The types of damages described on this website, such as cracking and settling, are often seen when homes are impacted by sinkhole activity. At the same time, these damages can be caused by events other than sinkhole activity. Many times, though, insurance companies and their testing companies will incorrectly blame the cause on non-sinkhole events.

CAUTION: EVEN IF AN INSURANCE COMPANY DENIES COVERAGE AND LISTS A NON-COVERED REASON FOR THE DAMAGE, CALL SINKTEAM FOR MORE INFORMATION AT 813.435.1616. Don’t always believe insurance companies. Talk to your own expert at SinkTeam today.

Sinkhole activity can still be occurring, and your loss may ultimately be covered. You owe it to yourself to have a second opinion. Call SinkTeam today and speak to experienced sinkhole adjusters at SinkTeam at 813-435-1616 for a FREE Home Evaluation to learn more.

Non-Sinkhole Causes Excluded
Florida law only requires that insurance companies cover damages when the damage is caused by sinkhole activity. If a crack forms on your home, for instance, that crack is covered if it is determined that sinkhole activity is impacting your home. If tests reveal that there is no sinkhole activity occurring, the insurance company is likely to deny coverage and refuse to pay to repair the crack and for other damages.

Factors that may cause cracking and settling of a home include, but are not limited to, the following:

Shrink Swell Clays - certain types of clay have characteristics of shrinking and swelling. When saturated with water, the clays swell up, possibly causing the soils (and homes) above them to shift slightly upward. When dry, the clays shrink in mass or volume, perhaps causing some settlement or downward migration of above soils. Shrink swell clays can cause serious damage to homes, but damage caused by shrink swell clays is often not covered by most homeowners insurance policies. That is, UNLESS sinkhole activity is also detected at the home! A home can be impacted by BOTH shrink swell clay and by sinkhole activity, in which scenario the damage should likely be covered. Don’t take the insurance company’s testing report as the final word - you owe it to yourself to get a second opinion! Call SinkTeam at 813-435-1616 right now to learn more about your options.

Settlement and compaction of loose near surface soils - Homes, and the concrete slab on which they are often built, are heavy. Over time, if the soil homes are built upon has not been previously and properly compacted, the weight of the home may compress and compact the soils, causing the home to settle or sink into the ground, which may cause damage to the home. Although settling, this compaction process may not be related to sinkhole activity. On the other hand, sinkhole activity can and does cause houses to settle. You owe it to yourself to seek experienced advice and if necessary obtain a second opinion. The SinkTeam can advise you about your claim, and often times if appropriate we can obtain second opinions from professional geologists or engineers without the need for you to pay money out of your pocket! Call 813-435-1616 today to learn more about your options!

Material Shrinkage - Material shrinkage is a fairly common excuse cited by insurance companies in denying claims. Many times cracking and settling is blamed on things like "the concrete drying" - even though the concrete has been fine for years and years! Or thermal expansion and contraction - the sun is causing the cracks to suddenly appear in a home that’s been around for years! Although things like material shrinkage and thermal expansion and contraction are, to a tiny degree, plausible explanations for some damage, the insurance testing company conduct NO tests to determine if these are the causes of damage to your home, and instead like to suggest them as plausible alternatives to sinkhole activity. If your home is damaged, but the insurance company has denied coverage and cited material shrinkage, or thermal expansion or contraction, don’t give up! You owe it to yourself to consult with the experienced sinkhole adjusters at the SinkTeam today! Call 813-435-1616 right now to speak to SinkTeam and learn more about your situation.

Organic soils - Organics, or organic soils, is a term used to describe soils containing layers of materials that are likely to decompose over time - things like dead tree roots, leaves, mulch, wood, etc. It is possible that, during home construction, fill soil was used that may contain organic materials, and over time as this organic material decomposed and decays, the soils above it are pulled downward slightly. Organic soils are a fairly common reason insurance companies use to deny sinkhole claims. But just because a testing company identifies the presence of an organic soil layer doesn’t mean (a) that the soil is really decomposing; or (b) that regardless of the organic soils, there is not a sinkhole. If you’ve been denied based in whole or in part on organic soils, you owe it to yourself to contact SinkTeam at 813-435-1616 today for a FREE Home Evaluation.

Septic Tank Collapse - Some homes with septic tanks may experience damage, both to the home and to the yard, if the septic tank collapses or is breached. Although septic issues are likely not covered by homeowners’ insurance policies, a proper investigation should still be conducted and the results properly analyized - it is possible, for instance, that a septic tank failure could be due to underlying sinkhole activity.

Many times any or all of the conditions can occur at the same time that sinkhole activity is occurring. Ti sinkhole activity is occurring, regardless of any other course, typically a homeowner should be covered!

If you have filed a claim for sinkhole activity and received a denial, you owe it to yourself to get a second opinion. Remember, insurance companies lose money when they pay claims and potentially look for any reason to deny a claim! The testing companies the insurance companies hire may not want to "bite the hand that feeds them." So you owe it to yourself to ensure a fair and honest evaluation of your property. Learn more by calling SinkTeam public adjusting today at 813-435-1616 and speak to an experienced sinkhole adjuster right now!

Just because you’ve been denied doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be covered!