Guides
The earth movement exclusion explained
What the HO-3 earth movement exclusion removes, what it leaves covered, how it differs from settling and flood exclusions, and how to challenge a denial.
The earth movement exclusion removes coverage for damage caused by earthquakes, landslides, mudflows, subsidence, sinkholes and "any other earth movement including earth sinking, rising or shifting." It appears in the standard ISO HO-3 and in nearly every homeowners policy, and it is worded to apply however the ground moved and whatever else contributed. What it does not remove is a fire, explosion or theft that follows the movement. Covering the rest takes a separate policy or an endorsement.
What the exclusion says
In the ISO HO 00 03 05 11 form, it is Section I Exclusion A.2. It defines earth movement as:
- earthquake, including land shock waves or tremors before, during or after a volcanic eruption;
- landslide, mudslide or mudflow;
- subsidence or sinkhole; or
- any other earth movement including earth sinking, rising or shifting.
Then come the two sentences that do the real work. The exclusion applies "regardless of whether any of the above" is caused "by an act of nature or is otherwise caused." And "direct loss by fire, explosion or theft resulting from any of the above" is covered.
The exclusion sits in the first group of exclusions, whose lead-in says the loss is excluded "regardless of any other cause or event contributing concurrently or in any sequence to the loss." That phrase is the anti-concurrent causation language, and it is why a denial can survive even when rain, a broken pipe or poor drainage helped cause the slide. anti-concurrent causation clauses explained covers how courts treat it.
Older editions read differently. The 2000 edition (HO 00 03 10 00) excludes earth movement "caused by or resulting from human or animal forces or any act of nature" and pays only for ensuing fire or explosion loss. Your policy may use either wording, or its own, so read your insurer's form and any state amendatory endorsement. See ISO homeowners forms and why your policy may differ.
What is excluded in practice
| Scenario (hypothetical) | Typical result under the HO-3 | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Earthquake cracks the foundation and chimney | Not covered | Earthquake is named in the exclusion |
| Earthquake starts a fire that burns the house | Fire loss covered | Resulting fire is carved back in |
| Earthquake ruptures a gas line and the house explodes | Explosion loss covered | Resulting explosion is carved back in |
| Hillside slides after weeks of rain and pushes in a rear wall | Not covered | Landslide is excluded; the weather-conditions exclusion also applies when weather contributes to an excluded cause |
| Ground drops under one corner of the house as limestone dissolves | Not covered unless sinkhole coverage was added | "Subsidence or sinkhole"; see sinkhole and catastrophic ground cover collapse coverage explained |
| Soil swells under a slab and lifts a floor | Usually denied | "Earth sinking, rising or shifting" |
| Window glass breaks directly because of an earthquake | Can be covered | The Glass Or Safety Glazing Material additional coverage pays breakage caused directly by earth movement |
| Excavation next door undermines your yard | Usually not covered by your policy | 2011 wording excludes it whether natural or "otherwise caused"; you may have a claim against the party who did the work |
Two rows deserve a note. The glass coverage is a quiet exception: the HO-3 lists breakage caused directly by earth movement as covered, and keeps that coverage even if the house has been vacant for more than 60 days. And the excavation row is a real trap. The 2011 form says the exclusion applies whether the movement is natural or not. That is a reason to photograph your property before neighbors build, and to ask whether the person who caused the damage carries liability insurance.
Earth movement is not the same as settling
Homeowners often get two denials for one cracked foundation. The first is earth movement. The second is the HO-3's separate exclusion for "settling, shrinking, bulging or expansion, including resultant cracking, of bulkheads, pavements, patios, footings, foundations, walls, floors, roofs or ceilings." That wording sits with the wear and tear and deterioration exclusions in the Perils Insured Against section, not in the group with the anti-concurrent lead-in.
The practical difference is that ordinary settling is a slow maintenance-type condition, while earth movement is an event or a geologic process. Adjusters sometimes treat them as interchangeable. A cause-of-loss report matters here, because the exclusion that applies controls which ensuing-loss language, and which state rules, come into play. The deeper treatment of cracks is in foundation cracks and settling: what's covered.
The B-group exclusions add a third layer. The form excludes loss to the dwelling and other structures caused by faulty or defective planning, grading, compaction or maintenance, but states that any ensuing loss not otherwise excluded is covered. Insurers sometimes cite these along with earth movement on slope and fill failures.
How it interacts with flood and wind
Heavy rain often triggers a slide, and that is where the exclusions stack. The HO-3 also excludes flood and surface water and water below the surface of the ground. A slope that fails because the soil is saturated can be denied on several grounds at once.
The federal flood policy does not fill the gap the way people assume. Under the NFIP's Standard Flood Insurance Policy, "flood" includes mudflow, which the policy defines as a river of liquid and flowing mud on the surface of normally dry land. But the policy states that it does not insure loss caused directly by earth movement "even if the earth movement is caused by flood," and lists landslide, land subsidence, sinkholes and destabilization or movement of land from subsurface water accumulation as examples (SFIP, 44 CFR Part 61 Appendix A(1)_to_part_61)). A flowing mudflow can be an NFIP flood; a slow slope failure is not. See landslides and mudflow: what's covered and does homeowners insurance cover flooding?.
Volcanic eruption is a separate matter. The HO-3 treats eruption as a covered peril for personal property and does not exclude it for the dwelling, but earthquake and land shock waves tied to it stay excluded. See volcanic eruption coverage: ash, lava and what your policy pays.
How to cover earth movement
Earthquake is the form of earth movement insurers most often sell cover for, through an endorsement or a separate policy. earthquake insurance explained covers the options. Deductibles are percentage-based and high. In California, the California Earthquake Authority offers deductibles of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% or 25% of the dwelling limit, according to CEA (read October 2026). A separate guide covers The California Earthquake Authority explained.
Landslide and subsidence coverage is much harder to find. Some states require insurers to offer sinkhole coverage (Florida and Tennessee do; see sinkhole and catastrophic ground cover collapse coverage explained), but a general buyback for landslide or subsidence varies by insurer and state. Ask your agent whether anything restores it, and get the answer in writing.
If your claim is denied for earth movement
- Get the denial in writing, citing the exclusion and the policy page. Ask for the engineer's or adjuster's report that supports it.
- Check the cause, not just the label. A water-main break, a plumbing leak or a drainage failure can start ground movement. Some states weigh the dominant cause rather than applying the anti-concurrent language mechanically. See efficient proximate cause.
- Hire your own engineer for a geotechnical or structural opinion. A report that points to a covered cause such as a sudden pipe discharge changes the file. See engineering reports and causation disputes.
- Check for ensuing fire, explosion, glass or theft loss. The exclusion leaves those covered even when everything else is denied.
- Escalate. homeowners claim denied: what to do next covers the sequence: a written dispute, a state insurance department complaint, and when to see an attorney. Remember that the ISO form gives you two years from the date of loss to sue, and many states vary that.
Appraisal normally decides the amount of a loss, not whether the policy covers it, so it is rarely the right tool for an earth movement denial. Your policy and state law control.
Key takeaways
- The HO-3 excludes earthquake, landslide, mudflow, subsidence, sinkhole and any other earth sinking, rising or shifting, whether natural or not.
- Fire, explosion and theft that result from the movement are still covered, and so is glass broken directly by it under the Glass additional coverage.
- Earth movement and ordinary settling are separate exclusions, and an adjuster may cite both on one claim.
- Flood insurance covers mudflow in the NFIP's narrow sense but not landslide, subsidence or sinkholes.
- Earthquake coverage is a separate purchase with a percentage deductible; check your declarations page and your state's rules before a loss.