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Is Water Damage Covered By Insurance?
Learn if you could get coverage from your insurance company for your water damage losses and what determines that.
Written By Rinea Blanchard
Written and fact-checked by an industry expert. ✔️
Does Homeowner's Insurance Cover
Water Damage Restoration Costs?
Most likely, YES, your water damage restoration costs can be covered by your homeowner’s insurance IF the damage was caused by a sudden and accidental leak.
However, this usually includes ONLY the costs of restoration itself, not the cost of fixing or replacing, f.e., the washing machine that leaked.
The conversation gets a lot more nuanced from here, as there are plenty of different types of water damage you could experience, and their coverage can vary widely.
Need a professional and reliable water damage restoration service? Call us now!
Types of Water Damage That Are Usually Covered By Homeowner's Insurance
Quick Answer
Types of water damage typically covered include any sudden and accidental leaks from a source INSIDE the property, including burst pipes, appliance leaks, roofing leaks, and others. EXTERIOR sources like flooding and hurricanes are mostly NOT covered.
In a nutshell, the damage needs to be perceived as accidental and outside of your control.
So, if a pipe has frozen and burst, you’ll probably get covered for the water damage losses, but, again, NOT the repair or replacement of the pipe itself.
BUT, if the leak started small and has gone unnoticed for months, the insurance company will probably claim that YOU are responsible for the loss because of a lack of maintenance on your behalf.
Burst Pipes
Even in Louisiana, pipes can freeze during the winter. When that happens, they can suddenly burst and leak extensive amounts of water.
This water can severely damage drywall and insulation near the pipes, and even hardwood flooring, if it sits for too long.
Costs of water damage restoration in these cases can be expensive, but you’ll likely be able to negotiate good coverage.
Or you can let us, the restoration company with over 20 years of experience in water damage restoration, negotiate on your behalf with way higher success rates.
Appliance Leaks
If your fridge, water heater, or dishwasher start leaking, the kitchen can quickly get flooded.
Removing and cleaning that water will most likely be covered by your homeowner’s insurance company.
BUT, again, the repair of the appliance itself will most likely NOT be covered.
Roofing Leaks
Roofs can leak and damage the attic, and the water can also reach the bathroom through your air ducts.
This type of water damage is also likely to be covered.
What's NOT Covered By Homeowner's Insurance
Flooding and Other Natural Disasters
It may shock you that flooding damage will probably NOT be covered, as this type of damage requires additional coverage by NFIP.
If you don’t have it and you live in Louisiana or another southern state, we HIGHLY encourage you to get flood insurance.
Sewage, Sump Pump, and Other Backups
Water backups typically require additional coverage, so make sure to keep that in mind.
Sewage backups are incredibly expensive to clean due to the high contamination levels in the water. If you don’t have this covered in your policy already, this is another thing we encourage you to consider.
Summary
So, there you have it! Water damage restoration is very likely to be covered by your homeowner’s insurance IF it came from a leak BUT NOT from a water backup or an external source like a flood.
If insurance negotiations intimidate you, they should. These companies are probably going to be very assertive and try to avoid compensating you, but we know their tricks because we’ve been restoring homes and businesses for over 20 years.
Let us handle the insurance negotiations and all of your water damage while you sit back and relax, worry-free.
