Will Homeowners Insurance Cover Water Damage?
Does your home owner insurance policy cover water damage services if you end up with extra water in your home you didn’t count on?
This is a very common question and many times you have to be careful when purchasing home insurance.
Water damage may or may not be covered by your basic insurance and usually depends on the cause of your water damage. To be sure about what is covered, you should talk to your insurance company. Here are three situations which reflect insurance coverage and when the policy might or might not pay for your damages.
What if my pipes burst?
If your pipes burst getting insurance money depends usually if you are at fault, or if other causes like ‘mother nature’ are at fault. If you’ve been warned about your pipes and refuse to change them then insurance may deny your claim, however, if pipes were recently replaced and burst then you might get compensation for the damage.
You have to be careful because many times the insurance company is looking for work done on your home and how old the piping was before considering a payout. Keep good records of all home repair or replacement work done to help gain favor for your claim. Never doubt the importance of maintaining your property and how it can affect your payout.
What If Appliance Causes The Leak?
Here’s a good situation where the insurance adjuster will ask for paperwork on your appliance. If it’s an old machine and should have been replaced then you might not receive any compensation for the water damage. If it’s normal wear and tear than you won’t be covered because it was your responsibility to maintain the appliance and replace it if necessary.
Some insurance companies will consider this an accident, but will not cover the total damage so it’s important to know the limitations.
What Happens if a Flood Causes Water Damage?
Did you know floods may or may not be covered by your standard policy? This is considered environmental and in some states you’ll have to purchase additional flood insurance.
However, it’s important to note not all standard insurance policies cover floods so definitely check when buying a policy and consider adding it to your current policy if you don’t already have it.
Flood damage is extensive and insurance companies are protecting themselves. Here something to do going forward…
- Ask your insurance provider about floods.
- Finding out the average floods due to storms, etc. in your region.
- Shop around as you might get a better deal from the government.
- Read the fine line to make sure what’s covered even with flood insurance.
Bottom line is, as water damage specialists, we will work with you and your insurance company to make sure every penny possible is paid to you to keep your out-of-pocket expenses as low as possible.
