Manatee Insurance offers Sinkhole coverage as an optional endorsement on our Advantage HO-3 (Homeowners) and HO-6 (Condominium) product offerings.
Florida Statue 627.706 defines Catastrophic Ground Cover Collapse as : geological activity that results in ALL of the following:
- The abrupt collapse of the ground cover;
- A depression in the ground cover clearly visible to the naked eye;
- Structural damage to the covered building, including the foundation; and
- The insured structure being condemned and ordered to be vacated by the governmental agency authorized by law to issue such an order for that structure.
Sinkhole coverage is automatically excluded and must be included via Endorsement SIC HO 09 SLC which can be purchased for an additional premium.
Manatee Insurance has an approved vendor, SDII Global, who will conduct the inspections. There is a pre-arranged fee of $70 due from the policyholder at the time of inspection to be paid directly to SDII Global. The fee is non-refundable regardless of the outcome of the inspection. The policyholder does not have to use the Manatee Insurance vendor, they are able to work with any qualified inspection company. If the policyholder hires an independent company to inspect the property the cost will be solely their responsibility and must be completed by a professional engineer, geologist, geotechnical engineer, or other individual recognized by Manatee Insurance as possessing the necessary qualifications.
All new and renewal policies requesting the coverage will be subject to inspection. The inspection does not guarantee coverage. The inspection will document existing damage, evaluate the structural integrity of the dwelling and verify that there is no current or proximate sinkhole activity that has not been disclosed. SafePoint will review the inspection findings and if approved the coverage will be added.
Inspections can be ordered online at www.sdii-inspections.com. Policyholders will be contacted directly by SDII Global to schedule the inspection.