Although homeowners insurance covers many types of plumbing problems, it won’t usually cover water damage such as gradual leaks or pipes freezing up in unheated homes. In addition, homeowners insurance won’t cover mold growth due to water damage.
Is Homeowners Insurance Able to Cover Leaks and Plumbing?
When the damage is sudden or accidental, homeowners insurance usually covers leaks and plumbing damage. If the cause of water damage are frozen pipes and you heat your properly at the time, homeowners’ insurance will cover the cost of repairs. You may be eligible for repairs if a plumbing leak is hidden in your walls. Even if the occurrence of the leak was over a period of weeks or months.
There are many types of coverages in your homeowners insurance policy that can protect you and your belongings after a major plumbing incident.
Homeowners Insurance Cover
These are some of the many ways that you can be covered
- Dwelling coverage: Covers damage to your home’s structure. Dwelling coverage pays to repair or replace broken floors, walls and cabinets if you experience burst or leaking pipe. If the source of the water damage is your plumbing or household system, insurance won’t likely pay for them for replacement.
- Additional structures coverage: This covers damage to structures that are not part of your main home. This means that homeowners insurance will cover any repairs necessary if there is a covered plumbing incident in your detached garage or guesthouse.
- Personal property coverage: Covers personal property that is damaged. Your homeowners insurance will reimburse you for the cost of new furniture, clothing, and jewelry if a pipe bursts.
- Loss of use coverage: After a covered loss, you can get reimbursement for lodging, meals at restaurants, and other temporary living expenses. This means that if your home is damaged by a plumbing incident, you can get loss of use coverage to pay short-term living expenses while the damage is being repaired.
To get your homeowners insurance policy reimbursed for any damage or repairs caused by a broken plumbing system or household system, you will need to file a homeowners’ insurance claim. Your policy deductible is the amount that you are responsible for paying on any claim before your insurance covers the rest.
When Does Homeowners Insurance Not Cover Plumbing Damage?
Homeowners should follow proper maintenance on household plumbing, systems, appliances, and other devices to make their insurance effective. You can either hire a professional to repair or replace your washing machine or bathroom sink if it has a small leak.
What you didn’t detect the leak for several months and results in thousands of dollars worth of water damage to your walls and foundation? Is homeowner’s insurance able to cover the costs of repairs? It is unlikely.
These are just a few examples of water damage that homeowners insurance does not cover.
Mold Damage and Pipe Leakage Prevention
You won’t get coverage for repairs if your pipes burst within a few weeks or months. Home insurance will not cover mold removal and repair costs for walls or floors if the cause of the damage are leaks.
Pipes That Freeze or Burst Due to Neglect
If your home pipes burst and freeze due to neglect, homeowner’s insurance won’t cover water damage. Your pipes may have frozen because you left your house vacant for a long time without turning off the water supply.
Backups of Sewer Lines or Sump Pumps
Standard home insurance policies won’t cover water damage caused by sewer line backups and clogged pipes. You won’t be covered if your sump pump overflows. You will need an optional water backup endorsement to your homeowners insurance to get coverage for sump pump backups and sewer line backups.
Old Steel Plumbing
During the 20th century, homeowners commonly use galvanized steel and polybutylene for water supplies. However, homeowners insurance won’t usually cover these pipes.
Galvanized steel pipes and polybutylene are dangerous. Chemicals such as chlorine in public water can make pipes brittle. This can lead to plumbing leaks or burst pipes.
Additional Coverage for Your Plumbing Needs With Home Insurance
There are some optional insurance options that may be available to you if you live in an older home, have out-of-date systems or are in an area that is prone to mold and sewage overflow.
Water Backup Coverage
Standard homeowners insurance policies won’t cover water damage from sump pump backups or sewer line backups. However, you can add water backup coverage endorsements to your policy to increase your coverage for sewage backups.
Water backup coverage is available to cover cleanup costs and repair costs if your sump pump or sewer line backs up. You can add it to your homeowners insurance at a modest additional $30 per year.
Service Line Coverage
Another optional option is service line coverage. This covers the cost to replace utility lines on your property, but it does not cover your home. It includes water, steam and drain pipes.
This coverage is similar to water backup coverage. They add these to your homeowners insurance policy for a modest fee (typically $30-40 per year).
Schedule a Consultation
Unclog your worries and make your plumbing troubles a thing of the past! Clog Kings, the plumbing experts, are here to rescue you from any plumbing woes. With our team of skilled and insured technicians, you can trust that your pipes will be flowing smoothly in no time. So why wait? Dial our number today and join the many satisfied customers who have experienced the Clog Kings difference! Your home deserves the best plumbing care, and Clog Kings delivers just that!
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