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Is Insurance Available To Cover Water Damage?

Published by 911 Restoration New Orleans on November 21, 2022 in category: Uncategorized

We are a damage restoration company and the most frequent question we receive from homeowners is “does my insurance cover water damage?” 

This question will depend on where the water damage occurred and how fast it is resolved.

 Every insurance policy is unique, so it’s a good idea to speak with your agent about what’s covered.

 This guide will discuss:

  • These are the most common water damage claims.
  • Insurance coverage may cover your claim.
  • Here are some tips to help you maximize your claim and get paid by insurance.

 

What Types of Water Damage does Insurance Cover?

Let’s look at what is typically covered and what is not, and what your insurance company will pay for.

Water Damage Insurance
Most homeowners policies include coverage for ” unexpected and accidental” damage to the property. This happens when there is an unpredictable and unavoidable problem such as a burst water heater, or a ruptured pipe. Your insurance company may cover the costs of drying and repairing your property in these cases.

Water Damage Homeowners insurance will cover the following:

  • Pipe bursts or breaks
  • Malfunctioning appliances like water heaters and dishwashers can flood your home.
  • Overflowing toilets or water backups from the sump pump or sewer line in the property
  • Rainwater falling
  • Roof leaks and ice dams
  • It is easy to find and fix water leakages or plumbing problems quickly.

When insurance doesn’t cover water damage

Insurance companies won’t cover water damage caused by negligence, “gradual damage”, or water sources that have entered your property. Examples of water damage homeowners insurance won’t cover

  • Gradual damage due to a continuing leak or water seepage through a crack in your foundation
  • Poor maintenance, negligence or wear and tear can cause damage
  • Cost of plumbing repair or replacement
  • External rising water (floods and river overflows), hurricanes, etc.
  • Backups from the sump pump, drain, or sewer line outside your property

Some insurers might cover hidden water leaks or damage
Gradual damage refers to damage caused by the “gradual release water over a long period of time”. Your insurance company may not accept a claim if your house is damaged by a visible leaky dishwasher over a period of months.

What if the leak was not obvious because the pipe was behind a wall?
Everything boils down, as we keep repeating, to the words in your policy. There are providers that understand that it is impossible to tell if there has been a leak until water damage starts to appear. They may accept your claim if you resolve the problem quickly and aren’t negligent. You can check with your agent to verify that your insurance covers water damage from a pipe leak or an appliance.

 

Types of water damage insurance claims

Is water damage from leaking plumbing covered by homeowner’s insurance?
It all depends on whether the leak was accidental or sudden. Also, it is important to determine if you found the leak quickly (usually within 7-14 business days). Insurance might cover ongoing leaks, if they are hidden or beyond your control. Because so many pipes are concealed within wall cavities, insurance companies will cover water damage cleanup and repair costs if the wall has to be removed to fix the leak. In this case, the insurance company will pay the cost if a ceiling pipe leaks and you now need ceiling water damage repair. Most insurance companies will likely also cover sudden or accidental leakages:

  • Leakage of slabs
  • Leakage in an air conditioner
  • Hidden leaks and water damage that are not easily visible or impossible to spot by the homeowner

When insurance doesn’t cover water damage from plumbing leaks
Insurance companies will not cover plumbing leaks that occurred over a long period of time, or were caused by poor maintenance. Let’s say you have a ceiling leak like the one we showed above. Let’s suppose you decide to fix the leak by placing a bucket under it for five years. Now you have serious water damage, and you decide to file a claim. They will likely deny your claim in this situation.

Plumbing Leaks Insurance Doesn’t Cover

  • Leaks that occur over a period of weeks (also known as ‘gradual damage’).
  • Old age can cause leaky plumbing.
  • Poor maintenance or neglect can lead to plumbing leaks.

How insurance adjusters will decide if they’ll cover your water leak
While most insurance companies won’t require you to tear out the drywall to check for leaks periodically, they will expect you address any plumbing problems as soon as possible. Your insurance company will send an adjuster out to assess the damage when you file an insurance claim. An adjuster can tell if it is a recent or old leak and if you could have prevented it. To determine if your leak is covered, the adjuster will inspect your property for the following:

  • The location of the leakage and whether it was visible or hidden.
  • You can tell if the water damage is caused by a recent or ongoing leak.
  • Owners should address signs of corrosion, rust or wear and tear sooner.
  • If an appliance or plumbing is older than the owner knows, they could have replaced it.

Ceiling Leakage Water Damage

Is insurance available to cover water damage from broken pipes?
Homeowners insurance usually covers water damage because these events fall under the definition of “sudden, accidental” and are out of your control. One claim they may deny is that a frozen pipe burst. If you go on vacation in the winter, and turn off your heat to save money, your pipes might freeze and burst. Insurance companies may not cover you if your claim is based on lack of care.

Is insurance covered for plumbing repairs to pipes or appliances?
It depends on what your policy says about plumbing repairs. Some insurance companies won’t cover the cost of repairing or replacing the pipe, but only the water damage. Insurance companies will cover the cost of repairs to the plumbing system and other built-in appliances in the home, such as water heaters and furnaces. Make sure you review your policy in detail and discuss any questions with your agent.

Is Mold Insurance Coverable?

It depends on the cause of the mold. Your insurance company may pay some of the mold-removal costs if the mold is caused by an accidental and sudden water-damage event. Here are some examples of where insurance will cover mold:

  • Mold can result from a sudden plumbing or pipe breakage
  • Mold can result from malfunctioning appliances, such as a burst water heater and overflowing washer machine.
  • Water is used by firefighters to extinguish fires that later cause mold growth
  • Storms can cause water to enter your roof and mold to grow, creating an exposure.

Here are some examples of situations where insurance won’t cover mold:
Mold removal usually isn’t covered if it is caused by poor home maintenance, flooding, or leaks.

  • A visible and ongoing leak, which wasn’t addressed immediately, has led to mold growth.
  • You must ensure that your bathroom and home are not exposed to high humidity.
  • Floods, river overflows and hurricanes can cause mold growth. You will need separate insurance for flood damage.
  • Poorly maintained roofs can lead to mold growth

Is insurance good for roof leaks?
Most homeowners insurance policies will cover roof leaks if it is caused by sudden and accidental water damage, or uncontrollable acts of nature. Insurance will pay for the following roof damage or roof leak cases:

  • Wind and hail damage
  • Fire
  • Lightning
  • Trees falling and other objects
  • Ice dams
  • Water damage caused by accidental or sudden water loss, such as broken pipes and malfunctioning appliances

Your insurance policy will cover the cost of roof replacement and repair costs if a roof leak occurs due to any of the above reasons. It will also cover water damage to other parts of your home. Insurance does not cover roof leaks that are the result of poor maintenance, as we have already mentioned. Insurance might not cover you if you delay replacing roof shingles or other maintenance items.

 

Is insurance available to cover water damage from rain?
Yes! Your insurance policy will most likely cover water damage from the top, such as rain. For example, if a storm causes an opening in your roof or window, and rain water enters your property, your insurance will pay for the repair and restoration of the roof as well as any damage to the interior. Insurance companies will accept the following examples of rainwater damage claims:

  • Hail damage, which causes rain to enter through windows and roofs, can cause hail damage.
  • High wind damage or tornadoes that cause rain to enter
  • Lightning damage to your roof or home that causes rain infiltration
  • Rain entering your roof from falling trees

Rain damage that is the result of poor home maintenance will not be covered. Rain damage caused by roof damage or preexisting holes will not be covered by insurance companies because they consider it a lack of maintenance.
Insurance won’t also cover floodwater entering your home due to heavy rains. Flood damage is when water rises from the bottom.

Is Flood Insurance Available?
The short answer is no, but it all depends on what flooding means to you. People who aren’t in the business of flooding and water damage use the terms interchangeably. Flooding has a specific meaning in insurance and restoration. Flooding is external water sources that are rising in insurance terminology. Flood damage can be caused by the following:

  • Overflowing rivers
  • Flash floods can be caused by heavy rainfall
  • If the ground is too saturated, water can seep in
  • Heavy rains can overwhelm drains and sewage systems
  • Snow melts
  • Tsunamis and hurricanes

Insurance doesn’t cover floodwater that reaches the ground from outside the home. You will need to buy a flood protection policy through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), or through a private provider.
Insurance will cover flooding in your home if there was internal water damage, that was sudden and accidental. Broken pipes, appliance overflows or wind-driven rain can all be covered. The water comes from the roof and does not touch the ground.

Flood Water In A Home

Is insurance covered for basement flooding or crawl space flooding?
Yes, in most cases. However, it all depends on the cause of flooding. Crawl spaces and basements are at the lowest level of the house where water can travel easily. Flooding is more likely when you consider all of the pipes and water-based devices that are stored in these areas. There are some situations where homeowners insurance can cover water damage to basements or crawl spaces.

 

Broken pipes or faulty plumbing:

  • Broken or malfunctioning appliances like refrigerators, water heaters and washing machines
  • Overflows from a backyard sink, bathtub, or pool
  • Frozen pipes

Below are some examples of basement flooding that insurance won’t cover:
Most insurance companies will not cover water damage to basements or crawl spaces if the water was caused by poor maintenance, or water coming from outside.

  • Failures of sump pumps and sewer backups from external sewer systems (you will need to buy a separate endorsement).
  • Water seepage into foundation cracks
  • Floodwater rising from rivers, hurricanes or heavy rains (this must be covered by the National Flood Insurance Program).
  • Water damage due to old pipes and poor maintenance

 

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