If your home insurance policy covers the water damage done to your home, it will have to be caused by a covered peril. A standard home insurance policy is designed to cover you if it is a covered hazard. If the water damage is caused by a flood, there is a good possibility you will not be covered. In the event of a flood you would need additional flood insurance protection.
Overall it depends on what it was that caused the water damage. Most home insurance policies state the damage should be caused by a sudden event. If the water damage is caused by negligence or poor maintenance, the majority of home insurance companies will not want to cover the damage.
Situations where a home insurance policy will cover water damage;
The majority of homeowners insurance policies require the water damage to be internal and sudden. There are also additional requirements for example the water should have never touched the outside ground. The water damage has to be a covered peril as stated within your personal home insurance policy.
When water damage is covered by homeowners insurance:
- Heavy rain or a severe snow storm
- A plumbing issue for example burst pipes, frozen plumbing, faulty plumbing, accidental overflow
- Covered water damage from extinguishing a fire
- Your roof is leaking (coverage would apply only to the home interior, not the roof itself)
- Accidental overflow of an appliance or fixture (toilet, washing machine, bathtub)
- Vandalism
- Mold but only when it is the result of covered water damage, a covered peril.
What are examples of homeowners insurance not covering water damage
Your home insurance policy is not always going to cover the water damage done to your home. It has to be damage caused by a covered peril and it has to be sudden, unexpected and accidental. When water damage is cause by neglect and poor maintenance you will not be covered in most situations. In short you need to keep up with your properties maintenance to stay within policy guidelines.
There are a lot of situations that are not covered under a standard homeowners insurance policy, but we will go over a handful. Some of the circumstances that water damage is not covered would be;
- Flooding caused by a flood
- A pipe bursting from poor maintenance or neglect
- Seepage from the ground
There are additional policies you can add to your standard home insurance policy. If you want to be covered for floods due to the area you live in being a high flood zone, you will want to look into a flood insurance policy. If you live in an area that has a good chance of encountering an earthquake, you will want to look into an earthquake insurance policy.
The easiest way to find out what you exactly need, is to speak to an agent. They can walk you through the different policy types and find the home insurance that truly fits your needs. Call us today, for an honest approach to home insurance.