with time. Seeing that I've never seen an asphalt driveway that wasn't "rutted" eventually, I think the real world evidence support this. Although I didn't know asphalt was considered a liquid when I redid my driveway, I think I made the right choice and poured concrete which most definitely is a solid.

https://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-tar-drop-20130719-story.html

[KBecks]

Asphalt and concrete break down over time.  I'd suggest you just save up the $ and get it done.  If you want to leave it in rough shape in the meantime, there's nothing wrong with that. 

[zolotiyeruki]

So maybe fixing my rainwater collection problem won't fix the indentation problem for me.

I was listening to a podcast of NPR's Science Friday this morning and heard a piece on how asphalt is actually a really viscous liquid and talked of a decades long experiment that proved this. What that means is you can have the most perfect drainage bed in the world and asphalt is still going to suffer from indentations from weight with time. Seeing that I've never seen an asphalt driveway that wasn't "rutted" eventually, I think the real world evidence support this. Although I didn't know asphalt was considered a liquid when I redid my driveway, I think I made the right choice and poured concrete which most definitely is a solid.

Well, "asphalt" can mean the tar, or it can mean the tar-and-gravel mix that's used to pave roads. 

I've heard that in some areas, they use concrete as part of the foundation of the road, and then use asphalt as a waterproofing and wear layer.  When needed, they just plane down the top surface of asphalt and lay down a new layer.  No worries about ruts or settling that way, and you don't have to worry about water causing cracks in the concrete, either.