What type of water damage does your homeowner’s insurance cover?

As a homeowner, it’s extremely important to have a homeowner’s insurance policy as it really is the best way to protect your home from potential damages. Every insurance company offers different types of policies and different terms of coverage, so make sure you know what type of coverage you’re receiving and compare policies before you decide on one. While coverage will vary from policy to policy, here’s an overall general guideline to water damage and what you can usually expect to be covered by insurance.

A standard homeowner’s insurance policy will cover water damage to a home if it is determined that the cause of damage was sudden and came from inside the home. This includes:

• Plumbing Leaks/Bursts. If water damage occurs due to a sudden burst or blockage in your plumbing system, including fire sprinkler systems, air conditioners, outdoor sprinklers, water heaters, and other circulatory piping throughout your home, insurance will cover the damages. Water leaks from appliances like your washing machine or dishwasher are also covered.
• Vandalism. If someone enters your home and intentionally destroys your plumbing or leaves the water running, this would be covered under “malicious activity” in your policy.
• Fire Extinguishment. If there’s a fire in your home and the fire sprinklers are activated or firefighters are forced to extinguish the flames, any resulting water damage would be covered.

Now, let’s talk about what’s not covered by homeowner’s insurance. Water damage as a result of neglect, poor maintenance, or gradual deterioration won’t be covered, and the residual mold that forms won’t be covered either. This would include an ongoing leak that was not taken care of promptly and now caused damages or water damage to a roof that should have been previously repaired or replaced.

While certain storm damage is often covered by insurance policies, such as hail damage, water damage caused by an earthquake and weather-related flooding, whether from rainwater, rivers, or overly soaked groundcover, is usually not covered.

However, if your basement floods because of a water leak or burst that is covered, the damage done can often be included in your insurance claim as collateral damage.

A common question related to water damage is if a broken water main is covered by homeowner’s insurance. The answer depends on who owns the waterline and where exactly it broke. In most high-density populated areas, the water main belongs to the municipality and is therefore covered by the city’s insurance and not yours, meaning the city is responsible for any damages.

The most important thing to remember when it comes to water damage is that insurance policies cover sudden and accidental water mishaps that aren’t related to negligence. For this reason, it’s important to keep up with regular maintenance around your home, so you have the best chance of coverage when unexpected water damage occurs.

Our team at Water Extraction Experts makes it easy for you to navigate the aftermath of water damage by working directly with your insurance company. We’re a preferred provider for most major insurance companies and have many years of experience with insurance claims and working with adjusters. We’ll work directly with your insurance company on all clean-up and restoration billing and provide the evidence and documentation you’ll need for your insurance claim to help ensure you receive full coverage on your claim.

Give us a call!

Hiring a professional water extraction team like Water Extraction Experts can give you peace of mind that your home is in good hands.

We are equipped to guide you through the process of protecting your property and getting you back to your life as soon as possible.

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