Common local claim risks
- Mine subsidence
- Heavy snow & ice dams
- Frozen pipes
- Flash flooding
- Wind & fallen trees
Living above the mines
Coal mining shaped the Lackawanna Valley for generations, and the tunnels and voids it left behind sit beneath large parts of Scranton, Dunmore, Taylor, Old Forge, Throop and Dickson City. When old workings collapse, the ground above can settle, cracking foundations, racking door frames and splitting walls.
Standard homeowner policies usually exclude earth movement, including mine subsidence. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection runs the Mine Subsidence Insurance (MSI) program, which offers separate coverage for damage caused by underground coal mine collapse. It's inexpensive compared with most coverage, and many valley homeowners carry it. If you have damage that looks like settling, it's worth knowing which policy you have and how each one defines the loss. Our mine subsidence and sinkholes guide lays out the basics. Coverage disputes are a question for a Pennsylvania attorney; appraisal is for disagreements about the amount of a covered loss.
Housing on Scranton's hills
The Hill Section and Green Ridge are known for large Victorian and early-twentieth-century homes, many with slate roofs, wraparound porches and detailed woodwork. West Scranton, South Side, Minooka, Providence and Bull's Head have streets of frame homes and double blocks, the side-by-side two-family houses common across northeastern Pennsylvania. North toward Clarks Summit and Abington, housing turns more suburban.
Double blocks and older frame homes present a few recurring problems in claims:
- One roof over two units, with two owners or a landlord and tenants involved.
- Slate and specialty materials that the carrier wants to replace with something cheaper.
- Siding that can't be matched, raising the question of how much of a wall or elevation is replaced.
- Porches and balconies with structural damage hidden behind trim.
Winters that test roofs and plumbing
Northeastern Pennsylvania winters are long. Snow piles up on north-facing roofs, ice dams form along eaves, and pipes in exterior walls and unheated porches freeze. The Blizzard of 1993 and the Valentine's Day 2007 storm are still remembered here. We regularly see ice dam leaks paid for drywall but not for wet insulation, flooring or the roof edge work needed to stop the next leak. Our ice dam and frozen pipe appraisal service is built for these claims.
Floods along the Lackawanna
The Lackawanna River and creeks like Roaring Brook and Stafford Meadow Brook can rise quickly. Tropical Storm Lee in September 2011 brought serious flooding to parts of the valley. Flood from rising water is excluded from homeowner policies and goes through a flood policy such as NFIP, which has its own process; homeowner appraisal doesn't cover it. Covered parts of the same storm, such as wind damage, roof leaks or a sewer backup endorsement, are different, and we help separate them.
Working with us
We start with an inspection and a detailed, independent estimate. If the carrier's number is well short and your policy has an appraisal clause, we can serve as your appraiser and work toward an agreed figure or an umpire decision.
Services available in Scranton
Every Pennsylvania Insurance Appraiser service is available to property owners in Scranton and the rest of Lackawanna County, including:
- Appraisal Demand Representation
- Homeowner Claim Appraisal
- Commercial & HOA Appraisal
- Roof & Hail Damage Appraisal
- Wind & Tornado Appraisal
- Tropical Storm Remnant Appraisal
- Water Damage Claim Appraisal
- Fire & Smoke Damage Appraisal
Questions from Scranton property owners
Is mine subsidence covered by my homeowners policy?
Usually not. Most homeowner policies exclude earth movement, including mine subsidence. The Mine Subsidence Insurance program run by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection offers separate coverage.
My double block has one roof and two owners. How does a claim work?
Each owner's policy typically covers their own share of the building. Coordinating the scope so the repair is done as one job, priced fairly, is often where an independent estimate helps.