Structural Damage Claim: What You Need to Know Before Filing

When your home shows signs of structural damage, physical harm to load-bearing parts of a building that compromises safety or stability. Also known as building failure, it’s not just a crack in the wall—it’s a warning that something deeper is wrong. This isn’t something you can ignore. Structural damage affects the foundation, walls, beams, or columns that hold your house up. If left untreated, it can lead to collapse, major repair bills, or even make your home unsellable.

Most people don’t realize that foundation repair, the process of stabilizing or restoring a home’s base to prevent further shifting or cracking is often the first step in a valid structural damage claim. Insurance companies don’t cover wear and tear, but they do cover damage from sudden events like floods, earthquakes, or poor construction. If your foundation has settled unevenly, walls are bowing, or doors won’t close, those are red flags. You need proof—photos, inspection reports, engineer assessments. A simple DIY fix won’t cut it. You need documentation that shows the damage is serious, not cosmetic.

Another key player in these claims is building codes, local regulations that set minimum safety standards for construction and repairs. If your home was built or renovated without following these rules, and that’s why the damage happened, the claim might be denied. But if the damage came from something outside your control—like a neighbor’s faulty drainage or a storm that cracked your slab—you’ve got a stronger case. Knowing what your local codes require helps you argue your point with insurers or contractors.

And then there’s property damage, any harm to a building or its components that reduces its value or usability. Structural damage is a subset of this. But not all property damage is structural. A leaky roof? That’s property damage. A sagging floor because the beams rotted? That’s structural. Insurance adjusters know the difference. So do the experts who write the guides below. They’ve seen homeowners lose thousands because they confused one with the other.

You’ll find posts here that break down exactly what bad foundation cracks look like, how much repairs cost, when to call a structural engineer, and how fixing your foundation affects your home’s resale value. Some of these guides even show you how to spot early signs before the damage gets expensive. Others explain why mixed-use buildings or new builds have different risks. There’s no fluff—just real talk from people who’ve dealt with cracked slabs, bowed walls, and insurance denials.