Your homeowners insurance policy should cover any sudden and unexpected water damage due to a plumbing malfunction or broken pipe. However, most home insurance policies exclude damage to your home that occurred gradually, such as a slow, constant leak, as well as damage due to regional flooding. Show Additionally, some types of damage that are related to water damage, such as mold, may be excluded from your standard policy depending on the cause. However, if you want coverage, you can typically add additional coverages as optional riders. Does homeowners insurance cover water damage from leaking pipes?Your home insurance policy should cover any sudden and accidental water damage resulting from a plumbing failure, such as a burst pipe or ruptured water heater. Water damage could cause enough damage that you'd need to repair part of your home's structure, replace destroyed property and possibly relocate from your house for a few nights. Fortunately, there are three different clauses in your homeowners insurance policy that may provide coverage if your house has water damage:
If water started unexpectedly pouring out of your washing machine while you weren't home, it could cause your wooden floorboards to buckle. Additionally, the water could leak through the floor and damage the walls or ceiling of the floor below. In this case, you would likely be covered by your insurance. After you filed a claim, an insurance adjuster would come to your home to assess the damage. If the cost to repair or replace your floor, molding and lower-floor ceiling is $3,000, and your home insurance policy includes a $1,000 deductible, your insurance company would pay the remaining $2,000. What kinds of plumbing damage aren't covered by home insurance?Home insurance policies don't cover damage that results from normal wear and tear, and they won't reimburse you for water damage that was caused by a backed-up drain or flood unless you have an endorsement. While covered water damage does include plumbing malfunctions and burst pipes, it's important to understand that certain situations or types of damage aren't covered. When you initiate a claim for water damage, your homeowners insurance company will send an insurance adjuster to assess the cause and cost of the damage. They will evaluate:
The adjuster will use these evaluations to determine if you could have reasonably prevented the leak. If they determine that you could have, they may deny coverage. Lack of maintenanceWater damage that results from normal wear and tear or a lack of maintenance will not be covered. For example, you might notice a minor leak but fail to do anything about it for a few weeks since only a small amount of water is leaking. Gradually, that leak could cause a growing bulge in your wall, eventually prompting you to file a claim. Unfortunately, you would have voided your coverage weeks earlier when you decided not to address the issue immediately. Your insurance company would likely claim that you failed to carry out routine maintenance and deny any reimbursement. Another common claim that many insurers deny is a burst pipe during the wintertime. If you go away for the holidays and completely shut off your heat, the temperature may cause your pipes to freeze and subsequently burst. In this scenario, you may be held responsible for paying for the repairs since you could have prevented the damage yourself. Sewage backupWhile a leaking toilet may be covered by your homeowners insurance policy, a flooded or backed-up sewage system is not covered, even though it may overload your plumbing system. Fortunately, most home insurance companies offer sewer or water backup coverage as an affordable rider that you can add to your policy. It's a good idea to add this optional coverage since sewage damage can be significantly hazardous to your family and destructive to your house and property. Flood damageWhile water damage results from a malfunctioning utility or pipe, flood damage occurs when water from heavy rains, an overflowing body of water or snowmelt rises to a high enough level to enter your house or overload your plumbing system. While flood damage is excluded from your homeowners insurance policy, you can purchase flood insurance coverage through your insurer if it participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Evaluate your house's flood risk by viewing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood map for your region and consulting your insurance agent. Once you've determined your risk, you can decide if flood insurance is necessary for your home. In some cases, the difference between flood and water damage is a gray area. Because of this, it's always best to contact your insurance agent as early as possible to determine how you're covered and what steps you should take to minimize the damage. Mold damageMost homeowners policies exclude mold damage. However, insurance companies do provide a varying amount of protection against mold damage if it results from a covered leak. You should carefully read your policy's wording to determine your coverage and expect your policy to have a reimbursement limit of between $1,000 and $10,000 for mold remediation. While any coverage is good, common mold claims can cost between $15,000 and $30,000. However, as with sewage backup, many insurers offer additional coverage in the form of an optional rider. But be aware that if you live in a mold-prone area, such as Florida or parts of California, mold coverage may be substantially more expensive. In addition to purchasing mold coverage, you should regularly clean, ventilate or dehumidify areas prime for mold growth to prevent it from spreading. These areas include:
Find Cheap Homeowners Insurance Quotes in Your Area It's free, simple and secure. How can you tell if you have a water leak?In many cases, a leak will be obvious and disruptive. Other times, it could go on for days without you noticing, causing an increasing amount of damage until it’s fixed. Use these tips to uncover any leaks you might have in your home:
What to do if you have a leakIf you’ve discovered a leak in your home, you need to act immediately to prevent further damage. The first thing you should do is try to stop the flow of water. Some leaks can be solved by properly attaching a dishwasher hose or tightening a loosely attached pipe. In other instances, you may need to shut off your home’s water supply while you investigate the source of the leak. Before removing any water, document the damage with photographs. This evidence may help you defend your claim with your homeowners insurance provider. Once you’ve documented the damage, follow these steps to remove the water as quickly as possible:
Removing the water as quickly as possible will help minimize the ultimate cost of the damage. Once you’ve documented and removed the water, contact your homeowners insurance company to initiate a claim. |