Water Damage – What Does Insurance Cover?

If you have rain, storm damage or flooding in your home, coverage by your homeowners’ insurance will vary depending on what policies you have and the circumstances of the damage.

Some insurance companies cover flooding due to storms, backed-up city sewers and storm drains, broken sump-pumps or burst pipes.

Floods, regardless of how the water originated, are generally excluded from every basic homeowners insurance policy. This includes, but isn’t limited to – rainwater, surging rivers, and drenched ground.

In order to get flood damage covered, you need to purchase a separate flood policy through FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program. Your insurance agent should be qualified to help you apply.

If the water damage didn’t happen at a moment’s notice and is considered “gradual damage,” it probably won’t be covered by home insurance. If the water landed on the ground and flowed into your home, that also isn’t usually covered.

It may be possible to add a rider or endorsement to cover certain types of water damage and residual damage like mold or rot. Talk to your insurer about what add-ons or riders are available for your policy. Speak with a licensed representative who can walk you through the different coverages available to you.

If your losses and damages are covered, the sooner you call the insurance company, the sooner they can process your claim so you can be made whole.

Your insurance company may not be able to send an adjuster right away, especially if your flooding is part of a larger weather event like we’ve been having across the U.S this spring. Document values of everything and take as many photos and videos as possible before, during, and after clean-up. This will help the adjuster assess the damage.

Author: Carolyn Willbanks