Does homeowners insurance cover subsidence?

Standard homeowners insurance policies vary significantly by geographic region and country regarding whether they include subsidence protection. In countries like the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, buildings insurance automatically incorporates subsidence, landslip, and heave as standard inclusions. Conversely, in standard property insurance policies across the United States, earth movement—including earthquakes, landslides, sinkholes, and general subsidence—is almost universally excluded from basic coverage. US homeowners seeking protection against specific subterranean ground movements must purchase separate endorsements, specialized difference-in-conditions policies, or state-backed programs where available, as standard policies will completely deny claims for foundation sinking.