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Water Damage: What Does Home Insurance Cover?

When it comes to water damage, it’s important to understand the details of your coverage so that you don’t come across any surprises. In most cases, home insurance policies provide coverage against water damage to help protect your home and family from water-related damages. 

One key piece of information to remember is that a home insurance policy will cover water damage if the incident is sudden and accidental. This means the damage must have happened unexpectedly without warning and must be unintentional. Ongoing issues will not be covered, nor will incidents that happened on purpose.

Water Damage Coverage

Knowing what your policy covers will provide you with peace of mind, and the following causes of water damage are covered under most policies:

  • eaves troughs, downspouts or ice dams
  • water from plumbing, heating or air conditioning systems
  • water main breaks
  • water coming through an opening created suddenly and accidentally by another covered cause
  • overflow from domestic appliances or water containers like your washing machine or hot water tank, for example

Weather-related events causing water damage will also generally be covered. You can always inquire about additional coverage options if you are concerned about water damage and expensive repair costs. Purchasing greater coverage will provide you with more protection, so you can look into sewer backup coverage or overland water insurance to further protect your home and its contents. 

Water Damage: What Is or Isn’t Covered?

A typical home insurance policy will not cover damage due to leaks or seepage over time. Coverage would apply for the damage caused by the water and not the initial cause itself. For example, if a pipe were to burst and damage your flooring, the damage to the floors would be covered. However, the cost to replace your pipes may not be if it resulted from faulty workmanship, deterioration or something else that is not covered by your policy. 

Flood, groundwater, backup or overflow from septic tanks or sump pumps are considered water damage losses that are not covered under a standard home insurance policy unless additional coverage is purchased. 

Knowing what is covered and what is not will help you make informed decisions, and the experts at Leibel Insurance will provide you with detailed information. We will provide you with the insurance protection that is best suited for your home and region and will discuss how you can protect yourself to reduce the risk of water damage and receive better rates. 

Home insurance coverage is a must, so contact us today to speak to one of our brokers!

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